Research Report: National Reproductive Health, Rights, & Justice

Amy is the National Women's Health Network's (NWHN) Program Director, responsible for planning and implementing the NWHN's policy agenda. Prior to joining the NWHN in 1999, Amy worked on women's health policy issues at the consulting firm of Bass and Howes, as a political organizer for the Maryland affiliate of NARAL and an associate editor at Multinational Monitor, a monthly magazine founded by Ralph Nader. Amy is on the board of directors of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and the Guttmacher Institute. She serves on the board of directors for the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and the Guttmacher Institute. She is also a national coordinator for Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need, a collaborative initiative for health care reform that both NAPAWF and the Latina Institute have been active in.

Andrea Kane is the Senior Director for Policy and Partnerships at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families and, in particular, to help ensure that children are born into stable, two-parent families who are committed to and ready for the demanding task of raising the next generation. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults. We support a combination of responsible values and behavior by both men and women and responsible policies in both the public and private sectors.

Angela is the Vice President for National Programs at the National Institute for Reproductive Health, where she is responsible for overseeing the national education, policy, and training programs aimed at increasing access to reproductive health care services and information for all women. Prior to this position, Angela was the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. At NLIRH, Angela managed the policy program and promoted NLIRH’s reproductive justice agenda through research, analysis, and public education. Angela received her B.A. magna cum laude from Northwestern University in 1999 and her law degree from Yale Law School in May 2002. Upon graduation, Angela received the Blackmun Fellowship at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York. Angela was also a Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow. Through this fellowship, Angela worked as a Legislative Staff Attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), focusing on policy issues relating to welfare, health, and reproductive rights. Angela currently serves on the Board of the National Women’s Health Network, and on the Advisory Board for Law Students for Reproductive Justice.

Aspen Baker is the leading voice in the nation on the personal experiences of women post-abortion. It was Ms. Baker's own experience with abortion in 1999 that led her to found Bay Area-based Exhale, an award-winning pro-voice organization dedicated to promoting post-abortion health and well-being. Exhale"s unique programs reach more than 35,000 women every year and our pro-voice strategies create a more supportive and respectful abortion dialogue. Aspen was named a "Local Hero” by San Francisco's KQED for Women"s History Month in 2009, "Young Executive Director of the Year 2005” by the Bay Area’s Young Non-Profit Professional Network, and a “Top Activist Under 30” by Choice USA in 2003. She is a member of the Women’s Health Leadership Network of the Center for American Progress. As a spokesperson for Exhale, Ms. Baker has been featured in a variety of media outlets across the country, including T.V. and radio, on such programs as CNN Headline News, CNN with Paula Zahn Now, Fox National News, Ladies Home Journal, New York Times Magazine, National Public Radio, Associated Press, Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, The New Republic, Alternet, Women’s eNews, Bust and many more. She is a regular contributor to RH Reality Check and the Huffington Post. She maintains her own personal blog and is currently at work on her first book.

Barbara Kemp Huberman has been actively involved in sexuality education and adolescent sexual health for almost 40 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Florida and a Masters in Education from the University of North Carolina. She is a certified sexuality educator and counselor and was one of the first Lamaze childbirth instructors and trainers in the U.S. Ms. Huberman has authored books on teen pregnancy prevention and building community and state teen pregnancy prevention councils, and co-authored the widely recognized monograph “European Approaches to Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Responsibility.” She is the founder of “Let’s Talk Month,” an international campaign each October to support parents and families in their role as sexuality educators of their children and “Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month” each May. She is the coordinator of Advocates’ Rights. Respect. Responsibility.® Campaign.

Dr. Jordan is an internist specializing in women’s health who also serves as medical director of the Feminist Majority Foundation and medical advisor to Ms. Magazine. A former board member of Medical Students for Choice, Dr. Jordan speaks on scientific and political topics related to women’s health on college campuses and at medical schools and continues to practice medicine. Dr. Jordan received her medical training from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency there.

Brenda Lee Green is the Executive Director of CHOICE. Founded in 1971, CHOICE, Inc. is a non-profit agency committed to ensuring that quality information, care, and education regarding reproductive, sexual, and family health is available to everyone. CHOICE fulfills this mission through two main programs, Hotline Services and Community Education. Through their free, confidential, and bi-lingual hotline services they disseminate accurate information, referrals, and non-judgmental, non-directive counseling around topics including pregnancy, pregnancy options, birth control, prenatal care, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, youth violence reduction, and children's health.

Dr. Carmen Barroso is widely acknowledged as a leader in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights. She has led IPPF Western Hemisphere Region since 2003. Under Dr. Barroso’s direction, the organization now combines quality health services with powerful advocacy in defense of sexual and reproductive rights.Previously, she served for twelve years as Director of the Population & Reproductive Health Program of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, funding hundreds of non-governmental organizations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Her role helped to bring the voices of women in the developing world to international policy fora. She has been the Hubert Humphrey Distinguished Professor at Macalester College and professor of sociology at the University of São Paulo. As a senior researcher with the Chagas Foundation, Dr. Barroso had a pioneer role in creating Brazil's first and foremost women's studies center. She is the author of numerous books and articles, both in academic journals and in the popular press. She was a founding member of DAWN, a network of Third World women, and of the Funders Network on Population, Reproductive Health and Rights.Dr. Barroso holds a PhD in Social Psychology from Columbia University and has been a Visiting Scholar at Cornell University.

Carol Sakala has been involved with maternity care issues as an advocate, educator, researcher, author, and policy analyst for more than twenty-five years, with a continuous focus on meeting the needs of childbearing women and their families. She joined Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity Center Association) as Director of Programs in 2000, after helping to plan the organization’s long-term national program to promote evidence-based maternity care. She has since developed and led a broad range of program activities to advance Childbirth Connection's mission of improving the quality of maternity care through research, education, advocacy and policy. Through its programs, Childbirth Connection serves as a trusted and valued resource to health professionals, childbearing women, policy makers, the media, and a broad range of organizations and agencies.Carol is the lead author of the 2008 Milbank Report, Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve, is co-author of a series of Listening to Mothers survey reports, and is co-author of the widely accessed Cochrane Review “Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth.” She is active in groups that are working to improve the quality of health care, both nationally (e.g., National Quality Forum, National Priorities Partnership) and internationally (e.g., Cochrane Collaboration, Guidelines International Network). Carol was a Pew Health Policy fellow at Boston University, where she received her doctorate in Health Policy through the University Professors Program in 1993. In 2005, the National Women's Health Network recognized Carol as a women's health activist who has made unique contributions to advocacy, information and policy on behalf of childbearing women.Carol was a Pew Health Policy fellow at Boston University, where she received her doctorate in Health Policy through the University Professors Program in 1993. She has Master's Degrees from the University of Utah and the University of Chicago.

Cindy Pearson became the NWHN's Executive Director in 1996. Having been a part of the Network team since 1987, she has coordinated the internship program, managed the information clearinghouse, and directed NWHN's program and policy work. Cindy is a transplanted Californian, who moved to Maryland after obtaining an undergraduate degree in biology from UC San Diego and working as an abortion-rights organizer for Colorado NARAL. While living in San Diego, Cindy worked in several capacities at Womancare, a Feminist Women's Health Center. She is currently the president of the board of directors of Women's Health Specialists in Northern California, and is the treasurer of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

Clare Coleman is the CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.Coleman has been the President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley, in New York, since 2006. She also spent more than a dozen years in Washington, DC, working with both Democratic and Republican members of Congress, including Senator Chuck Schumer and Reps. Nita Lowey and George Hochbrueckner. She was a federal lobbyist for Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 1996-1999. In 2001, Coleman was presented with NFPRHA's Outstanding Staff Award for her advocacy in Congress for reproductive health care. Her work to protect the right to choose was also featured in the May 2000 issue of JANE magazine, in which she was profiled as one of three "broads [who are] trying to save your butt." The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), founded in 1971, is a non-profit membership organization established to ensure access to voluntary, comprehensive and culturally sensitive family planning and reproductive health care services and to support reproductive freedom for all.

Corinna Lohser oversees Birth Parent outreach and advocacy for Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children, an adoption agency with a 100-year history in New York City and additional sites in Long Island and New Jersey. She has her Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a concentration in health policy and management. Corinna has also recently developed an infant adoption training curriculum for the New York State Nurses Association and a reference tool for providers that has been distributed widely in New York and New Jersey. She oversees the Adoption Access Network that partners abortion and family planning providers with adoption resources throughout the country.

Dana Thomas is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA). The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) is a vital membership organization representing the nation's dedicated family planning providers--nurses, nurse practitioners, administrators and other key health care professionals. For more than 35 years, NFPRHA members have provided comprehensive preventive health care services in thousands of health centers to millions of women and men annually.She was previously Legislative Counsel at U.S. House of Representatives.She recieved her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.

Deb Levine is the Executive Director of Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS). She has written a book, consulted for many websites, taught a class at San Francisco State called Sexuality and the Internet, and founded ISIS. She was also previously a health educator at Columbia University.

Deb has been with Advocates for over 15 years, first as Director of the Support Center for School-based Health Care, then as Deputy Director, and most recently as Executive Vice President. Her responsibilities include strategic and operational planning and management of program staff. Before coming to Advocates, Deb served as Director of Community Health Services for the City of Atlantic City where she designed, implemented, and evaluated sexuality education, health promotion, teen pregnancy prevention, and teen parenting programs for an urban population. Early in her career, Deb served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, implementing child spacing, oral re-hydration, and childhood immunization programs. Deb holds a Masters of Public Health in Population Planning and International Health from the University of Michigan and is the author of numerous publications in the area of adolescent reproductive and sexual health.

Delysha D'Mellow, MPH, program manager, is in charge of Curricula Organizer for Reproductive Health Education ( CORE ), an online, interactive tool that features peer-reviewed, evidence-based teaching materials. She has held various positions related to women's health and HIV prevention at the National Institutes of Health, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Columbia University. Delysha holds a master's of public health degree in health education and communication from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Dixie Horning is a results-driven leader with extensive experience organizing communities, designing public policy, managing organizations and motivating staff and administering complex programs. Through work in various organizations, such as the Gray Panthers, UCSF, and the Southern Mutual Help Center, Dixie has been recognized for key accomplishments at the local, state, national and international levels. She is a National and State Leader in the field of Wellness, Health and Leisure Services. Among her numerous accolades, she was selected as one of the "Leaders of the New Century" by National Public Business Information™ in 2001.Dixie's track record of professional and personal achievements includes building diverse coalitions, funding, directing and planning complex programs. In her work at the University of California, San Francisco Institute on Aging and the Center of Excellence, Dixie has been awarded for Outstanding Staff Performance three times in as many years. Dixie is proud to lend her expertise to continue making meaningful contributions to communities, institutions and individuals. During her storied career, Dixie has managed to save some of her energy to compete as an internationally-ranked Triathlete in the Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Hawaii in 1990 and 1992. She has completed ten marathons as well as the 1997 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. She is an avid supporter of sport and has officiated softball, volleyball, basketball, swimming meets and baseball at the recreational, high school, college and international level. She is the past chair of two national nonprofits, SeniorNet and the National Women's History Project and currently co-chairs, Veriditas, an international non profit. In 2003, Texas A & M-Texarkana, named her the 2003 Distinguished Alumna.

Elizabeth Schroeder, Ed.D., M.S.W., is the executive director of Answer and supervises all aspects of its program, finances and staff. She became executive director in September 2008 after a ten-year relationship with the organization as a training consultant for its Sexuality Education Training Initiative and a sexual health expert and Medical Advisory Board member for its National Teen-to-Teen Sexuality Education Project. An internationally recognized trainer, consultant and author in the areas of sexuality education, youth development, curriculum and counseling, Dr. Schroeder has an extensive knowledge of sexuality education programs, policies and politics; national and international connections with key organizations and individuals; and a passion for Answer’s work in comprehensive sexuality education. Since 2000, Dr. Schroeder has trained thousands of youth-serving professionals, adolescents and parents in the United States and overseas. She has presented at national conferences and written extensively about sexuality and relationship issues. She is a cofounding editor of the American Journal of Sexuality Education, coauthor of Making SMART Choices: A Curriculum for Young People and Being Out, Staying Safe: An STD Prevention Curriculum for LGBQ Youth. She also authored chapters in Health Counseling: Applications and Theory and The Continuum Complete International Encyclopedia of Sexuality and contributed a lesson to the curriculum New Expectations: Sexuality Education for Mid- and Later Life. She is editor of Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Controversial Issues in Family and Personal Relationships, 5th, 6th and 7th editions. Prior to joining Answer, Dr. Schroeder was an assistant professor at Montclair State University. She was also the associate vice president of education and training at Planned Parenthood of New York City, and, before that, manager of education and special projects at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Dr. Schroeder has received numerous honors throughout her career, including the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists’ Schiller Prize, for her approaches to teaching Internet safety to youth, and the national Mary Lee Tatum Award, which is given annually to “the person who most exemplifies the qualities of an ideal sexuality educator.” She is a former chair of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) Board of Directors and has served on numerous local and state task forces and committees. She holds a Doctorate of Education in Human Sexuality Education from Widener University and a Master’s in Social Work from New York University.

Dr. Buchen is a trained Obstetrician/Gynecologist with a long history of reproductive rights work, both as an advocate and provider. She has served as a board member for both the New Mexico NARAL and Planned Parenthood chapters, and as an organizer for Medical Students for Choice. She is a recipient of the NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico Pass the Torch Award. She completed medical school and residency at the University of New Mexico. As a physician, she provided family planning services at a community health center serving a diverse population of low-income and immigrant women. She recently left her medical practice to pursue community education and advocacy to promote women’s health. A native New Mexican and fluent Spanish speaker, she is excited about the opportunity to advance access to health care services for New Mexico women.

Eveline has led ACRJ since 1999. Under her leadership, ACRJ is recognized for its innovative leadership in the Reproductive Justice Movement in working with grassroots communities, providing thought leadership, developing effective tools and resources for evaluation, training and documentation, and organizing for long term systemic change. Eveline serves on the board of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and Movement Strategy Center and is a member of the Center for American Progress’ National Women’s Health Leadership Network. During the past 8 years, she has also served as Principal Investigator for two National Institutes of Health grants that explore the intersection between environmental justice and reproductive justice. Eveline was recently named by Women’s E-news as one of the 21 leaders for the 21st Century. She is a 2009 Gerbode Fellow and holds a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley in Community Health Education.

Faith Mitchell is vice president for program and strategy and directs the development and implementation of Grantmakers In Health's (GIH) programs and products on issues related to women's health, racial and ethnic health disparities, and global health. She also leads efforts on strategic communications, foundation operations, governance, and organizational learning. Before joining GIH, Dr. Mitchell was senior program officer at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) where she was responsible for the health disparities portfolio. Dr. Mitchell spent 12 years at the National Academies, both at the IOM and as a center director in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Education. She has also held leadership positions at the U.S. Department of State, The San Francisco Foundation, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Throughout her career, Dr. Mitchell has worked on the application of social science to domestic and international public policy, health policy, and programs. She is the co-editor of several reports, including Examining the Health Disparities Research Plan of the National Institutes of Health: Unfinished Business; Multiple Origins, Uncertain Destinies: Hispanics and the American Future; Hispanics and the Future of America; Terrorism: Perspectives from the Behavioral and Social Sciences; Discouraging Terrorism: Some Implications of 9/11; America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences; Governance and Opportunity in Metropolitan America; and Premature Death in the New Independent States. Dr. Mitchell holds a doctorate in medical anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Heather Boonstra is a Senior Public Policy Associate in the Guttmacher Institute's Washington, DC office and is responsible for promoting the Institute’s sexual and reproductive health agenda in federal law and policy. Ms. Boonstra is a regular contributor to the Institute’s policy journal, the Guttmacher Policy Review, and oversees a portfolio of projects on abortion, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and the integration of family planning and HIV services in the United States and globally. Ms. Boonstra came to Guttmacher in 1999, after working with the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and as a consultant with the Center for International Health and Information, Save the Children, and the Pacific Institute for Women’s Health. Ms. Boonstra graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon and holds an M.A. in religion from Yale University, where she studied medical ethics.

Jane Hutchings directs PATH’s work in reproductive health. She has 25 years of experience developing and implementing innovative and effective reproductive health programs. In addition to overseeing program strategy and development, she directs projects focused on new and underused reproductive health technologies, access to high-quality reproductive health medicines, and strengthening pharmacists’ skills in providing reproductive health services. Ms. Hutchings also guides PATH’s work in strengthening supply-chain systems, especially those for reproductive health medicines.Before joining PATH in 1983, Ms. Hutchings worked in Japan and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia.Ms. Hutchings attended the University of Michigan, where she received an MPH with an emphasis on international population planning policy and program development.

Mr. Osher joined SIECUS in November 2000 and has primary responsibility for strategically planning and raising the funds needed to support SIECUS’ programs, as well as oversees all finance, budgeting, and human resource functions for the organization. He has over 18 years of experience in fundraising and grants management and has been dedicated to the field of sexuality education, HIV/AIDS, and reproductive health for his entire career. Prior to joining SIECUS, Mr. Osher was the Associate Director of Foundations and Corporations at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. He also spent seven years working at Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the world’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS organization. Mr. Osher attended Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and The Eugene Lang College of New School University. He is a member of the Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a former board member of the Greater New York Chapter of AFP, a board member of the Treatment Action Group, a board member of GLYNY Again, and has volunteered for several New York nonprofits.

Jenny O'Donnell serves as the Deputy Director for the Abortion Access Project, a continuation for her commitment to women's health and rights. As Deputy Director, Jenny oversees the Core Functions team, including development, communications, office, personnel and research and evaluation. Prior to this role, she managed AAP's communication activities and assisted in program development on an interim base. Her past experience includes NSF-sponsored research/ writing with Professor Rosanna Hertz on her 2006 book capturing a qualitative study of single motherhood, work with the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School, and consultation with Harvard University's Women's Leadership Board. Other reproductive health and rights work has included internships at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts's development department, Planned Parenthood Federation of America's government relations department, and Our Bodies Ourselves' translation and adaptation program. Jenny has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College and is pursuing a Master of Science degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, concurrent with her work at AAP.

Jessica Arons is the Director of the Women's Health and Rights Program at American Progress and a member of the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative.Prior to joining American Progress, she worked at the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, the labor and employment law firm of James & Hoffman, the Supreme Court of Virginia, the White House, and the 1996 Pennsylvania Democratic Coordinated Campaign. She currently serves on the boards of the D.C. Abortion Fund and the Virginia ACLU.Jessica is an honors graduate of Brown University and William and Mary School of Law. At William and Mary, Jessica was an associate editor of the William and Mary Law Review, managing editor of the William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law, and a board member of the William and Mary Public Service Fund. She has been seen on MSNBC, Fox News, and “ABC News;” heard on NPR and Clear Channel radio; and featured in The Baltimore Sun, The Nation, Politico, Slate magazine, The Huffington Post, ScienceProgress, and RHRealityCheck. Her publications include "More Than a Choice: A Progressive Vision for Reproductive Health and Rights" and "Future Choices: Assisted Reproductive Technologies and the Law."

Professor Morrison is Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, a Washington based nonprofit organization working to expand opportunities for women and girls. Since joining the Health and Reproductive Rights group in September 1998, her focus has been on religious restrictions on reproductive health services. She has also filed amicus briefs across the nation opposing the prosecution of drug addicted pregnant women charged with child abuse, neglect and homicide. She is a frequent guest lecturer for chapters of Law Students for Reproductive Justice and blogs at www.womenstake.org. Professor Morrison has provided assistance to communities across the nation challenging health care transactions that would reduce or eliminate reproductive health services. She has spoken to community activists, medical professionals and state officials throughout the nation on strategies to protect and expand access. Professor Morrison is currently a board member for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.She received her B.A. in journalism from Rutgers University, and her J.D. from Yale Law Schoo

Jill Aragones, Director of Foundations Relations, joined the Center in June 2007. She coordinates and oversees all aspects of the foundation fund-raising program, which currently includes a roster of 40 annual institutional donors.Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Aragones was Senior Manager for Philanthropic Development at Sesame Workshop, managing corporate and foundation fund-raising for Sesame’s domestic outreach initiatives, as well as individual and corporate giving through special events. Ms. Aragones also previously held development positions with the 92nd Street Y and the Whelan Group, a consulting firm for nonprofit organizations.Ms. Aragones received a BA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Jill E. Adams, J.D. has been the Executive Director of LSRJ since September 2006.Prior to that, she served the organization as President of its Board of Directors, intern in the national office, and trainer, facilitator, and speaker on many occasions throughout law school. As ED, Jill oversees fundraising and development, management and operations, programming, finances, and public relations. She also engages in extensive public speaking and writing. Jill is committed to empowering law students, building coalition with other social justice groups, and fostering LSRJ's long-term sustainability. She further contributes to the reproductive justice movement as a member of the Executive Committee of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, the Steering Committee for Pharmacy Forward: Pharmacist Leadership for Reproductive Health, the Advisory Boards of Real Reason and Nursing Students for Choice, and the Women’s Health Leadership Network of the Center for American Progress.She graduated with honors from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Journalism in 2000 and from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2006. Jill is licensed by the State Bar of California.

Joan Schrammeck is the Development & Communications Director for three community health centers in Washington State that provide reproductive health care for women. The health centers are called Cedar River Clinics and are located in Renton, Tacoma and Yakima.

Judith L. Lichtman has been a guiding and influential force in the women's movement for more than 30 years. She recently stepped down as President of the National Partnership for Women & Families and is presently Senior Advisor at the Partnership. Her commitment, vision, and talent as an attorney and advocate have made a profound difference for women and families across the United States.fter receiving her law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1965, Lichtman worked for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Jackson State College, the Urban Coalition, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and as legal advisor to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In 1974, Lichtman became the executive director and first paid staff person for the Women s Legal Defense Fund (WLDF), which became the National Partnership for Women & Families in February 1998.Under Lichtman’s leadership, the National Partnership has been at the forefront of every major piece of civil rights legislation related to women and families for 30 years. Founded as a small volunteer group, the National Partnership has grown into a national organization with thousands of members and has become one of the country’s most influential strategic forces, shaping national policy through its advocacy, lobbying, litigation, and public education. Lichtman’s vision and the National Partnership’s strength and direct leadership have resulted in the passage of some of the most important legal protections for American women and families, including the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993. In 1996, the National Partnership helped shape key provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that make it easier for women and their families to get and keep health coverage. More recently, Lichtman has led efforts to promote patient protections and to bring paid family and medical leave to California.Lichtman has been recognized by civic and legal organizations, business and labor leaders, and others for her strategic abilities, political savvy, effectiveness in creating powerful and diverse coalitions, and her tireless commitment to building a truly just society. President Clinton called Lichtman “a remarkable national treasure,” and Washingtonian magazine has identified her as one of Washington, DC’s most powerful women and Washingtonian of the Year in 1986. The Sara Lee Corporation awarded her the 1989 Frontrunner Award in the area of Humanities. That same year, the Women’s Bar Association named her Woman Lawyer of the Year. In 2000, Lichtman received the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Hubert H. Humphrey Award for her contributions to the advancement of human and civil rights.

Judy Norsigian, executive director and a founder of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective (which does business under the name Our Bodies Ourselves), is a co-author of Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause and Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth. Judy speaks and writes frequently on a wide range of women's health concerns, including abortion and contraception, sexually transmitted infections, genetics and reproductive technologies, tobacco and women, women and health care reform, and midwifery advocacy. She has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs, including OPRAH, the TODAY show, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, THE EARLY SHOW and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. She served on the board of the National Women's Health Network for 14 years and currently serves as a board member for Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research.Judy is a founder and longtime board member of Community Works, which raises funds for Boston area social change organizations through payroll deduction charitable giving programs. Her personal recognitions include: the Public Service Award from the Massachusetts Public Health Association (1989); Radcliffe College Alumnae Association Annual Recognition Award (1995); Boston YWCA's Academy of Women Achievers (1996); the 2002 Massachusetts Health Council Award; and an honorary doctorate degree from Boston University (2007).

Judy Waxman is the Vice President of Health and Reproductive Rights at the National Women's Law Center. She pioneers advocacy, policy and educational strategies to promote the quality and availability of health care, including reproductive choice, for American women.Prior to joining the National Women's Law Center, Ms. Waxman served as Deputy Executive Director at Families USA for over a decade. In that capacity, she worked to achieve high quality, affordable health and long-term care for all Americans and was a leader on grassroots and activities on Medicaid, Medicare and other health care access legislative issues. She previously served as a Professional Staff Member with the Pepper Commission (The United States Bipartisan Commission on Comprehensive Health Care). Ms. Waxman was also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, an attorney for the Department of Health and Human Services and served as President of the Board of Directors of the Women's Medical Center, a nonprofit health clinic. She served on advisory committees for publications of the Alan Guttmacher Institute and the Older Women's League (OWL), and was the Chair of the Health Task Force of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and of the Leadership Conference of Aging Organizations. She holds a law degree from American University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami, in Florida.

Kathy Bonk co-founded the Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC) in 1988 and serves as its executive director. She is co-author of Guide to Strategic Communications for Nonprofits (1999). Kathy has worked on many multi-year, issue-oriented efforts for prominent foundations since 1988. These include: child welfare, for the Annie E. Casey, W.K. Kellogg and Edna McConnell Clark Foundations; international trainings for the Ford Foundation; and population and global health, for the Open Society Institute, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Compton, Dodge, Hewlett, Packard and Turner Foundations. In 1989, Kathy was awarded a Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellowship, which enabled her to work with women's organizations in Russia, the Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Previously, she was a public information officer for the U.S. Department of State and developed media policy recommendations for the International Women's Year Commission under Presidents Ford and Carter. Her government career also includes four years with the Justice Department in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division and she was a founder of the Center for Women and Work at the National Manpower Institute. She also directed the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund's Women Media Project and the NOW FCC/Media Committee.

Kathy Kneer is the President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, which is a 501(c)(4) organization, representing nine separately incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates throughout California on statewide governmental issues.

Kelly Blanchard holds both a Master of Science in Population and International Health and a Bachelor's degree in social studies from Harvard. Ms. Blanchard held a Fulbright Scholarship in Ghana.Prior to joining Ibis, Ms. Blanchard worked at the Population Council as a Program Associate, where she managed a growing program on reproductive health in South Africa and the Southern Africa region. Her most recent research has focused on contraception, medical and surgical abortion, microbicides, and cervical barriers for HIV/STI prevention. Ms. Blanchard has authored or co-authored over forty articles on reproductive health topics in developed and developing countries. In 2006 Ms. Blanchard won the Outstanding Young Professional Award from the American Public Health Association's Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health Section.

Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of Choice USA, heads the leading pro-choice organization working to mobilize and provide support for the diverse, upcoming generation of leaders. Through her leadership, she promotes the organization’s values of shared power and authority; youth-controlled agendas; collaboration and partnership; constituent-specific strategies; learning; and diversity and inclusion. Kierra speaks clearly and powerfully about the need to engage young people and surface young leaders across progressive movements.With many years of experience in the field, Kierra is a leader in the reproductive justice and progressive movements. She has lifted up the value of regional and cross-movement collaborations to foster youth leadership development that will strengthen the pro-choice progressive base in crucial communities in the United States. Often sought after for her expertise on youth and reproductive justice, Kierra has fostered dialogue between major national organizations and local activists to raise the voices of young people on the ground in the national debate.In more than a decade at Choice USA, Kierra has transformed Choice USA’s image, voice and mission from a pro-choice organization with a youth project into a dynamic, youth-led and youth-focused organization. As Choice USA’s national field director, she helped Choice USA become more campaign-oriented. As development director, she developed Choice USA’s first individual donor program. Universities and other progressive organizations and conferences have often called upon her to speak to the importance of youth leadership and train young leaders. Kierra has bolstered the conversation around youth and reproductive justice through her contribution to print, radio, television and online media, including the New York Times, RH Reality Check, Feministing.com, Newsweek,Fox News and National Public Radio.Haling from the great state of Georgia, Kierra’s journey with Choice USA started as a participant in the National Gloria Steinem Leadership Institute in 1999. She was then awarded the Maxine Waters Reproductive Freedom Fellowship in 2000. Kierra is the 2002 recipient of the Young Women of Achievement Award from the Women's Information Network (WIN) and now sits on the advisory council for WIN. She also serves as a board member for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Center for Community Change.

Kim Meredith ‘78 recently joined the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society as Executive Director on July 1st, 2009. She previously served as the Chief Development Officer for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she and her development staff raised the restricted and unrestricted revenue to support the national office program work for public policy, advocacy, online, affiliate services, litigation, new business and international. Kim and her team also funded the Planned Parenthood Action Fund for the 2008 election cycle. PPFA is the leader of the reproductive rights movement and health care serving 3 million patients, engaging 4 million advocates, and serving 15 million clients online. Prior to joining PPFA in September 2006, Kim served for nearly nine years as the Chief Operating Officer at Planned Parenthood Golden Gate where she was responsible the development department, medical services and human resources. She was the Chair of PPFA’s Development Officer’s Council from 2004 to 2006 with over 100 affiliates participating. She worked in the real estate industry for three years and at AT&T for nearly ten years in San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles—before, during, and after the historic divestiture and deregulation. In addition, she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the George Lucas Education Foundation. Kim was President of the Junior League of Palo Alto Mid-Peninsula, and Board Chair for Planned Parenthood San Mateo County where she supported the Executive Director in the merger of three Planned Parenthood affiliates into Planned Parenthood Golden Gate. In 2005, she received a fellowship to attend the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders. Kim has been married to her husband, Allen ’72 (Economics), for more than thirty years. They are the parents of Alexis ’09 (International Relations, MA '10 Sociology) and enjoy running, golf, traveling, and skiing together.

Dr. Krishna Jafa is PSI's Global HIV, TB & Reproductive Health Director. She manages technical teams at PSI with social marketing, epidemiological, clinical and training expertise to support PSI country programs and partners in implementing evidence-based and cost-effective interventions. These include: scale up of adult male circumcision programs in sub-Saharan Africa; provision of high-quality, targeted HIV counseling and testing in 20 countries; development of reliable measures to estimate both the extent of concurrent sexual partnerships and the impact of interventions to address concurrency; scale up of interventions to reduce initiation of injecting drug use (IDU) and IDU-related overdose deaths; creating access to much-needed HIV prevention information & services for men who have sex with men (MSM); and, integration of HIV, tuberculosis and reproductive health interventions. These teams also addresses cross-cutting issues such as gender and stigma & discrimination.Krishna is a physician and epidemiologist with experience in implementing HIV, reproductive health and child health social marketing programs in Asia and Africa. She has worked for PSI in Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and India. Krishna has also worked with the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), playing a key role in advocating for comprehensive HIV prevention approaches for incarcerated populations in the United States and providing technical advice to a number of state and local health departments. Other populations at risk for HIV with whom she has worked include MSM and African American college students. She has authored peer-reviewed publications on her work with each of these populations and on HIV rapid testing technologies.Krishna has a Master's in Public Health from Harvard University and is an alumna of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service.

Laura Jimenez is a California native, a Chicana who has made her way to Atlanta by way of New York City. Laura has been working with SisterSong since 1998, and in 2002 became the first Coordinator of the Collective. In March 2006, Laura became SisterSong's new Deputy Coordinator. As part of her duties in that role, she will be facilitating the internal operations of the Collective, promoting its further growth and helping to increase the visibility of the Collective and the understanding of the concept of Reproductive Justice in communities of color in the United States. Laura has previously worked with the Dominican Women's Development Center in New York, as well as with the National Latina Health Organization in California. She has been involved in organizing with women of color for the last 15 years and has been doing Self-Help trainings for people of color for more than ten. The birth of her two daughters in the last five years has brought home the issue of reproductive justice, encouraged her interest in the area of birthing work, and recommitted her to the healing of women of color.

Linda Williams is the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which ensures that every individual has the knowledge, opportunity and freedom to make every child a wanted child and every family a healthy family. With 33 clinic locations and 23 satellite sites, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte provides a range of reproductive and general health services including birth control, abortion, prenatal care, pregnancy testing, STD screening and treatment, sterilization, pediatrics and adult primary health care.

Linda Griebsch is the Executive Director for The Feminist Health Center of Portsmouth, which is a free-standing, non-profit health clinic.

Linda Mitchell is the President of the National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, a multipartisan, multicultural grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women's participation in the political field and creating a political power base designed to achieve equality for all women.Linda spent 13 years in marketing at Microsoft. She has been the past chair of the Seattle Women's Commission, an advisory group to the Mayor and City Council on issues facing women in Seattle, past chair of the Women's Funding Alliance, and is a founding member of the board of the Center for Women & Democracy at the University of Washington.

Lisa Maldonado has devoted her career to working on reproductive health issues, especially as they affect women, adolescents and immigrants. She has worked with large family planning programs in Latin America and Africa and, for over 10 years, worked with local New York City primary care clinics providing health care to Latino women and adolescents. She is active within the American Public Health Association, currently serving as co-chair of the Association’s Abortion Task Force and as a Governing Councilor for the Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health section. Ms. Maldonado was one of the original founders of the Reproductive Health Access Project and has served as the organization’s Executive Director since 2005.She graduated from the University of Miami in 1985, received a Masters in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1988 and a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University in 1995.

Lisa has worked as a retail manager, a lawyer for the government and in private practice, and as an environmental manager for an oil-spill cleanup company. But it wasn't until she became the Executive Director of Legal Voice that Lisa found the place she belongs. Her casual inquiry about volunteering for the organization in 1988 led to a three-year case representing clinics, patients, and doctors against anti-choice extremists blocking medical facilities. She was hooked on the cause and the people of Legal Voice. Lisa volunteered for several more years until she finagled a paying job as Executive Director in 1995.Although being ED keeps her too busy to spend much time in a courtroom, Lisa exercises her legal acumen overseeing the work of the terrific staff and volunteers of Legal Voice. Working at Legal Voice permits Lisa to speak her mind about women's rights and stand up for those who need it most— lifelong traits that are finally appreciated...most of the time. Lisa's work at Legal Voice can be summed up by the sign she carried at the 2004 March for Women's Lives, which featured a photo of her late mother at the 1992 March: its caption read, "No going back...I promised my mother."

Lisa Chin has loads of experience in both the non-profit and for profit world. She is currently the Executive Director of Jubilee Women's Center in Seattle, and previously served as Executive Director of Open Arms. Lisa is also an active community volunteer, devoting time to Social Venture Partners, the Giddens School, and Voices in Wartime. Lisa worked for 18 years in program management, most recently for Amazon.com.She holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. from the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

Lois Backus is the Executive Director at Medical Students for Choice (MSFC). MSFC stands up in the face of violent opposition, working to destigmatize abortion provision among medical students and residents, and to persuade medical schools and residency programs to include abortion as a part of the reproductive health services curriculum. It is an internationally recognized non-profit organization with a network of over 10,000 medical students and residents around the United States and Canada. Lois was previously the Executive Director at Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, and Planned Parenthood of Central Pennsylvania. She received her MPH in Public Health from Yale University School of Medicine, and his AB in Political Science, Religion from Mount Holyoke College.

Louise Melling is the Director of Center for Liberty for American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She has been an outstanding advocate for the reproductive rights of women for more than a decade. Melling first joined the Project in 1989 as a staff attorney fellow (a one-year appointment) and, in 1992, rejoined the Project as a senior staff attorney. She became the Associate Director in 1997 and most recently served as Acting Director. She secured the first injunction against a so-called partial-birth abortion ban in the nation; she led several successful state constitutional challenges to restrictions on Medicaid coverage for abortions; and she participated in numerous challenges to laws requiring parental involvement in minors' abortion decisions. In addition, Melling has played an important role in developing the Project's communications, advocacy, and affiliate programs. For example, she was instrumental in establishing a nationwide training program for lawyers representing pregnant teens in states with parental involvement laws. She has also served as a spokeswoman for the Project on numerous reproductive rights issues, including most recently on the issue of religious refusals and reproductive health care. Melling received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1987, and her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College. Following law school, she served as a law clerk for Judge Morris E. Lasker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and was an associate at the law firm of Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard, Krinsky & Lieberman.

Lynn Paltrow is the Executive Director of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW), NYC, a Program of the Women¹s Law Project. NAPW seeks to protect the rights and human dignity of all women, particularly pregnant and parenting women and those who are most vulnerable including low income women, women of color, and drug-using women.

Lynne Randall is the Vice President, Consortium of Abortion Providers (CAPS) for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. CAPS provides technical support, training and assistance to Planned Parenthood affiliates throughout the US that are interested in starting, expanding or improving abortion services.

Described as "guiding the battles of the women's rights movement" by the New York Times, Marcia Greenberger is the founder and Co-President of the National Women's Law Center. The creation of the Center over 35 years ago established her as the first full-time women's rights legal advocate in Washington, D.C.A recognized expert on sex discrimination and the law, Ms. Greenberger has participated in the development of key legislative initiatives and litigation protecting women's rights, particularly in the areas of education and employment, health and reproductive rights, and family economic security. She has been a leader in developing strategies to secure the successful passage of major legislation and counsel in landmark litigation establishing new legal protections for women, and is the author of numerous published articles. Examples include the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 providing critical protections against sexual harassment on the job, and Supreme Court victories strengthening protections for students and teachers against sex discrimination in schools.Her leadership and contributions are reflected in the professional honors she has received and the numerous boards on which she serves. Recognized by Working Woman Magazine as one of the 25 heroines whose activities over 25 years have helped women in the workplace, by Washingtonian Magazine as one of Washington, D.C.'s most powerful women and as a “Top Lawyer,” and by Legal Times as one of its “30 Champions”, she was awarded the Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Arabella Babb Mansfield Award, and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Lafayette College. She received A Woman of Genius Award from Trinity College, the Woman of Distinction Award from Soroptimist International of the Americas, the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award by the D.C. Women's Bar Association and the William J. Brennan, Jr. Award by the District of Columbia Bar. She was elected to the Court of Honor of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, received the Hope Award from Calvary Women's Shelter and awards from the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association and the Center for Law and Social Policy. She received a Presidential appointment to the National Skill Standards Board, and currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the American Bar Association’s Commission on Diversity.Ms. Greenberger received her B.A. with honors and J.D. cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. She practiced law with the Washington, D.C., firm of Caplin and Drysdale before she started and became Director of the Women's Rights Project of the Center for Law and Social Policy, which became the National Women's Law Center in 1981.

Margaret Chapman is the Executive Director of WV Free, which is a reproductive justice organization that works every day for West Virginia women and families to improve education on reproductive options, She received her education from Western Washington University.

Margaret Crosby has been an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California for 30 years. Ms. Crosby has brought many cases involving reproductive privacy. She argued two cases before the California Supreme Court to protect the reproductive rights of poor women and young women: in 1981, the Court ruled that restrictions on Medi-Cal funding of abortion for indigent women violated the California Constitution (Committee to Defend Reproductive Rights v. Myers), and in 1997, the Court ruled that a state law requiring teenagers to obtain parental or court consent for abortion violated the California Constitution (American Academy of Pediatrics v. Lungren). Ms. Crosby also worked closely with Senator Sheila Kuehl in authoring California's Reproductive Privacy Act, which protects birth control and abortion choices, and the California Comprehensive Sex Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act, which ensures that sex education in California schools is comprehensive, bias-free and medically accurate. She has headed a project to implement California's sex education law through education and advocacy directed at state agencies and local school districts. Margaret Crosby has published numerous articles on civil liberties, particularly in the area of state and constitutional law. She is the recipient of several awards for her work on behalf of civil liberties, including the California Women Lawyers Fay Stender award, and "Women Making History" recognition by Senator Barbara Boxer. She was named one of the "Lawyers of the Year" in 1997 for successfully arguing before the California Supreme Court that the statute restricting minors' access to abortion violated the state Constitution. Margaret Crosby received her J.D. degree from Yale Law School and her A.B. degree magna cum from Bryn Mawr College. She served as a law clerk to Robert F. Peckham, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Marilyn Keefe is the Director of Reproductive Health Programs at the National Partnership for Women & Families, which is a nonprofit that promotes fairness in the workplace, reproductive health and rights, advocates access to quality affordable health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. Before joining the National Partnership, Ms. Keefe served for thirteen years as the Vice President for Public Policy at the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, where she worked with members of the D.C.-based women’s health community, federal and state legislative offices, the federal Department of Health and Human Services, and NFPRHA members to advance a broad range of reproductive health issues. Prior to joining NFPRHA, Ms. Keefe was an analyst at the Department of Health and Human Services for four years where she worked on the Medicare and Medicaid programs.Ms. Keefe received a B.A. in English from Barnard College, Columbia University. She also has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.

Mary Iskander is the Chief Operating Officer for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate.

Maryjane Puffer is the Director, Clinical and Community Health Programs at California Family Health Council, which is an organization that coordinates and supports the delivery of health services in community-based organizations throughout California. She received her Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from University of Illinois at Chicago, and her BSN, Nursing from Rush University.

Maureen Corry has 30 years experience as a researcher, educator, advocate and policy analyst focusing on maternal and infant health promotion and maternity care quality improvement. She joined Childbirth Connection (formerly Maternity Center Association) as executive director in 1995 and has played a leading role in positioning the organization as a powerful and effective advocate for improving the quality of maternity care for childbearing women and families. She led a strategic planning process that resulted in the launch of the organization's long-term national program to promote evidence-based maternity care through research, education and advocacy (1999). Maureen guided the organization through a re-branding process to bring its name, logo and website in line with its contemporary focus (2006). Her efforts in 2007 resulted in the revision of Childbirth Connection's mission statement and strategic plan to emphasize health policy as a core strategy for improving the quality of maternity care. Maureen served as a guest editor of a special issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "The Nature and Management of Labor Pain", (2002), and as co-investigator of the first and second national Listening to Mothers surveys of women's childbearing experiences (2002, 2006). She is also co-investigator of a follow-up survey with the same mothers, New Mothers Speak Out: First National Survey of U.S. Women's Postpartum Experiences, which will be reported in 2007. Maureen is co-editor of Childbirth Connection's consumer publication, What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Cesarean Section (2006), and is co-author of a forthcoming Milbank Report on evidence-based maternity care. She is a frequent speaker at professional meetings and conferences. Prior to joining Childbirth Connection, Maureen spent 14 years at the March of Dimes Births Defects Foundation serving in several positions including National Director of Education and Health Promotion. She directed the nationally recognized workplace prenatal health promotion program, Babies and You, and developed Healthy Babies, Healthy Business: An Employer's Guidebook for Improving Maternal and Infant Health. Maureen received her MPH in 1991 from Yale University in Health Services Administration. She has served on the board of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition and as a member of the steering committee of the Children's Environmental Health Network and the expert task force of the United States Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. As Chair of the National School Health Education Coalition (NASHEC), she testified before several Senate Committees on the role of comprehensive school health education in promoting the health of America's children. She served as a member of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States National Guidelines Task Force that developed Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Maureen was the recipient of the first Koko Roy Award from the New York University Midwifery Alliance, in recognition of her contributions to women's health as an advocate for childbearing women (2002). Maureen is a reviewer for the Consumer Panel of the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group and represents Childbirth Connection on the national coalition, Consumers United for Evidence-Based Healthcare. She is Vice Chair of the Consumer Council of the National Quality Forum, a member of the Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project of the National Partnership for Women and Families, and a member of the national advisory board for the Raising Women's Voices for Universal Health Care Initiative, a joint project of the National Women's Health Network, the Avery Institute for Social Change and the MergerWatch Project of Community Catalyst. Maureen is currently Co-Chair of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative and a founding member of the board of directors of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization.

Maxwell Ciardullo has been working with SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, for over three years and has worked in both the DC and NY offices. As the Information Coordinator, he coordinates SIECUS’ Community Advocacy Project and monitors controversies around the country related to sexuality education as well as providing assistance to local advocates. In addition, he is responsible for SIECUS’ domestic opposition monitoring and research tracking. While in Washington, D.C. he volunteered at HIPS, a community organization that conducts HIV prevention outreach to sex workers in the DC area and currently works with the Door doing outreach to LGBTQ young people in Manhattan.

Melanie Zurek has spent more than 10 years working on issues of reproductive health. Since joining AAP as its Executive Director in 2004, she has led the organization to strategically respond to growing disparities in abortion access and stewarded AAP’s continued growth as a national resource for innovative approaches to improving access. Prior to AAP, Melanie served as the the Education Outreach and Training Manager for the Family Planning Program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. At the Department of Health, she managed the program’s sexual and reproductive health education initiatives as well as provided training, outreach and community education resources to contracted family planning provider agencies across the state. Melanie has also served as the Coordinator of Professional Education at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. There she provided training in comprehensive sexuality education to parents, educators, and health professionals. An educator and writer by training, Melanie’s career began teaching autobiographical writing workshops in New York City battered and homeless women’s shelters and has included work with government agencies, Native American tribes, and adjudicated minors. She has consulted on numerous health communications, curriculum development and professional training projects and served on the Board of Directors of the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund. She received her B.A. from the New School for Social Research in New York and her Masters in Education from Harvard University.

Michael Welsh is the Vice President of the Centrally Funded Programs and Applied Research at Family Health International (FHI). FHI is a public health and development organization working to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable people. Their 2,500 staff work in 55 countries conducting research and implementing programs that advance public health and build local capacity to address development problems. He studied at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Miriam W. Yeung, MPA, is the Executive Director of NAPAWF. Prior to this position, Miriam had a ten year career at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City, where she was most recently the Director of Public Policy and Government Relations. In that position, she was responsible for the advocacy, community education and government relations work of the Center – including Promote the Vote, one of the country’s oldest and largest LGBT voter education and mobilization projects, and Causes in Common, a national project which seeks to build working alliances between the reproductive rights and LGBT liberation movements.Prior to that position, Miriam provided direct services in the Center’s Youth Enrichment Services Program for seven years and was the driving force behind its Safe Schools Campaign, which seeks to erase hate and homophobia from schools through the empowerment, training and support of youth leaders. Miriam has also co-produced a documentary about the queer youth community of NYC entitled “I Look Up to the Sky Now.”Born in Hong Kong and raised in the projects of Brooklyn, Miriam is a proud queer, Asian American, immigrant woman activist who is committed to social justice movement building. Miriam received her Master’s in Public Administration at Baruch College and her B.A. in psychology/pre-med at NYU.

J. Parker Dockray, MSW is the Board President of Backline and a longtime advocate for reproductive health and justice, with a special passion for options counseling around pregnancy, contraceptives and childbirth. Parker has been the Executive Director of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (CCRF) since 2007 and spent the previous decade working in various roles, including Executive Director, at ACCESS/Women's Health Rights Coalition, a grassroots organization working to challenge barriers to reproductive health care for women in California. Parker also has experience as an abortion clinic counselor, advocate for teen moms, sexual health educator, policy advocate, coalition builder, postpartum doula, and mother.

Priscilla Huang is the Policy and Programs Director at the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. Priscilla Huang oversees NAPAWF’s federal policy advocacy and reproductive justice, anti-trafficking and emerging immigrant rights programs. She was a Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy fellow and the recipient of Choice USA’s 2007 “Courting Justice” Generation Award. She has worked on gender-based employment discrimination cases at Equal Rights Advocates, performed policy work at the National Abortion Federation, and worked as a child case manager at a transitional housing program for families with a history of homelessness and domestic violence. Ms. Huang currently sits on the board of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, and is an Advisory Board member of Law Students for Reproductive Justice and Raising Women’s Voices. She holds a law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, where she was a Public Interest/Public Service Scholar, and her writings have appeared in the Harvard Law and Public Policy Review, AlterNet, Feministing.com, RH Reality Check and other publications.

Rebecca Coltrane is the Business Director for Cedar River Clinics, which is dedicated to women's reproductive health care and specialize in abortion care, birth control, and women's health. They provide abortion in Renton, Tacoma, Yakima, Seattle in Washington State (WA). Pro-Choice.

Rivka works with ARHP's partners to expand reproductive health education and advocacy. Her previous positions include director of an Ipas program for managing early pregnancy loss and abortion; director of health services at a North Carolina School of Science and Math center and the state’s Correctional Center for Women; and family planning clinician for Planned Parenthood Association of the Southern Mountains. Rivka received a Women’s Health Care Specialist certificate from UCLA Medical School and a master’s of health sciences degree as a primary care physician assistant from Duke University.

Since June of 2004, Sara has been leading the effort to develop a new organizational coalition to unite, coordinate and amplify the voices of women's health supporters in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health is dedicated to advancing comprehensive women’s health in Wisconsin by engaging, educating, empowering and mobilizing individuals and organizations. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the Wisconsin Public Health Association; a 2009 Mid-America Public Health Leadership Institute Fellow; Council Member of HealthWatch Wisconsin; Steering Committee member of the Wisconsin Covering Kids & Families; and board member of the Wellness Center for Door County. Prior to assuming this role, Sara was the Northeast Director of Membership and Professional Relations for the Wisconsin Medical Society. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.

Sarah Brown is the CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a private and independent non-profit organization working to promote values, behavior, and policies that reduce both teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among young adults. The National Campaign began in 1996 with a crisp focus on preventing teen pregnancy and, over the last decade and more, has successfully helped the nation to reduce teen pregnancy by one-third. Its new goal for teen pregnancy is an additional one-third reduction by 2015.Before helping to found the Campaign, Brown was a senior study director at the Institute of Medicine, where she directed numerous studies in the broad field of maternal and child health. Her last major report there resulted in the landmark book The Best Intentions: Unintended Pregnancy and the Well-being of Children and Families. She has served on advisory boards of many influential national organizations, including the Guttmacher Institute, the Population Advisory Board of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the DC Mayor’s Committee on Reducing Teenage Pregnancies and Out-of Wedlock Births, and Teen People magazine. Brown has received numerous awards, including the Institute of Medicine’s Cecil Award for Excellence in Research, the John MacQueen Award for Excellence in Maternal and Child Health from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, the Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Service Award from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Martha May Elliot Award of the American Public Health Association, and the Spirit of Service Award from the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Prevention. She holds an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and a Masters in Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina.

Sean Tipton is the Director of Public Affairs at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). ASRM is an organization that wants to advance the "art, science, and practice of reproductive medicine" . It provides a forum for lay public, researchers, physicians and affiliated health workers through education, publications, and meetings. He received his M.A. in Political Science from The Ohio State University, and his BA in Political Science from Transylvania University.

Serra Sippel is the president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), where she leads the organization's education and advocacy efforts to ensure that U.S. international policies and programs promote and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights through evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment of critical reproductive and sexual health concerns, and through increased funding for critical programs.Ms. Sippel came to CHANGE in May 2006 as deputy director. In that position, she helped lead the organization's research and advocacy initiatives and contributed significantly to CHANGE's institutional development. Serra has more than 15 years of experience in advocacy on women's rights issues. Prior to joining CHANGE, Serra was the international program director at Catholics for a Free Choice, where she worked for more than eight years. She focused on the advancement of the sexual, reproductive and other human rights of women around the world. In addition to her years at CFFC, Serra has been involved in the fight for women's rights through her work at a homeless shelter for women with children in Texas, and on behalf of women prisoners in the state of Indiana. Serra also has worked collaboratively with women's rights activists around the world to secure and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights. Among Serra's many achievements as an advocate is her leadership at the United Nations to safeguard women's sexual and reproductive rights from attempts by conservative member delegations to undermine critical agreements made at the U.N. world conferences in Cairo and Beijing.Serra holds a master's degree in religion. She is the author of numerous articles and other publications on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and has spoken at conferences on these issues in Europe, Africa, Asia, the United States and Latin America.

Shafia Monroe is the Founder and President of International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC); the nation’s first Black midwifery training, breastfeeding promotion and capacity building non-profit organization, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. She is also a health activist, organizer, and international speaker devoted to infant mortality prevention, breastfeeding promotion, and increasing the number of midwives of color. She is a Certified Midwife by the Massachusetts Midwives Alliance, a Childbirth Educator, a Doula Trainer, and mother of seven children. Shafia is the visionary behind the prominent Black Midwives and Healers Conference that brings midwives and other health care providers together to galvanize resources and implement strategies for reducing infant mortality and strengthening families. In 2006, the Black Midwives and Healers Conference received a Proclamation from Oregon’s Governor Ted Kulongoski. In 2007 she authored the Black Midwives and Prenatal Providers Directory-Essential Recipes and Words of Wisdom for Expecting and New Parents.She holds a BA in sociology, with a concentration in medical sociology, from the University of Massachusetts.

Silvia Henriquez is responsible for the overall management, fundraising and administration of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Silvia has positioned NLIRH as one of the leading organizations working to advance the reproductive health and rights of Latinas. Within the first two years of her tenure, she increased national visibility through the 2004 March for Women’s Lives and the National Latina Summit. Subsequently under her leadership, NLIRH has developed a successful organizing and leadership development training curriculum, a national policy agenda and built coalitions with state and national partners that advance a reproductive justice advocacy effort. Through her work at NLIRH, Silvia has published articles in “Social Policy, Organizing for Social and Economic Justice and Democratic Participation” and “Conscience, The Newsjournal of Catholic Opinion.”via currently sits on the Board of Directors of both the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and the Guttmacher Institute. She has also been recognized by the National Women’s Health Network at their 30th Anniversary as one of 30 activists working on behalf of women’s health. Silvia is also the recipient of the 2005 Young Professional Award from the American Public Health Association. Under her leadership, NLIRH was granted the Alfred F. Moran Public Advocacy Award from Family Planning Advocates of New York State.Prior to her leadership position at NLIRH, Silvia worked with various reproductive rights organizations. She was the National Campus Coordinator at the Feminist Majority Foundation, the Outreach Director at the National Abortion Federation and a Policy Analyst with the Latino Issues Forum where in 2003, she co-wrote, “Our Health, Our Rights: Reproductive Justice for Latinas in California.”She graduated with a Bachelor’s in International Affairs and a Master’s in Women’s Studies both from George Washington University.

Stephanie Poggi is the Executive Director of National Network of Abortion Funds, which is a network of over 100 grassroots groups in more than 40 states that help women pay for abortion services. Previously she was Editor in Chief at Sojourner: The Women's Forum, and Editor at Gay Community News.

Sujatha Jesudason, Ph.D. is Executive Director of Generations Ahead. Generations Ahead brings diverse communities together to promote policies on genetic technologies that protect human rights and affirm our shared humanity. She has been active as an organizer, advocate and researcher in communities of color and on women's issues for more than 18 years. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum and comes to this work with a background in immigration, racial justice, domestic violence prevention, particularly in the South Asian community, and reproductive rights in communities of color. She began working for reproductive and genetic justice at the Center for Genetics and Society in 2004. She founded Generations Ahead in 2008 and helped develop its vision of inserting a powerful social justice voice in the public policy debates on reproductive and genetic technologies.She earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley in sociology.

Susan Wysocki is the President and CEO of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (N-P-W-H) formerly the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Reproductive Health. She is a woman’s health nurse practitioner certified by the National Certification Corporation (NCC) and a national recognized speaker and opinion leader in the field of women’s health.Ms. Wysocki is the editor of Clinical Challenges in Women’s Health: A Handbook for Nurse Practitioners. She is the editor of multiple publications including: Contemporary Nurse Practitioners, Conversations in Counseling, and Transitions: Menopause News for NPs and PAs, Further, she is a contributing Editor and Washington, DC Bureau Chief for Nurse Practitioner World News. Ms. Wysocki also serves on the editorial boards of the American Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Patient Care for the Nurse Practitioner, and Contraceptive Technology Update. She is also the author of Family Planning at Your Fingertips and has authored numerous articles in nursing publications.n 1999, Ms. Wysocki was selected by a national panel of nurse practitioners convened by the Nurse Practitioner Journal for a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognized ten nurse practitioners that made a difference in the history of the nurse practitioner movement. In 2000, she was chosen as a charter Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She has served as the chair of the National Alliance of Nurse Practitioners and was the founding President of the American College of Nurse Practitioners.Ms. Wysocki has testified before Congress, the FDA and CDC regarding women’s health issues as well as the role of nurse practitioners. Her testimony at the CDC was largely responsible for the inclusion of nurse practitioners in the Physician Performed Microscopy category in the CLIA regulations among other accomplishments. In the courts, (NANPRH v. Sullivan) Ms. Wysocki’s testimony was critical to enjoining federal administrative rules that would have prohibited nurse practitioners from providing pregnancy counseling.Ms. Wysocki has been quoted in a wide range of publications including the Washington Post, Glamour, Essence, Shape, Rolling Stone and Oggi, Japan’s equivalent of Glamour. She has also appeared in television and radio broadcasts nationwide where she has discussed a wide range of women’s health issues.Ms. Wysocki is a graduate of Boston College School of Nursing and attained her certificate as a nurse practitioner through the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Susan Chorley is the Director for Renewal House at the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry. Renewal House is a domestic violence shelter for individuals in crisis and their children. Since 1980, Renewal House has provided temporary emergency shelter and advocacy services to more than 1,000 individuals and families escaping domestic violence.

In 1977, Susan Scanlan helped found the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues and its policy arm, the Women’s Research & Education Institute (WREI). At that time, there were 18 women in the House of Representative and one woman in the Senate. Today, the Caucus has grown to 71 Congresswomen and 16 Senators—from 4 percent to 16 percent of Congress. Ms. Scanlan served as director of the Caucus for five years before becoming director of WREI's Congressional Fellowships on Women & Public Policy. Since 1980, this program has placed over 300 talented scholars on Capitol Hill to learn how public policy is really made. Alums of the program have gone on to leadership positions in business, law, academia, medicine, non-profit work, and lobbying. Alums of the program also serve in several state legislators and many hold positions of power in the legislative branch. Ms. Scanlan began her career on Capitol Hill as legislative director for Rep. Charles Wilson, where she helped author legislation that admitted women to the U. S. military academies and established Women’s History Month in March. After 12 years with the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues and WREI, she accepted a legislative liaison position with a private defense contracting firm, where she also handled training and development. For seven years, from 1991-1998, Ms. Scanlan pursued career opportunities in Asia with her husband, Jared Cameron. These included editing, teaching, and writing a monthly magazine column in Taiwan. She returned to the WREI staff in January 1999 and became president of the organization in 2000. Because of WREI’s one-of-a-kind Women in the Military project, Ms. Scanlan was named by President Bill Clinton to the Advisory Committee on Employment and Training for Veterans at the Department of Labor. In 2003, she received the Women’s Leadership Award from the International Women’s Democracy Center along with Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. In November 2005, Ms. Scanlan became chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations, a coalition of over 200 progressive women's groups representing more than 11 million American women. A frequent speaker on issues affecting women and their families, Ms. Scanlan has appeared on ABC, CNN, and PBS as well as in The Washington Post, New York Times, and other major media outlets to talk about healthcare, Title IX, and women in combat. During the recent uproar over sexist/racist remarks by Don Imus, she debated his defenders on television and radio and led the effort to have him fired. Ms. Scanlan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Sweet Briar College and holds a master's degree in modern languages from Tulane University.

Suzanne Ehlers is President of Population Action International. Suzanne has been with PAI for six years, leading the strategic direction of campaigns as Vice President of International Advocacy. Suzanne’s work has focused largely on building and supporting advocacy capacity among indigenous NGOs; strengthening SRH and HIV integration; leveraging new monies for SRH and reproductive health supplies; and innovative approaches to coalition building. She has overseen two of PAI’s largest projects, one to improve access to reproductive health supplies and another to incorporate sexual and reproductive health into Global Fund country proposals. Suzanne sits on the Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Alliance and chairs the board of the Janelia Family Foundation.Previously, she was Associate Program Officer at the Wallace Global Fund, and before that was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic. Suzanne is an avid traveler and cook. She is married and has one daughter, Paloma Rose.

Sylvia Ruiz is the Executive Director of New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition since 2002. She is Ta spokesperson for the Coalition, working under the direction of the 17 member Board of Directors to communicate with key leaders and publics on issues related to adolescent pregnancy, prevention and parenting. In her position as Executive Director Ms. Ruiz is responsible for fund development including fundraising, grant writing, writing and managing and negotiating state contracts, Manage Coalition’s finances, develop and monitor project budgets, oversee audit, Coordinate public policy activities and act as an advocate for NMTPC, Recruit and supervise staff, contractors, Board, Committees and volunteers. In addition Ms Ruiz acts as a spokesperson for NMTPC, providing information and consultation to organizations, communities, media and other entities. She is also responsible for forming partnerships and collaborations with local, state and national organizations.Prior to joining the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition Ms Ruiz for 24 years worked at Peanut Butter and Jelly, a leading regional agency that provides services to at risk populations. During her tenure at PB&J Family Services Ms Ruiz boasts in her accomplishments the following: acquired permanent program facility in Sandoval County at no cost, secured over 3.5 million dollars in funding from Sandoval County, cofounded Town of Bernalillo Violence Prevention Task Force, co-chaired of Family Health Advisory Council, Sandoval County, NM.Currently Ms Ruiz serves on the Board of the Bernalillo County Community Health Council, Bernalillo County Behavioral Health Local Collaborative, The Dona Ana Alliance for Teen Pregnancy Prevention, and the state and local action task force for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.She received her Bachelor's degree in Universal Studies from University of New Mexico. Did her public administration coursework (IO+ hours) from the University of New Mexico, and childcare and youth administration coursework from NOVA university, and is NCAST certified.

Terrie Lind is the Associate Vice President for Youth Development and Education at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte improves the lives of over 200,000 people annually in 40 counties in mid-California and in Northern Nevada.She received her education from Washington State University.

Toni Bond Leonard is responsible for the day-to-day administration of BWRJ, which includes, staff management and supervision, fundraising, and fiscal management. Prior to assuming this position, Ms. Bond Leonard served as the Executive Director of the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) for seven years. She was the first woman of color to serve as CAF’s Executive Director. While at CAF, she led the organization in publishing it’s much celebrated first bi-annual policy report, “With Liberty and Justice for Some.” This report looked at the provision of abortion and family planning services in Chicago and statewide and compared it to services provided nationally and internationally. Under her leadership, CAF gained national recognition as one of the premier, independent abortion funds in the Midwest. Prior to assuming the leadership of CAF, Ms. Bond Leonard was a Medical Advocate at the Harriet M. Harris Center, YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, where she coordinated the medical advocacy component of its rape crisis center's. Bond Leonard serves on the boards of numerous organizations, including, as Board President of the National Network of Abortion Funds and Board President of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective. Ms. Bond Leonard was one of the founding members of “Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice (‘WADRJ’),” a group of Black women who came together in July, 1994 to organize a full-page signature ad in the Washington Post and Roll Call demanding that Congress include the full spectrum of reproductive health care services, including abortion, in any proposed national health care package. This ad represented the collective strength of 836 Black women around the country. It was the members of WADRJ who coined the phrase “Reproductive Justice” in 1994. This group also republished the much celebrated “We Remember” brochure that voiced Black women’s support of reproductive health and choices. Her personal experiences, knowledge, and understanding of the true meaning of reproductive justice and equality in its broadest sense was the impetus for her co-founding the African American Women Evolving now known as Black Women for Reproductive Justice. Well-respected for her unique insights around organizing, women of color, and reproductive health Ms. Bond Leonard has become a much sought after speaker. Organizations and conferences she has addressed include, the NOW Women of Color & Allies Summit in Washington, D.C., Hampshire College’s Civil Liberties & Public Policy Department’s Annual Reproductive Rights Conference in Amherst, Massachusetts, the Medical Students for Choice Midwest Regional Meeting, Northeastern Illinois University-Women’s Studies Department, Today’s Expo For Black Women, Chicago, Illinois, Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois, the American Public Health Association, the guest lecturer for classes at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois, the International Women’s Day Conference, the International Cross-Cultural Black Women’s Studies Institute 8th World Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, the 10th International Women and Health Meeting, New Delhi, India and a NGO-sponsored workshop at the Third UN World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and other Forms of Intolerance, Durban, South Africa. In December, 2008, Ms. Bond Leonard was a part of a group of reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates who meet with the President-Elect Obama’s Transition Team about advancing reproductive health and rights. In 2005, Mrs. Bond Leonard received the Jane Bagley Lehman Fellowship from the Tides Foundation for her vision and years of activism in the women’s movement. She is also the recipient of the Pauli Murray Award from the Chicago Now Education Fund in 1997, the Freedom of Choice Award for her years of service from the Chicago Abortion, Fund, the Bella Abzug Woman of Achievement Award from the Chicago Chapter of the National Organization of Women, and the Women in History Award from the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Urban League, the League of Black Woman, and the Hook-Up of Black Women, Chicago Chapter. She was also featured as one of feminism’s up and comers in the Women’s News Section of the Chicago Sun-Times during for her work while at the Chicago Abortion Fund.

Under Vicki Saporta's direction, the National Abortion Federation has played a critical role in promoting and preserving women's access to safe, legal abortion care. Since taking the helm in 1995, Vicki has significantly increased NAF's budget, staff, and membership, and created and expanded programs, thereby increasing NAF's capacity to address critical needs.Saporta developed a public policy program that has brought abortion providers and the women they serve into the forefront of the public debate about abortion. This initiative has been instrumental in defeating attempts to restrict women's access to abortion at the federal and state levels. Public policy makers and the media regularly turn to Saporta and NAF to learn the provider and patient perspectives on abortion issues.Major media outlets, federal and state legislators, national and international organizations, and the nation's leading colleges and universities frequently call on Saporta for her expertise. She has testified before the United States Congress and state legislatures, and frequently lectures at conferences, colleges, and universities.The media regularly turn to Saporta for her commentary on issues that affect a woman's right to access safe, quality abortion care. Saporta frequently appears on all three major television networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS), as well as CNN, MSNBC, FOX News Channel, PBS, Court TV and C-SPAN. Her television appearances include Good Morning America, 60 Minutes II, Hardball with Chris Matthews, The Rachel Maddow Show, The O'Reilly Factor, Buchanan and Press, Hannity and Colmes, Cochran and Grace, and The Point with Greta Van Susteren. She has been the subject of feature articles in numerous publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Fortune.Prior to joining the pro-choice movement, Saporta had a distinguished career as a leader in the labor movement. She began her career as a representative for the Western Conference of Teamsters, and Saporta rose to become the first woman to serve as an organizing director for an international union. In her nearly twenty years with the Teamsters Union, she conducted hundreds of successful organizing campaigns in virtually all of the country's geographic regions and economic sectors.Saporta was a recipient of the Judge William B. Groat Alumni Award from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations for exceptional professional accomplishments and outstanding service to the School. She also received the Karen Mulhauser Award for her invaluable contributions to the Women's Information Network and her commitment to the advancement of pro-choice Democratic women. Saporta was also a recipient of the Choice USA Mentor of the Year Award in 2007. She was included in the World Who's Who of Women in 1994/95. Saporta was also selected by Esquire magazine in 1985 as one of 116 individuals under forty "Who are Changing the Nation."