Leadership Team
The leadership team supports the Board of Directors and oversees the day-to-day operations of the College.
Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA, FACOG
Chief Executive Officer
Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA, FACOG, is the chief executive officer of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr. Brooks, a Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha graduate of Howard University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Howard University College of Medicine, completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Following her extensive training, Dr. Brooks entered clinical practice at the University of Massachusetts. She then accepted the role of director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Maryland, where she served for 10 years, attaining the rank of full professor. In addition to clinical practice, teaching, and mentoring trainees, she also conducted research focused on health services and cancer disparities. During that time she completed a master of business administration in medical services management at Johns Hopkins University and played active roles in national-level organizations focused on cancer prevention, medical training, and clinical trials.
Christie Allen, MSN, RNC-NIC, CPHQ, C-ONQS
Vice President, Quality Improvement and Programs
[email protected]
Christie Allen, MSN, RNC-NIC, CPHQ, C-ONQS, is the vice president of quality improvement and programs at ACOG. She provides clinical support to and supervision of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Program and other affiliated grants, and provides supervision to the Quality and Safety and American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Departments at ACOG.
Prior to this role, Ms. Allen served as the associate director of clinical quality for ACOG, as well as lead for a program related to opioid use in pregnancy at a state Medicaid agency. She has also practiced as a clinical bedside nurse for over 20 years in adult, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care, and inpatient obstetrics.
Ms. Allen holds an advanced degree in nursing with a focus in health care policy, is certified in neonatal nursing, health care quality, and obstetrical and neonatal quality and safety, and has additional training in project management and leveraging diversity and inclusion for organizational excellence.
Rob Batarla, MBA, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Rob Batarla, MBA, CPA, joined ACOG in 2022 as chief financial officer, overseeing all financial aspects of the College and the Foundation.
Mr. Batarla comes to ACOG with more than 25 years of experience in finance, specifically in the health care nonprofit and association space. Most recently, he served as the chief financial officer at Whitman-Walker Health, a federally qualified health center specializing in providing care for those in the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV/AIDS. Prior to that, he spent over a decade as the executive vice president/chief financial officer at the American Physical Therapy Association.
Over the years, Mr. Batarla has led teams in almost all areas of association management, including finance, facilities, meetings, marketing, business development, fundraising, membership, products and services, human resources, and information technology. A presenter and author, Mr. Batarla contributed to ASAE’s Handbook of Professional Practices in Association Management, 3rd edition, and in 2019 was featured on the cover of ASAE’s Associations Now magazine.
Mr. Batarla holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in business administration from Old Dominion University. In addition, he is a former adjunct professor of accounting at The American University.
Mr. Batarla sits on The Studio Theatre Board of Trustees and the Hearth Foundation Board of Directors.
AnnaMarie Connolly, MD, FACOG
Chief, Education, Workforce, and Well-Being
AnnaMarie Connolly, MD, serves as chief of education, workforce, and well-being. She joined ACOG after serving as vice chair for education and distinguished professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Connolly completed her residency and fellowship at UNC and has 30 years of clinical experience. Her primary research interests include medical education and the effects of childbirth on the pelvic floor.
Dr. Connolly has worked with all levels of medical learners, serving in the roles of course director, clerkship director, and residency program director. She also served as the fellowship program director for the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at UNC.
Dr. Connolly has been awarded the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, the UNC School of Medicine Teaching Excellence Award, and the Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Excellence in Teaching Award in the Clinical Sciences. She also has received the H. Fleming Fuller Award for the Physician of the Year Award for the UNC Health Care System. She was named the Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD, M’36, Distinguished Professor in 2012.
Dr. Connolly has served as a member and vice chair of the ACGME’s Review Committee for Obstetrics and Gynecology and as a board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology for both specialty and FPMRS subspecialty examinations. She currently serves as the co-director for the CREOG Residents and Teachers and Leaders Course and co-director of ACOG’s Robert C. Cefalo National Leadership Institute.
Dawn Holdren
Chief of Staff
Dawn Holdren is an accomplished chief of staff with extensive experience in finance, health care, and operational leadership within various organizational contexts. Based in Denver, Colorado, she currently serves as chief of staff at ACOG, where she plays a pivotal role in steering strategic initiatives and optimizing administrative operations.
Ms. Holdren’s background includes significant expertise in acquisition integration, change management, and business process improvement. She is recognized for her strong analytical skills and her ability to foster collaboration across diverse teams. Throughout her career, she has successfully navigated complex challenges, demonstrating a unique blend of operational acumen and emotional intelligence. Dawn’s commitment to excellence is reflected in her hands-on approach to leadership and her strategic foresight in driving organizational success.
Alicia D. Justice, DrPH, MPH
Senior Director, Health Equity & Transformation
Alicia D. Justice, DrPH, MPH, is a public health doctor and health equity strategist with over 16 years of population health experience. Her management and implementation expertise has included addressing disparities in commercial tobacco use, designing health systems transformation efforts to optimize chronic disease prevention interventions, and guiding organizations in operationalizing a culture of equity in their work environments to improve workforce and workplan outcomes. Her doctoral research focused on examining the elements that create fairness in the workplace and how leaders can facilitate psychological safety.
Dr. Justice was named one of de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health honorees and proudly serves on the board of directors for the Center for Black Health and Equity. Dr. Justice graduated with her master of public health degree in health administration and policy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She completed her doctor of public health degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in health equity and social justice.
Originally from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Dr. Justice is a big sister, auntie, and fur-mama. She’s a self-proclaimed retired comic book kid and a '90s R&B and hip-hop music lover who enjoys hiking, Pilates, farmers markets, and traveling.
Molly Meegan, JD
Chief Legal Officer
Molly Meegan, JD, is ACOG’s chief legal officer. She oversees ACOG’s legal advocacy, including its government and political affairs work and its highly regarded amicus curiae practice, which allows ACOG to provide the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal and state courts across the country with medically accurate information regarding the provision of obstetric and gynecologic health care. She spearheaded ACOG’s response to the reversal of Roe v. Wade and entered ACOG’s appearance in dozens of state and federal courts explaining the danger of legislative interference in the patient–physician relationship and the criminalization of evidence-based medicine.
Ms. Meegan brings a breadth and depth of experience in both the nonprofit and private sectors. Her career includes over 20 years of counseling Fortune 500 corporations, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations and their boards. She has served on and chaired various nonprofit boards herself and has expertise in the development of high-functioning boards and organizations. Ms. Meegan also has specialized expertise in the operation of separate but related 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations and their associated political action committees. She speaks regularly on topics such as reproductive rights, advocacy in the courts, corporate social responsibility, and corporate political activities.
Ms. Meegan served as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Columbia under former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr, JD. She has won numerous awards for her advocacy, including the Human Rights Campaign’s National Ally of Justice Award and the United States Department of Justice Award for Superior Performance of Duty. Ms. Meegan received her law degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as an editor to the Georgetown Law Journal and where she teaches as an adjunct professor.
Denielle Nall
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
Denielle is seasoned marketing professional who oversees the development of marketing strategies and execution for products, events, publications, and membership for ACOG. She leads the team in building multifaceted marketing plans and implements conventional and innovative marketing campaigns in collaboration with all ACOG programs and departments.
With more than 20 years of experience and a passion for women’s health care, Denielle brings a wide range of experience in marketing and digital strategy, branding, sales, and communications. She joined ACOG in 2020 as the director of marketing after many years in a hospital setting where she gained invaluable insight into the operations of major health care practices and health systems.
Denielle believes that providing excellent support and services to ACOG members can ultimately change the future of women’s health. As a gynecologic cancer survivor Denielle is passionate about the power of storytelling and can often be found speaking in her community, advocating for patients and creating meaningful connections between patients and experts in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
Nancy O'Reilly, MHS, PMP
Vice President, Clinical Guidance and Programs
[email protected]
As the leader in clinical practice guideline development, Ms. O’Reilly is responsible for the creation, oversight, and implementation of the evidence-based medicine methodology for clinical content. In collaboration with committee staff, she directs the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines, Clinical Consensuses, Committee Statements, Practice Advisories, and other guidance documents. She oversees the processes and standards for evidence evaluation and synthesis, ensuring that they are in alignment with industry best practices and follow a process of continuous quality improvement.
She also oversees several cooperative agreements and grant projects, including the HRSA-funded Women’s Preventive Services Initiative and a CDC cooperative agreement to build capacity for improving health care professional knowledge about breast and gynecologic cancer risk. As part of ACOG’s COVID-19 response, she also works closely with public health, disaster preparedness, and immunization staff to develop guidance for clinicians in close coordination with the CDC and other public health experts and organizations.
Ms. O’Reilly holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s of health science in maternal and child health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a certified project management professional.
Rachel Gandell Tetlow
Vice President, Government and Political Affairs
[email protected]
Rachel Gandell Tetlow is the vice president of Government and Political Affairs at ACOG, where she provides oversight and strategy for ACOG’s federal, state, and political activities to advance ACOG’s health policy priorities. She joined ACOG in 2012 and led the federal affairs team for more than eight years. Rachel has extensive experience navigating challenging political climates and successfully advancing bipartisan legislation. She was instrumental in the development and passage of multiple federal bills, including the Advancing Safe Medications for Moms and Babies Act, the Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act, the Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018, and the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act of 2021. She is a past chair of the Friends of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Prior to ACOG, Rachel managed the policy portfolio of the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network. While at the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, she advocated for sexual assault survivors on issues ranging from the DNA backlog to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Rachel is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in political science and international studies.
Jennifer Walsh
Chief Operating Officer
Jennifer Walsh serves as chief operating officer, leading the modernization of ACOG’s operational model to drive innovation, growth, and enhanced member value. She oversees key operational departments, including Publishing, Product Development, Marketing, Communications, IT, Membership, and District & Section Activities, while championing enterprise-wide digital transformation and strategic revenue initiatives.
With over 20 years of transformational leadership experience in both nonprofit associations and commercial organizations, Ms. Walsh brings to ACOG a track record of producing dynamic and successful products and programs for education, professional development, research, and consumer markets. Prior to serving as chief operating officer, Ms. Walsh served as ACOG’s chief product and marketing officer, during which time she conceived of and directed the development of ACOG’s award-winning consumer health portfolio.
Prior to joining ACOG, Ms. Walsh held progressive leadership roles at the Society for Human Resource Management and the American Psychiatric Association. Additionally, she held leadership positions at Palladian Partners, a public health communication firm, supporting contracts with the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Veterans Health Administration, and National Institute of Justice.
Ms. Walsh holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Lehigh University and is an active member of the Society for Scholarly Publishing, the American Society of Association Executives, and the American Historical Association.
Christopher M. Zahn, MD, FACOG
Chief, Clinical Practice and Health Equity and Quality
Christopher M. Zahn, MD, FACOG, is the chief of clinical practice and health equity and quality. He served as the interim chief executive officer of ACOG from May 2023 to August 2024. A retired Air Force officer and member of ACOG’s Armed Forces District, Dr. Zahn received his medical degree from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He is a specialist in comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology with three decades of experience in practice.
Before joining ACOG, Dr. Zahn was professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a staff physician in the departments of obstetrics and gynecology and pathology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He was also the program director of the uniformed services residency in obstetrics and gynecology, a maximally accredited tri-military service residency in obstetrics and gynecology, under the auspices of the National Capital Consortium at USUHS. Dr. Zahn has also been a member of the ACGME Review Committee for Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a former member of the board of directors of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.