AAFP Board of Directors
The first board of directors of the American Academy of General Practice was formed in June 1947. Since then, our board has shaped the American Academy of Family Physicians into what we know today.
The board of directors carries out activities and resolutions in between Congress of Delegates meetings and on behalf of family medicine and the Congress of Delegates. The board, in turn, appoints commissions to help carry out its activities. Board members meet in person five times annually and virtually up to two times annually to accomplish the organization's business.
In addition to carrying out the directives of the Congress of Delegates, the board is also responsible for a periodic review of non-clinical AAFP policy statements, strategic planning, board metric development, and recommendations from the eight commissions.
Meet the Board of Directors
Jennifer L. Brull, MD, FAAFP
President
Jen Brull, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in Fort Collins, Colorado. She practiced family medicine in rural Kansas for more than 20 years and now serves as vice president of clinical engagement for Aledade, a company that partners with independent primary care physicians to succeed in value-based care.
Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP
President-Elect
Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP, is Vice President for Innovation & Optimization and Chief Medical Information Officer at The Institute for Family Health, an FQHC network with 27-plus Mid-Hudson, Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn locations. Nosal's focus is on the care of marginalized communities with two decades of practice in the South Bronx. She has served as medical director for NYU and Einstein student-run free clinics. As CMIO she secured financial support for IT infrastructure and helped her institution become a regional leader in data sharing and ensuring equitable information access.
Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP
Board Chair
Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in Jackson, Alabama. He is the co-founder of Family Medical Clinic of Jackson where he also serves as chief of staff of a rural hospital and medical director of the nursing home. Furr has cared for patients for 40 years, including obstetrics care for more than 25 years. He is a certified medical director.
Russell W. Kohl, MD, FAAFP
Speaker
Russell W. Kohl, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician living in Stilwell, Kansas, and a member of the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians. He is Chief Medical Officer with TMF Health Quality Institute, a Medicare quality improvement organization serving Arkansas, Nebraska, Mississippi, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. He also cares for patients with the non-profit Care Beyond the Boulevard, providing direct medical care to those living in homeless encampments throughout the Kansas City metro area, as well as serving as a Colonel, Chief Flight Surgeon, and State Air Surgeon within the Missouri Air National Guard.
Daron W. Gersch, MD, FAAFP
Vice Speaker
Daron W. Gersch, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician with CentraCare hospital in Long Prairie, Minnesota. He works full-time as the ER medical and trauma director and provides ER care at CentraCare - Long Prairie, Melrose, and Sauk Centre hospitals. He also currently serves as the medical director at the nursing homes in Albany and Long Prairie, Minnesota. He was most recently on the PROTECT Initiative for the CDC and served on the medical review panel for familydoctor.org.
R. Shawn Martin
Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
R. Shawn Martin serves as executive vice president and chief executive officer for the American Academy of Family Physicians. He works with the AAFP Board of Directors on the mission, strategy, and vision for the AAFP and provides representation to other organizations, including medical, public and private sectors. He also serves on the board of directors of the AAFP Foundation, the charitable arm of the AAFP.
Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Director
Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is the chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. She previously served as Vice President of Health Equity at Aledade in Maryland. She was vice chair of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), advising Congress, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and states on Medicaid policy. Davis has served numerous roles within the AAFP, notably as new physician director and later convener of the National Conference of Constituency Leaders. She is a past president of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians.
Shannon Dowler, MD, CPE, FAAFP
Director
Shannon Dowler, MD, CPE, FAAFP, is a family physician in Marshall, North Carolina. She serves as an STI consultant in the Office of the Assistant Secretary U.S. Health. She was previously the chief medical officer of North Carolina Medicaid, a $30 billion program responsible for 3 million patients. She has also maintained a teaching faculty appointment, prioritizing precepting and mentoring students and residents.
Jay Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Director
Jay W. Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is Medical Director of Integrated Health Partners of Southern California, a clinically integrated network serving 400,000 patients whose medical home is at one of nine community health centers in three counties. Lee co-founded the Family Medicine Revolution, a grassroots social media brand (#FMRevolution) giving the power of telling family medicine’s story to family physicians. He has been recognized by the California Academy of Family Physicians and the Primary Care Collaborative for his contributions to family medicine.
Teresa L. Lovins, MD, FAAFP
Director
Teresa L. Lovins, MD, FAAFP, is currently a physician owner at Lovin My Health DPC in Columbus, Indiana. Lovins has worked in a variety of practice settings and helped to get both an employer-based clinic and a group practice off the ground. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lovins opened her own hometown direct primary care practice - Lovin My Health DPC.
Elisabeth Fowlie Mock, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Director
Elisabeth Fowlie Mock, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is a family physician in Bangor, Maine. She serves as a clinical and policy consultant for the Maine Prescription Monitoring Program in the state’s Office of Behavioral Health. She has worked in several clinical settings, including outpatient and inpatient medicine, a public health clinic, maternity and pediatric care and urgent care.
Kathleen N. Mueller, MD, FAAFP
Director
Kathleen N. Mueller, MD, FAAFP serves as the system director for integrative medicine and cancer survivorship for Nuvance, a seven-hospital health system in Connecticut and southeastern New York. She is also the lead editor of Core Content Review of Family Medicine, a medical education program written by and for family physicians. Mueller speaks on health, wellness, preventive care and integrative medicine topics both regionally and nationally.
Sarah Sams, MD, FAAFP
Director
Sarah Sams, MD, FAAFP, is a board-certified family physician, educator and advocate for family medicine. She is an associate director and full-time faculty member at Grant Family Medicine Residency in Columbus, Ohio where she provides full-spectrum family medicine care, including obstetrics and minor office-based procedures. She has trained over 180 family medicine residents and helped to showcase how bonds built through the patient-physician relationship are the true joy in family medicine.
Brent Smith, MD, MSc, MLS, FAAFP
Director
Brent Smith, MD, MSc, MLS, FAAFP, is a family physician in Greenville, Mississippi, and a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He balances community service with serving as the program director for the Mississippi Delta Family Medicine Residency.
Jeffrey Zavala, MD, FAAFP
Director
Jeffery Zavala, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in Billings, Montana. Zavala is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Rocky Vista University Medical College of Montana in Billings. He has long been involved with the AAFP and state chapters with the goal of serving his fellow family physicians. He was previously the Montana/Northern Wyoming Chief Medical Officer for the Medical Group for Intermountain Health and the Chief Medical Officer for the medical group at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings, Montana.
Cynthia Chen-Joea, DO, MPH, CPH, FAAFP
New Physician Member
Cynthia Chen-Joea, DO, MPH, CPH, FAAFP, is the new physician member of the board of directors. She is a family physician at Emanate Health in West Covina, California, with an interest and focus on inpatient medicine, procedures, women’s health and advocacy.
Aerial Petty, D.O.
Resident Member
Aerial Petty, D.O., is the resident physician member of the Board of Directors. She is completing the Family Medicine CPV-GW Health Policy Research Fellowship and recently completed her residency at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center where she was chief resident. She served as the Resident Delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and as a resident board member to the New York State AFP.
Mikala Cessac
Student Member
Mikala Cessac is the student member of the AAFP board of directors. She is a fourth-year medical student at the University Missouri School of Medicine. She has pursued leadership positions and was Student Director on the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors. At the AAFP, she served on the Commission on Membership and Member Services.
Conflict of Interest
In accordance with AAFP policy, members of the AAFP Board of Directors are required to provide AAFP with a statement regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest. Conflict of interest statements for individual directors are available upon request. Requests should be directed to the General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Administration and Human Resources at HLeith@aafp.org.
President’s Corner: Hear more from your AAFP President.
Minutes Archive
Explore board meeting notes dating back to 1995 to understand policy, procedures, and the “why” behind the AAFP. Information is organized using a reference page indicating where full text may be found.
About the Board
Learn more about the responsibilities, including time commitment and remuneration, for each position. You can also find out how to get involved.