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Our Leadership



Mary Rose Keller

Chair

Mary Rose Keller has demonstrated success in all operational aspects of global clinical trials from preclinical through post-marketing stages for drug, biologic, and diagnostic products across multiple therapeutic areas.

Mary Rose attended the University of California, Davis, accepted a research position with the School of Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, and spent ten years working to bring community physicians into clinical research.  She transferred to UC San Francisco to work with the first clinicians to research opportunistic infections as part of the AIDs crisis. She has worked with biotech companies such as Agouron and Sangart, as well as pharma companies such as Pfizer and Shire.

Mary Rose completed a leadership program at the Wharton School in Philadelphia and she has been a featured speaker in a number of drug development and clinical trial conferences.  She is on the Editorial Board of Life Science Leader Magazine and continues to work in drug development for Heron Therapeutics in San Diego.

Kathleen Davis, MD

Vice Chair

Kathleen Davis, MD has seen firsthand that once obstetric fistula patients are treated, they become advocates who educate their own communities in support of safe childbirth.

Kathleen is a retired internal medicine physician with more than 30 years of experience in clinical medicine, public health, health education and program evaluation. In addition to U.S. hospitals, she has taught medicine as guest faculty at hospitals in Uganda, Cambodia, Bhutan, and Laos. She has also provided medical care in mobile clinics in refugee camps in Northern Uganda.

Kathleen has studied international development at Seattle University and has diplomas in International Program Monitoring and Evaluation from Carleton University, Canada and the World Bank and in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Holly E. Richter, PhD, MD

Secretary

Holly E. Richter, PhD, MD, is The Endowed Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urology & Geriatrics at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She is Director of Research for the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Medical and Quality Officer of the Ambulatory OBGYN Clinics. Dr. Richter is Past-President of the American Urogynecologic Society and Society of Gynecologic Surgeons. In 2019, Dr. Richter received the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons Distinguished Surgeon Award.

She was the recipient of a mid-career award (K24-NIDDK) in patient oriented pelvic floor research and has received numerous other NIH and industry research funds. Dr. Richter directs a research initiative through an accredited fellowship in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. She is the ACOG representative to the Section for Enhancing Geriatric Understanding and Expertise among Surgical and Medical Specialists (SEGUE) council of the American Geriatrics Society/Hartford Foundation. She has a strong interest in treating vesicovaginal fistulas and has visited Africa regularly over the past >15 years to perform surgical repairs.

Julianna D’Angelo

Treasurer

Julianna D’Angelo has over 15 years experience providing financial consulting, outsourced accounting services, and audit and assurance services to a wide range of clients in a variety of industries.

She is a senior manager in Clark Nuber’s Accounting and Consulting Services Group, focused on serving privately held businesses, she’s acted as a CFO and controller; a management consultant; an onsite, full accounting department; a mentor and coach; a merger and acqusition support team; and a family office. She excels at analyzing situations, developing plans, and taking the necessary steps to achieve success.

Diane Gregerson Bowe, MSW

Diane has spent the bulk of her career as a maternal child health social worker across the U.S. in both urban hospital and outpatient settings, serving the most vulnerable and high risk women. In addition, she was the Director of Community Outreach at a Seattle start-up emphasizing corporate social responsibility and is a certified instructor with Roots of Empathy.

She first learned about obstetric fistula while living in Tanzania with her pediatrician husband and two children. After returning to the U.S., Diane joined the board of the obstetric fistula non profit One By One in Seattle, leading as Chair for four years. In this capacity, she traveled to Kenya and Uganda collaborating with grantees and most importantly, listened to their their stories.

Diane holds a BA in Social Work from Pacific Lutheran University and a MSW from Columbia University. She is a proud daughter of Danish immigrants, world traveler, and community volunteer.

Melissa Fleming

Melissa Fleming joined the WFF Board in May of 2016. A lifelong Westchester, New York resident, Melissa, her husband Gregory, and their three children live in Bedford, New York. She attended the Millbrook School and Colgate University. Melissa became involved with WFF upon meeting its founder, Dr. Lewis Wall, in 2008 and learning of his desire to build Danja Fistula Center. Melissa was moved by Dr. Wall’s description of young women and girls suffering from devastating injuries suffered in childbirth and wanted to support Dr. Wall’s efforts to help transform these women’s lives into those of hope and dignity. Melissa and Greg’s advocacy and support were instrumental in raising the capital funds necessary to build Danja Fistula Center in Niger, which opened in 2012. Melissa is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Bedford Historical Society and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Bedford Playhouse.

Patrick Guilbaud, PhD, MESE, MBA

Patrick Guilbaud, PhD, MESE, MBA, originally from Haiti, currently serves as Director of Extended Education and Summer School as well as Associate Professor at Winthrop University. Dr. Guilbaud earned his graduate degrees in Business, Systems Engineering and Instructional Technology at the University of Virginia and also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Dr. Guilbaud currently leads the development and roll-out of academic programs that meet the needs of post-traditional students seeking to advance their careers. Prior to this role, he spent over 15 years leading, developing and supporting global human capacity building both in the public and private sectors.

Christina Machaby Lee PT, DPT

Christina is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, currently practicing in pelvic health and orthopedics on beautiful Cape Cod, MA. Christina received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Boston University. Her clinical practice focuses on treating individuals of all genders with urinary, bowel and sexual health, pregnancy-related and postpartum concerns. She has contributed to project development and outreach related to obstetric fistula, including contributing to a training guide entitled “Implementing Physical Rehabilitation Services into Comprehensive Fistula and Maternity Care: A Training Guide for Health Workers” through Mama, LLC. She first became involved with the WFF as a member of the Burkina Faso Viability Committee and currently serves on the Programming Committee in addition to her role on the board.

Christina and her husband Steve served in the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso from 2012-2014, where she first developed her passion for global and women’s health. She previously served as the Nominating Committee Chair and is currently a member of the Social Media Committee for the Global Health Special Interest Group of the Academy of Leadership and Innovation of the American Physical Therapy Association. She regularly serves as a Teaching Assistant with the Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, and as a Clinical Instructor for physical therapy doctoral students looking to specialize in pelvic health rehabilitation.

Misti McDowell, MPA

Misti McDowell, MPA, is a global health expert with over 20 years’ experience leading global health programs/projects on HIV, family planning, TB, health systems strengthening, gender and nutrition.  She currently works for the University of Washington as a Program Director where she over sees HIV programs in Africa, Caribbean and Asia.  Prior to working at I-TECH she was living and working oversees managing global health projects in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Rwanda for 13 years.  Ms McDowell holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Seattle University and a Bachelor’s in Science from the University of Nebraska.  Ms McDowell was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal and Kenya.

Joyce McIntyre

Joyce McIntyre is a happily retired nurse, living in sunny Pasco, WA with her husband Wes on a one acre mini orchard, vineyard, and produce farm. The harvests allows her to flourish in her joys of cooking, preserving and sharing meals with friends. When she is not digging in the dirt or pulling weeds Joyce enjoys quilting, repurposing garments, hiking and enjoying her grand-daughter.

Joyce’s career interests started quite young. At ten years old she accompanied her registered nurse mother to an emergency call out one evening to a small South Carolina hospital. She watched as her mom assist an emergency appendectomy. She was hooked on the operating room theatre! Her nursing career has included a variety of roles in the OR at health care centres both large and small throughout the United States.In 2001, she left the O.R. to attend Emory University’s Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse (WOCN) program. She has had the privilege of applying this knowledge with care for people who have very specific and often overlooked needs. As a fairly new retiree, she excited that she will have the opportunity to continue to use her unique knowledge, skill set and passions to contribute to the work of the Worldwide Fistula Fund.

Nancy Muller, PhD, MBA

Nancy Muller, PhD, MBA, currently serves as a WFF Board Director. She previously served as Board Chair and Board Treasurer. She is a seasoned executive with 21 years of healthcare sector experience including 13 years as executive director of the National Association For Continence, a national public education and patient advocacy organization. She has served on numerous local, national, and international boards; is published widely in journals; and has made numerous presentations at conferences nationally and globally. Dr. Muller’s 40-year professional career includes 15 years of corporate business achievements in international sales management, strategic planning, business development, product line marketing, and corporate finance. She is currently director of the Lowcountry Graduate Center at the College of Charleston where she is visiting associate professor of healthcare management. Dr. Muller teaches both healthcare marketing and the structure of the US healthcare system at the College of Charleston.

Dr. Muller grew up on her family’s farm in South Carolina. After graduating magna cum laude from Duke University, she earned her MBA from The Darden School at the University of Virginia and her PhD in health services research from Virginia Commonwealth University. Fluent in French, she has lived abroad in The Netherlands and France and visited 40 countries. She actively serves in her metro area’s population health initiative and other areas of community outreach and service.

Dr. Muller recently retired as the Director of the Lowcountry Graduate Center and as a visiting associate professor at the College of Charleston in healthcare management. She relocated to Massachusetts in 2022.

Lynn Nye, PhD

Known in the industry for her sound strategic thinking, Lynn Nye, PhD, has directed multiple national and international promotional and educational initiatives in almost every therapeutic category. Her Medical Minds clients include diagnostics, device, and pharmaceutical companies large and small. Patient advocacy is one of Lynn’s interests. Lynn and her team have an ongoing 20-year relationship with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) with whom they were instrumental in creating the award-winning Cancer Survival Toolbox®. She has served on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Continence.

Lynn began her career in England, earning an MS in biochemistry and a PhD in immunology. After working at several of the major London teaching hospitals, she joined the diagnostics division of Corning Medical in the UK and subsequently relocated to the US, where she was promoted to Worldwide Marketing Manager. From 1996 to 2003, Lynn directed promotional and educational campaigns at BioGenesis/Torre Lazur McCann Healthcare West, where she was promoted to Executive Vice President, Managing Director, and from 2003 to 2007, she was Managing Director of Helix Medical Communications in San Diego. She founded Medical Minds in 2007 to focus on educational initiatives for healthcare professionals and patients.

Theresa “Tracy” Monaco Spitznagle, PT, DPT, MHS, WCS

Theresa “Tracy” Monaco Spitznagle, PT, DPT, MHS, WCS, is currently a Professor in the Program in Physical Therapy and Coordinator of the Post-doctoral Physical Therapy Residency in Women’s Health at Washington University in St. Louis. A graduate of Marquette University, Dr. Spitznagle next earned her Master’s Degree in Health Science and her Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). In the inaugural class of board certified Women’s Health Clinical Specialists (WCS), she was recipient of the Section on Women’s Health Elizabeth Noble Award in 2011. She was also awarded the APTA Humanitarian award in 2018 and the Marquette University Alumni of the Year Award in 2019.

For the entry level doctoral program at WUSTL, Dr. Spitznagle teaches gender related health issues such as pregnancy, urinary incontinence, musculoskeletal pelvic pain, and osteoporosis. Her clinical practice also focuses on gender-related health, and she conducts research related to conditions associated with pelvic floor muscle impairments. Affiliations: Past Chair of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists, Member of American Physical Therapy Association and Section on Women’s Health (SOWH), Chair of SOWH Diagnosis Dialog Task Force Committee, Past Education Director of SOWH.

L. Lewis Wall, MD, DPhil

Director Emeritus

L. Lewis Wall, MD, DPhil, currently serves as a Director Emeritus after founding the Worldwide Fistula Fund in 1995. He has a long history of researching and addressing the health challenges faced by women in Africa.

Dr. Wall earned a BA in History & Anthropology and his MD at the University of Kansas. He completed his OB-GYN residency at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina and his fellowship in female urology and urodynamics at The University of London (St. George’s Hospital) and St. Mary’s Hospital for Women and Children in Manchester, England. Dr. Wall additionally holds a master’s degree in bioethics from the Center for Human Bioethics at Monash University in Australia. A former Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright-Hayes Fellow and Fulbright Scholar, he holds a doctoral degree in social anthropology from Oxford University. He has authored or co-authored three books, 24 book chapters, and over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers. His most recent book is Tears for My Sisters: The Tragedy of Obstetric Fistula, published by the Johns Hopkins University Press in 2018.

The National Association for Continence named Dr. Wall their national 2005 “Continence Care Champion” and the St. Louis Ethical Society named him the 2012 James F. Hornback Ethical Humanist of the Year. In 2014, he was awarded the University Gold Medal for his contributions to medical education at Mekelle University College of Health Sciences in Ethiopia. Dr. Wall was named the first holder of the Selina Okin Kim Conner Professorship in Arts and Sciences for Medical Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis in July 2015.

Soja Orlowski

Executive Director

Soja Orlowski is the Executive Director of Worldwide Fistula Fund. She originally joined WFF as Director of Communications & Marketing in November 2014. Prior to joining WFF, Soja served both the business and nonprofit sectors as owner of Orlow Marketing Solutions LLC since 2006. Previously Director of Marketing & Development for the Chicago domestic violence agency, Rainbow House, Soja secured $400,000 in funding annually. She founded a memorial scholarship fund in 2008 that has awarded over $35,000. Her prior corporate experience includes Marketing Director positions at both FTD.com in Downers Grove, IL and Trusted Media Brands, Inc., in New York. Soja holds a BS in Advertising from the University of Illinois and an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.

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