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
Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP
President
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 more than 39 years, including obstetrics care for more than 25 years. He is a certified medical director and a certified medical examiner.
Tochi Iroku-Malize, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP
Board Chair
Tochi Iroku-Malize, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP, serves as founding chair and professor of family medicine for the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead, New York, and senior vice president and chair of the family medicine service line for Northwell Health. In this role, she oversees four family medicine residency programs and three fellowships, with more than 100 residents, 380 medical students and over 500 family physicians spread across 22 hospitals.
Jennifer L. Brull, MD, FAAFP
President-Elect
Jen Brull, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in Fort Collins, Colorado. She practiced family medicine in rural Kansas for 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.
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 is 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.
Gail Guerrero-Tucker, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Director
Gail Guerrero-Tucker, MD, MPH, FAFP, is affiliated with the Gila Valley Clinic in Safford, Arizona, as well as the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center in Safford. Tucker spent 20 years working in the banking industry before attending medical school in 1997. She currently works with the National Kidney Foundation on micro learning events.
Jay Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Director
Jay W. Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is Medical Director of Integrated Health Partners of Southern California, a clinical integrated network serving 350,000 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.
Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP
Director
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 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.
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.
Karen L. Smith, MD, FAAFP
Director
Karen L. Smith, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in Raeford, North Carolina. Smith established her own independent private practice in 2003, providing comprehensive family medicine. Smith has served as chair of the AAFP Commission on Governmental Advocacy and chair of the AAFP Congress of Delegates Reference Committee on Practice Enhancement. Her personal, clinical, and professional excellence was recognized in 2017 when she was named the AAFP Family Physician of the Year. She was also honored with the 2023 North Carolina Rural Leadership Award.
Jeffrey Zavala, MD, FAAFP
Director
Jeffery Zavala, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in Billings, Montana. Zavala is the Montana/Northern Wyoming Chief Medical Officer for the Medical Group for Intermountain Health. He has long been involved with the AAFP and state chapters with the goal of serving his fellow family physicians. He was previously the Chief Medical Officer for the medical group at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings, Montana.
Matthew Adkins, D.O.
New Physician Member
Matthew Adkins, D.O., is the new physician member of the board of directors. He is an assistant program director at Grant Family Medicine Residency in Columbus, Ohio, with clinical and teaching emphasis in LGBTQ+ and sexual health, HIV, addiction, and health equity.
Janet Nwaukoni, D.O.
Resident Member
Janet Nwaukoni, D.O., is the resident member of the board of directors. She is a third-year medical resident at the Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency Program at Lake Forest and a native of Queens, New York. As a medical student, Nwaukoni served on the Board of Directors for the Student National Medical Association and after transitioning into residency, became involved with the AAFP and was elected Resident Delegate to the Congress of Delegates.
Taree Chadwick
Student Member
Taree Chadwick is the student member of the AAFP board of directors. She is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Chadwick has pursued leadership roles at the AAFP, such as serving in the National Congress of Student Members, reference committees at the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students, the AAFP Commission on Education, and as a National Family Medicine Interest Group coordinator.
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.