FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020

Media Contact::
Janelle Davis
American Academy of Family Physicians
(913) 912-0377
jdavis@aafp.org

LEAWOOD, Kan. — The American Academy of Family Physicians is pleased to announce that Heather Leith, JD, CAE, has been promoted to general counsel and senior vice president, joining the AAFP’s executive management team. She joined the AAFP in 2013 as general counsel.

Leith will continue leading the organization’s legal operations, and beginning Jan. 1, 2021, her expanded role will also include responsibility for the management of the AAFP's Divisions of Administration and Human Resources.

“During her tenure as general counsel, Heather has established herself as a strategic leader in the organization, working to advance the AAFP’s goals and objectives,” said Shawn Martin, CEO and executive vice president of the AAFP. “The work of the AAFP and our external partners will continue to benefit from Heather’s legal and strategic insights, and her expanded leadership role will enhance our operational efficiency and strengthen our culture.”
 
Prior to joining the AAFP, Leith was assistant general counsel at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to that, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kathryn H. Vratil of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas and worked as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York.
 
Leith holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors in English from Grinnell College and a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.

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About the American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 136,700 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits -- that's 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America's underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP's award-winning consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.