Candidates announced for AAFP president-elect, speaker, vice speaker, directors
News Staff
February 19, 2026
Feb. 19, 2026, News Staff — Twelve family physicians will be on the ballot for leadership positions when the 2026 Congress of Delegates (COD) votes this fall, including three candidates for president-elect, one for speaker, two for vice speaker and six for seats on the AAFP Board of Directors.
The AAFP Nominating Committee announced the slate of candidates this month after reviewing applications from potential nominees.
The nominees will participate in a candidate orientation and development program at the AAFP Leadership Conference in April.
Nominations also may be made from the floor during COD, which will be held Oct. 19-21 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The nominees are:
President-elect candidates
Speaker candidate
- Russell Kohl, MD, FAAFP, Oklahoma
- Sarah Sams, MD, FAAFP, Ohio
- Jeffrey Zavala, MD, FAAFP, Montana
Speaker candidate
- Daron Gersch, MD, FAAFP, Minnesota
Vice speaker candidates
Director candidates
- Beverly Jordan, MD, FAAFP, Alabama
- Daniel Lewis, MD, FAAFP, Tennessee
Director candidates
- Cedric Barnes, DO, FAAFP, Delaware
- Domenic Casablanca, MD, FAAFP, Connecticut
- Renee Crichlow, MD, FAAFP, Massachusetts
- Peter Koopman, MD, FAAFP, Missouri
- Terry Lee Mills, MD, CPE, FAAFP, Oklahoma
- Jason Marker, MD, FAAFP, Indiana