Meet Our Team
Our small but mighty team is made up of people from across the country, each bringing a unique set of skills, experience, and passion for advancing reproductive justice and access. What binds us together is the idea that healthcare is a human right, including abortion care. We use our talents and passion to build programs that provide students, nurses, midwives, and sexual and reproductive health allies with education and resources to become skilled care providers and social change agents.
Because of the current political climate and the real risks faced by reproductive health providers, we have chosen not to publish individual staff or board names and bios. To balance transparency with the safety and privacy of our team, only members of our leadership team are publicly identified, with limited professional information and bios available. This decision reflects our commitment to protecting the safety and wellbeing of our people while continuing to share openly about the work we do.
Our staff team includes nurses, educators, advocates, and organizers with deep expertise in clinical care, curriculum design, and community mobilization. Many bring lived experience from communities most impacted by systemic inequities, grounding our work in compassion and justice.
Our board of directors is made up of nurses, midwives, academics, and movement leaders who guide our strategy and hold us accountable to our vision of just, dignified, comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare for all.
Together, we are a community of courageous changemakers- leading with science, compassion, and advocacy to create a healthcare system that truly serves everyone.
Naya S. McMillan, DrPH, MS
Chief Executive Officer
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Dr. Naya McMillan Lindsey is a public health executive, researcher, educator, strategist, and coalition builder with more than 20 years of experience advancing health equity across government, nonprofit, academic, health care, and corporate environments. As Chief Executive Officer of Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health (NSRH), she brings a distinctly cross-sector perspective to the organization’s work to advance sexual and reproductive health and justice through nursing education, advocacy, and practice.
Throughout her career, Dr. McMillan has worked at the intersections of public health, science, health policy, health care delivery, emergency preparedness and disaster health, research, technology, and community health. Her work has consistently centered on a fundamental question: how can health systems, institutions, and the people within them work differently to improve health outcomes and ensure that communities have equitable access to the resources, information, and care they need?
Prior to joining NSRH, Dr. McMillan spent more than a decade with UnitedHealth Group and its Optum and The Lewin Group businesses, most recently serving as a Director of Public Health and Product Management. In that role, she led multidisciplinary teams and major public health initiatives supporting agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Food and Drug Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
Her work at UnitedHealth Group spanned public health strategy, health policy, health equity, data modernization and emerging technologies, Medicare and Medicaid, health care delivery transformation, emergency preparedness and response, program development and evaluation, and federal health research. She managed and supported a portfolio of more than $150 million in federal health contracts during her years with the organization and led teams of more than 100 health professionals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped managed and eventually led UHG’s $21 million response effort, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise across health and community sectors to address rapidly evolving public health needs.
Dr. McMillan’s career, however, has never been confined to a single sector or public health discipline. She began her professional work as an infectious disease researcher and has held roles within both local and federal public health environments. Her experience in emergency and disaster preparedness has included studying population behavior during disasters and examining the socioeconomic factors that influence whether individuals and communities are able to follow public health recommendations. Her doctoral research examined evacuation decision-making during Hurricane Katrina, contributing to a career-long interest in the relationship among health behavior, systems, policy, communication, and the social conditions that shape people’s choices.
She has also spent significant portions of her career developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs and building coalitions among professionals who do not always work within the same systems. Her work has required consensus building among federal and local government leaders, clinicians and allied health professionals, researchers, academic institutions, community organizations, health plans, technology and corporate partners, and other stakeholders. Across these settings, she has developed a reputation for translating between disciplines, identifying shared priorities, and creating structures that allow diverse partners to move from conversation to coordinated action.
Her nonprofit leadership experience includes serving as Director of National Data Services for the American Association of Poison Control Centers, now America’s Poison Centers, where she worked at the intersection of clinical toxicology, public health surveillance, health data, and the nationwide network of poison centers. That experience further shaped her understanding of the essential role that nurses, pharmacists, physicians, toxicologists, public health practitioners, and other health professionals play when their expertise is connected through strong national systems and partnerships.
Across her career, Dr. McMillan has frequently served as a bridge between sectors that approach health from very different vantage points. She has worked with researchers generating evidence, government agencies translating evidence into policy and programs, health professionals delivering care, organizations implementing public health interventions, academic institutions preparing the next generation of professionals, and corporations developing the infrastructure, technology, and services that increasingly shape the health care environment.
That breadth of experience informs her leadership at NSRH. Dr. McMillan believes that achieving health equity requires both deep subject-matter expertise and the ability to connect that expertise across traditional professional and institutional boundaries. At NSRH, she is focused on strengthening the organization’s role as a connector among nurses, allied health professionals, sexual and reproductive health experts, researchers, educators, policymakers, advocates, health systems, insurers, funders, community partners, and the private sector.
Her leadership approach recognizes nurses not only as providers of care, but as educators, advocates, researchers, policy leaders, and essential architects of equitable health systems. She is particularly interested in expanding the spaces in which nursing expertise informs sexual and reproductive health policy, research, innovation, and systems-level decision-making.
In addition to her executive leadership, Dr. McMillan is an educator and entrepreneur. She serves as an adjunct professor of biology at the Community College of Baltimore County and is the founder of The Public Health Dr, a public health consulting and education platform focused on translating public health science, policy, and practice for broader audiences.
Dr. McMillan has contributed to research and publications spanning health equity, health care outreach, emergency and disaster preparedness, environmental health, opioid misuse, public health surveillance, and health program evaluation. Her multidisciplinary body of work reflects the philosophy that has shaped her career: complex health challenges rarely belong to one discipline, and sustainable solutions require people, institutions, and sectors to work across the boundaries that traditionally separate them.
Dr. McMillan earned her Doctor of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Master of Science from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Science from Claflin University.
At NSRH, she brings these many professional identities together: public health scientist, infectious disease researcher, policy strategist, evaluator, educator, nonprofit leader, corporate executive, emergency preparedness professional, coalition builder, and health equity advocate. Rather than viewing those experiences as separate chapters, Dr. McMillan sees them as parts of the same work: connecting people, evidence, policy, and systems to create healthier and more equitable communities.
Throughout her career, Dr. McMillan has worked at the intersections of public health, science, health policy, health care delivery, emergency preparedness and disaster health, research, technology, and community health. Her work has consistently centered on a fundamental question: how can health systems, institutions, and the people within them work differently to improve health outcomes and ensure that communities have equitable access to the resources, information, and care they need?
Prior to joining NSRH, Dr. McMillan spent more than a decade with UnitedHealth Group and its Optum and The Lewin Group businesses, most recently serving as a Director of Public Health and Product Management. In that role, she led multidisciplinary teams and major public health initiatives supporting agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Food and Drug Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
Her work at UnitedHealth Group spanned public health strategy, health policy, health equity, data modernization and emerging technologies, Medicare and Medicaid, health care delivery transformation, emergency preparedness and response, program development and evaluation, and federal health research. She managed and supported a portfolio of more than $150 million in federal health contracts during her years with the organization and led teams of more than 100 health professionals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped managed and eventually led UHG’s $21 million response effort, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise across health and community sectors to address rapidly evolving public health needs.
Dr. McMillan’s career, however, has never been confined to a single sector or public health discipline. She began her professional work as an infectious disease researcher and has held roles within both local and federal public health environments. Her experience in emergency and disaster preparedness has included studying population behavior during disasters and examining the socioeconomic factors that influence whether individuals and communities are able to follow public health recommendations. Her doctoral research examined evacuation decision-making during Hurricane Katrina, contributing to a career-long interest in the relationship among health behavior, systems, policy, communication, and the social conditions that shape people’s choices.
She has also spent significant portions of her career developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs and building coalitions among professionals who do not always work within the same systems. Her work has required consensus building among federal and local government leaders, clinicians and allied health professionals, researchers, academic institutions, community organizations, health plans, technology and corporate partners, and other stakeholders. Across these settings, she has developed a reputation for translating between disciplines, identifying shared priorities, and creating structures that allow diverse partners to move from conversation to coordinated action.
Her nonprofit leadership experience includes serving as Director of National Data Services for the American Association of Poison Control Centers, now America’s Poison Centers, where she worked at the intersection of clinical toxicology, public health surveillance, health data, and the nationwide network of poison centers. That experience further shaped her understanding of the essential role that nurses, pharmacists, physicians, toxicologists, public health practitioners, and other health professionals play when their expertise is connected through strong national systems and partnerships.
Across her career, Dr. McMillan has frequently served as a bridge between sectors that approach health from very different vantage points. She has worked with researchers generating evidence, government agencies translating evidence into policy and programs, health professionals delivering care, organizations implementing public health interventions, academic institutions preparing the next generation of professionals, and corporations developing the infrastructure, technology, and services that increasingly shape the health care environment.
That breadth of experience informs her leadership at NSRH. Dr. McMillan believes that achieving health equity requires both deep subject-matter expertise and the ability to connect that expertise across traditional professional and institutional boundaries. At NSRH, she is focused on strengthening the organization’s role as a connector among nurses, allied health professionals, sexual and reproductive health experts, researchers, educators, policymakers, advocates, health systems, insurers, funders, community partners, and the private sector.
Her leadership approach recognizes nurses not only as providers of care, but as educators, advocates, researchers, policy leaders, and essential architects of equitable health systems. She is particularly interested in expanding the spaces in which nursing expertise informs sexual and reproductive health policy, research, innovation, and systems-level decision-making.
In addition to her executive leadership, Dr. McMillan is an educator and entrepreneur. She serves as an adjunct professor of biology at the Community College of Baltimore County and is the founder of The Public Health Dr, a public health consulting and education platform focused on translating public health science, policy, and practice for broader audiences.
Dr. McMillan has contributed to research and publications spanning health equity, health care outreach, emergency and disaster preparedness, environmental health, opioid misuse, public health surveillance, and health program evaluation. Her multidisciplinary body of work reflects the philosophy that has shaped her career: complex health challenges rarely belong to one discipline, and sustainable solutions require people, institutions, and sectors to work across the boundaries that traditionally separate them.
Dr. McMillan earned her Doctor of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Master of Science from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Science from Claflin University.
At NSRH, she brings these many professional identities together: public health scientist, infectious disease researcher, policy strategist, evaluator, educator, nonprofit leader, corporate executive, emergency preparedness professional, coalition builder, and health equity advocate. Rather than viewing those experiences as separate chapters, Dr. McMillan sees them as parts of the same work: connecting people, evidence, policy, and systems to create healthier and more equitable communities.
Christy A
Chief Operations Officer
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Christy (she/her/hers) is a nonprofit and business operations professional with more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit development, organizational operations, and community-based work. She is committed to advancing racial and gender equity and has dedicated much of her career to supporting organizations and initiatives serving historically marginalized and underserved communities.
Throughout her career, Christy has worked with local, state, and federal agencies to secure funding and strengthen organizational capacity. Her experience spans nonprofit development, grants and contracts, business operations, compliance, and organizational administration. She has worked with a variety of local and national organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, UC San Diego Health, and SURE Helpline and Crisis Center, where she also serves as a member of the Imperial & San Diego County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
Christy also serves on multiple state-level committees in California, where she contributes to policy and legislative efforts focused on advancing sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In these roles, she works alongside advocates, community leaders, and other stakeholders to help develop, strengthen, and advance legislation and policy initiatives that improve access to sexual and reproductive health services and promote health equity across California. In addition to her nonprofit and policy experience, Christy holds an MBA in Business from UCLA with a concentration in Business Law and is a certified Paralegal in the state of California and a Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LP) in the state of Arizona. Her combined background in nonprofit leadership, business, legal support, and public policy informs her approach to organizational operations, risk management, compliance, contract administration, advocacy, and sustainable organizational growth.
Throughout her career, Christy has worked with local, state, and federal agencies to secure funding and strengthen organizational capacity. Her experience spans nonprofit development, grants and contracts, business operations, compliance, and organizational administration. She has worked with a variety of local and national organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, UC San Diego Health, and SURE Helpline and Crisis Center, where she also serves as a member of the Imperial & San Diego County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
Christy also serves on multiple state-level committees in California, where she contributes to policy and legislative efforts focused on advancing sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In these roles, she works alongside advocates, community leaders, and other stakeholders to help develop, strengthen, and advance legislation and policy initiatives that improve access to sexual and reproductive health services and promote health equity across California. In addition to her nonprofit and policy experience, Christy holds an MBA in Business from UCLA with a concentration in Business Law and is a certified Paralegal in the state of California and a Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LP) in the state of Arizona. Her combined background in nonprofit leadership, business, legal support, and public policy informs her approach to organizational operations, risk management, compliance, contract administration, advocacy, and sustainable organizational growth.
Ladrea W
Chief Programs Officer
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Ladrea Williams-Briggs, DrPH, MS is a public health executive, maternal health leader, and reproductive justice advocate with expertise in program strategy, community engagement, and organizational development. She holds a Doctor of Public Health in Health Education and a Master of Science in Health Promotion, bringing extensive experience across public health practice, maternal and reproductive health, and community-centered initiatives.
As Chief Programs Officer at Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health (NSRH), Dr. Williams-Briggs provides strategic leadership for the organization’s education initiatives, membership programs, and special projects. She works to strengthen and expand NSRH’s programs and offerings, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of the communities and professionals the organization serves and grounded in holistic, equitable, and reproductive justice-centered approaches.
As Chief Programs Officer at Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health (NSRH), Dr. Williams-Briggs provides strategic leadership for the organization’s education initiatives, membership programs, and special projects. She works to strengthen and expand NSRH’s programs and offerings, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of the communities and professionals the organization serves and grounded in holistic, equitable, and reproductive justice-centered approaches.
Our Board
The Board of Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health (NSRH) is comprised of talented and skilled reproductive health professionals from throughout the nation.