Executive Management Team

R. Shawn Martin

Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Martin serves as executive vice president and chief executive officer for the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP is the medical specialty organization representing 130,000 family physicians and medical students nationwide.Martin 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.

Michelle Farrell Emerson
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Michelle Farrell Emerson serves as senior vice president of marketing and communications at the AAFP. In this role, she is responsible for leading the communications, conventions and events, digital experience, and marketing divisions. 

Charlotte Kerner, CPA
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Finance 

Charlotte Kerner CPA, is responsible for the financial operations of the organization, including financial reporting, budgets, investments and cash management.

Heather Leith, JD, CAE
Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Heather Leith, JD, CAE, serves as general counsel and senior vice president. She joined the AAFP in 2013 as general counsel. Leith leads the organization’s legal operations and also oversees  the AAFP's Divisions of Administration and Human Resources.

Paula T. Matthews
Vice President, Chief People and Administrative Officer

Paula Matthews is the Chief People and Administrative Officer of the AAFP. She leads all aspects of Human Resources and Administration and champions the AAFP’s culture, engagement and talent development strategies. 

Stephanie Quinn
Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Practice Experience,

Stephanie Quinn is senior vice president of external affairs and practice experience at the American Academy of Family Physicians where she oversees the AAFP Divisions of Government Relations, Practice Advancement, and Strategic Engagements.

Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Senior Vice President of Education, Inclusiveness and Physician Well-Being

Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP serves as senior vice president of education, inclusiveness and physician well-being. Savoy oversees all organizational activities related to medical education and continuing professional development. She also serves as the organization’s champion for physician well-being, is the executive lead for the AAFP’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work, and directs the Center for Diversity and Health Equity.

Julie K. Wood, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Senior Vice President, Science and Clinical Strategy

Julie K. Wood, MD, MPH, FAAFP has oversight responsibilities for the research, scientific and public health activities of the AAFP, as well as the AAFP’s relationships with other medical organizations in the United States and abroad. Through these relationships, Wood facilitates the continued development of family medicine and coordinates the AAFP’s international activities.