About Future Choices' Guests

(alphabetical order)

In “Medical Students Unite for Choice,” airing August 2009, Miranda Balkin, national president of Medical Students for Choice, elucidates the reasons we all want our doctors to experience basic training in abortion before they complete medical school. Medical Students for Choice, a network of over 10,000 American and Canadian medical students and residents, is working to destigmatize abortion provision and to persuade medical schools and residency programs to recognize that abortion is an essential part of the reproductive health services curriculum.

Ms. Balkin anticipates earning an MD at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, June 2010. |MORE

Mariana Boneo, Executive Director of the Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck, joined Future Choices in January 2007 to share her insights on major challenges facing Latinas and their families in Westchester County.

Born in Argentina, Mariana was originally trained as a music therapist. -> Read further.

Mariana Boneo
Executive Director,
Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck

In the face of continued attacks on reproductive rights, New York’s laws need to be strengthened to protect women’s health and safety. This is the message which Tracey Brooks, President & CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York, brings to Future Choices TV in May 2009. Unless we press our state legislators to enact the Reproductive Health Act, New York women risk losing some basic reproductive rights which we need to protect women's health and safety. In "Women's Health Matters!" Ms. Brooks sets out the reasons this is true. |MORE

Tracey Brooks became CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York State in December 2008. |MORE

Sharon L. Camp is President and CEO of The Alan Guttmacher Institute, the leading policy research organization in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Read more...

Sharon joined Future Choices for a discussion of the Bush administration's so-called 'anti-prostitution campaign.' Read More...

Mary Alice Carr is Vice President of Communications for NARAL Pro-Choice New York overseeing all media, messaging and materials. More

She elucidates NARAL's agenda in her Future Choices presentation, "This Year Should America Vote Pro-Choice?” which airs in Westchester March 2008. See further

In June 1960 the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) approved the oral contraceptive — "The Pill" — for use by American women. Dr. Vanessa Cullins, joins Future Choices to herald the many reasons that this was truly a momentous event worthy of celebration: "Celebrating The Pill's 50th Year -- Many Happy Returns."

Dr. Vanessa Cullins is Vice President for Medical Affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), and is responsible for leadership and administration of the Medical Affairs Division. Dr. Cullins has extensive clinical and administrative experience in reproductive health.
Prior to joining PPFA, she served as vice president and medical director of EngenderHealth, where she provided oversight and direction of technical teams responsible for providing technical support for reproductive health service delivery in over 25 countries. |MORE

Reverend Tom Davis is chaplain emeritus at Skidmore College, where he taught religion for 30 years...Read More...

In "Abortion -- Is it Necessary?" Reverend Tom Davis, minister in the United Church of Christ, posits that the “sacred work of justice,” which is the moral obligation of every American, necessitates safeguarding abortion rights, an integral element of providing adequate reproductive health care to all women.
Reverend Davis’s thoughtful discussion of the need for safe and legal abortion affords careful attention.

As EngenderHealth’s Program Manager in Guinea, Moustapha Diallo provides leadership, management, and technical support to EngenderHealth’s reproductive health initiatives in the country. He and his medical colleagues at EngenderHealth/Guinea... Read further

In "EngenderHealth -- Growing Choice in Guinea and Beyond" Moustapha Diallo takes Future Choices to Guinea to learn how EngenderHealth's holistic approach to resolution of health, economic and social issues is enabling his country to make significant progress. Mr. Diallo recounts that EngenderHealth is also helping medical personnel learn to deal effectively with a tragic side effect of the civil wars in neighboring countries: the surge of traumatic fistula among young victims of rape in border communities.

Moustapha Diallo,
Program Manager,
EngenderHealth-Guinea

In "Janet DiFiore: Protecting Reproductive Rights in Westchester County" District Attorney Janet DiFiore details the role of her office to ensure that County residents are free to exercise their rights.

She "has dedicated her career to public service as both a former Judge and prosecutor in Westchester County..." ->-> Read further.

In "Our Daughter’s Emergency — Plan B for Our Family” Dr. Ann Engelland offers keen insights to help parents guide their teens through the daunting challenges of developing healthy social relationships during their high school and early college years.
As a specialist in pediatrics and adolescent medicine Dr. Engelland is able to walk parents through the basics of what they need to know about emergency contraception. |MORE
This program airs in Westchester County during the month of March 2009.

Dr. Engelland appeared previously on Future Choices in “Sexuality and Our Teens – A Doctor’s Insight” in which she walks us through the benchmarks of adolescent development – social, sexual, physical, and cognitive. Her extensive and thoughtful discussion of Gardasil, the vaccine against HPV approved June 2006 by the FDA, illuminates the importance of this safeguard of our young people’s health and welfare. |MORE

A Fellow in Adolescent Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mamaroneck (NY) School District Physician since 2001, Dr. Engelland also runs a Solo Private Practice in Adolescent Medicine in Mamaroneck. Her column, Teen Health, in the local online newspaper, the Larchmont Gazette, enjoys an extensive readership. |MORE

Ann L. Engelland, M.D.
Adolescent Primary Care

With a deft review of anthropological studies, historical observations and lessons learned from travels in the developing world Robert Engelman leads us in "Population vs. Environment — Leave It to Women" to the conclusion that women are the key to resolution of the dual problems of burgeoning population and environmental degradation.

After graduating from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1976 with a fellowship, Robert Engelman traveled for nearly a year in Latin America, where he reported for the Associated Press and several U.S. newspapers... Robert’s conversations with women and men in villages and shantytowns, and his up-close views of denuded forests, ill health, poverty, and violent conflict inspired a deep interest in the link between natural-resource scarcity and the steady growth of populations. |MORE

Robert Engelman
Vice President for Programs
Worldwatch Institute

In “Opening Doors to Women’s Health,” Lindsay Farrell, CEO & President of Open Door Family Medical Centers in Westchester County,  makes it very clear that by providing dignified, quality health care to the poorest of  Westchester County’s women and their families, we ensure better health and well-being for all families in our community.

Lindsay Farrell was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Open Door Family Medical Clinics by the Board of Directors in October 1998.
Having served as Open Door’s Director of Operations and Director of Development, Ms. Farrell has worked on behalf of both the internal and external constituents of the health center...->-> Read further.

Celia Felsher served as Mamaroneck Board President 2004-2006...-->>Read further.

Mamaroneck High School's sexuality education module was highlighted in "Sex Ed to Keep Our Children Safe" featuring School Board President Celia Felsher and health educator Vincent Minotti.

Lawrence B. Finer, Ph. D., Director of Domestic Research, of The Guttmacher Institute, is widely heralded for careful research in reproductive health and his sharp analysis of the relevant data. He is widely published, and references to his work emerge frequently in professional and popular media. See further.

In "Abortion Gains...or Losses?" [shown in Westchester County February 2007] Dr. Finer's astute observations on the meaning, significance and implications of abortion trends bring home to us the message of what can be done to ensure that abortion remains safe, legal and rare.

The global community has failed in meet the commitment to women’s health and human rights made as an essential part of the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in 2000. This assertion is the central theme presented by Adrienne Germain, President of the International Women’s Health Coalition, on Future Choices: “Women’s Health and Rights at a Crossroads – The Agenda for Our Next President - Part 1.” and “ Part 2 ”.

Adrienne Germain has worked for almost 40 years to promote women's opportunities, health, and rights in developing countries. She is a visionary who helped revolutionize the way the world views population policy by making the health and rights of women central. |MORE

Rachel Benson Gold joined the staff of the Guttmacher Institute in 1979 and currently holds the position of Director of Policy Analysis and Washington Office Operations in the Institute's Public Policy Division. |MORE

She is lead author of the Guttmacher Institute's major report, "Next Steps for America’s Family Planning Program," which is the subject of Future Choices' program produced in April 2009, "Family Planning: Critical Safety Net in Hard Times."

Judy Loeb Goldfein represents EMILY’s List in the April 2008 episode of Future Choices, “Choosing with EMILY in ’08.”

She has served as a Director of EMILY’S List for the past 15 years. Motivated by the Thomas/Hill hearings, she joined the EMILY’s List staff in 1992 and currently serves as their Northeast Director. |MORE

Cool Choices for Teens showcases Healthy From Birth For Life, the energetic campaign designed and implemented by teenagers living in Mt. Vernon and Peekskill, NY.

As Project Manager for Healthy From Birth For Life, Michelle Gordon has worked since September 2008 with youths living in Peekskill and Mount Vernon, two areas of Westchester County that have been identified as being at high risk for poor birth outcomes.  The goal of Healthy From Birth For Life is to enable participants ("Fellows") to develop healthy lifestyles. |MORE

In "Sexuality Education for Our Children from Diapers to Dating" The Reverend Debra W. Haffner, the director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing and and former executive director of SIECUS, shares some excellent insights on providing children with age-appropriate sexuality education promoting good parent-child communication and healthy approach to adult life.

Reverend Haffner is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister. Her lively and often witty books on sexuality education include...-->>Read further.

Laura Hessburg is Senior Health Policy Advisor for Reproductive Health Programs at the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, the National Partnership for Women & Families.

Ms. Hessburg was special guest of Future Choices for the "Health Care Reform for Women: The Good, the Bad and The Ugly," which aired in May 2010.

Determined to do something truly significant with her newly earned PhD in chemistry, Westchester resident Dr. Rolande Hodel established an NGO called AIDSfreeAFRICA, and set off for Africa to figure out how "to empower Africans to be come self-sufficient in producing pharmaceuticals." Dr. Hodel's narrative of the amazing achievements of this fledgling enterprise offers a possible blueprint for real development in impoverished countries. See further: Pursuing the Dream: AIDSfreeAFRICA.

In 2005 Dr. Hodel embarked on a three-month fact-finding mission in Cameroon, where she learned firsthand about essential and effective projects that empower people in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As a result of her energetic work to establish prescription drug manufacturing facilities in Cameroon, she received the received the Astellas USA Foundation award for 2009 and was a semifinalist in the "innovations in science and technology section of the Buckminster Fuller Architect Design challenge. |MORE

Deborah L. Kaplan is the Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she has worked since February 2001. |MORE

In her Future Choices interview, "Take Control: NYC Takes on Reproductive Health," Debbie outlines the impressive array of creative strategies for transforming the lives of NYC’s at-risk adolescents which she has spearheaded in both the public and private sectors in the city and environs. This show was aired in Westchester County during February 2009.

Anu Kumar, PhD, MPH is the Executive Vice President for Development and Communications of Ipas, an international nonprofit organization that focuses on women's sexual and reproductive rights and abortion issues. With her seven years experience here and her prior work devoted to women's health, she is an engaging and capable spokesperson for Ipas and for women in need throughout the developing world. |MORE

Future Choices traveled to Chapel Hill, NC, to film Dr. Kumar for "Ipas -- Saving Women's Lives" which airs on local access TV in Westchester County July 2009. In this episode we learn that the awful toll of death and impairment from unsafe abortion is entirely preventable even in the world's poorest areas. Dr. Kumar recounts how and why Ipas has been working for nearly 40 years to bring safe abortion practices to vulnerable women throughout the world.

Dr. Ana Langer, the President and CEO of EngenderHealth, is a physician with board certification in pediatrics and neonatology, as well as a reproductive health specialist and public health researcher. For the past 20 years... Read a brief bio.

In "EngenderHealth -- Growing Choice in Guinea and Beyond" Ana Langer describes EngenderHealth's multi-pronged approach in the other countries where they work to not only obstetric fistula but also to involvement of men in the promotion of safe motherhood and concern for the health of their children. Through its Men as Partners program EngenderHealth is able to help develop tools to combat HIV/AIDS.

Ana Langer, M.D.
President & CEO,
EngenderHealth

As Country Director, EngenderHealth-Ethiopia, Gelila Kidane Goba, M.D., provides leadership and management of programs including the expansion of long-acting family planning methods, quality improvement, HIV-prevention in pregnant and postpartum mothers, and post-abortion care across sixty hospitals and health centers in three regions of Ethiopia. | MORE

In the Future Choices episode "Mothering the Earth – Case Studies from Ethiopia" Dr. Kidane joins forces with an American environmentalist (from National Audubon Society) make a convincing argument for the extraordinary synergy between reproductive rights advocates and environmentalists.

Gelila Kidane Goba, MD Country Director, EngenderHealth-Ethiopia

The May 2008 episode of Future Choices features Rachael Pine and Lisa Landau who introduce us to New York City's Nurse-Family Partnership Program. This undertaking pairs first-time mothers from low-income families with skilled and caring nurses who serve as mentors to the young women from mid-pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. | MORE about the program

Lisa came to NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene from the New York Attorney General's office where she was Director of the Reproductive Rights Unit. | More about Lisa.

Lisa Landau, J.D.
Director,
Nurse-Family Partnership Program
NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene

Ronnie Lovich is Director, HIV/AIDS, at Save the Children. She brings 20 years of experience in international and domestic public health programs and services. Read further

In "Saving Mothers -- Saving Children", she details the strategies used by Save the Children to both prevent HIV/AIDS through educational outreach to young people and to prevent Mother to Child transmission of the dread disease by working closely with vulnerable young mothers.

Ronnie Lovich,
Director, HIV/AIDS,
Save the Children

In May and June of 2007 Dr. Joshua Lipsman, Commissioner of Health for Westchester County, and Judy Myers, County Legislator for the 7th District, joined Future Choices for a two-part series to reveal the essential services provided by the Westchester Health Department, and, especially, the Department’s initiatives designed to safeguard the reproductive health for every woman in the County: "Westchester County: Caring About Women."

Legislator Judy Myers has lived in the Town of Mamaroneck for 25 years. She was elected to her first term as the 7th District’s County Legislator in February 2005 to replace George Latimer and was re-elected in November 2005 to a full two-year term.
Myers’ extensive experience on the Mamaroneck Town Board... Read further.

Joshua Lipsman, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., was appointed by County Executive Andy Spano as Commissioner of Health for Westchester County in May 2000. Prior to that...

County Legislator,
Judy Myers

Joshua Lipsman, MD, JD, MPH
Commissioner of Health, Westchester County

At time of her appearance on Future Choices Kathleen Mogelgaard was Assistant Director of Government Relations at the National Audubon Society in Washington, DC, where she focused on US government policies related to international conservation and sustainable development. Kathleen Mogelgaard joined PAI in September 2008 as Senior Program Manager for the Population and Climate Change Program.. | MORE

In the Future Choices episode "Mothering the Earth – Case Studies from Ethiopia" Ms. Mogelgaard avows that the Audubon Society has been very interested in the relationship of population and habitat for some 25 years, recognizing that population growth is one of the main drivers of habitat loss. Her role as coordinator of the organization’s Population and Habitat Program takes Audubon a significant step further: advocating for integration of population, health and environment programs throughout the world.

Kathleen Mogelgaard,
Assistant Director of Government Relations at the National Audubon Society

Dr. Winifride Mwebesa, the Family Planning and Reproductive Health Advisor at Save the Children, based in Washington DC. In her current position...read further

In Saving Mothers -- Saving Children, she details the strategies used by Save the Children to safeguard the well-being of vulnerable children by attending to the reproductive health care of young women.

In "Un-Glamourous Lies About Women's Health," Glamour's Deputy Editor for Health, Wendy Naugle reviews that magazine's article which states: 'Political groups tell [lies about women health], the government buys them—and worst of all, your doctor may pass them on to you. Alarmed? You should be.'

As Deputy Editor, Health at GLAMOUR magazine, Ms. Naugle oversees all health and fitness coverage in the magazine. See further about her experience.

In "Lifting the Global Gag" EngenderHealth's Dr. Isaiah Ndong provides real life examples of the tragedies he witnessed in Ghana when President G.W. Bush re-imposed the Global Gag Rule in 2001. His words inspire us to petition incoming President Barack Obama to repeal the Global Gag Rule within his first days in office.

Isaiah Ndong, EngenderHealth Vice President for Programs, is recognized for developing and leading integrated programs on family planning, reproductive health, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other health issues and for introducing practical, low-cost quality improvement approaches that have become sustainable models in several African countries.  Dr. Ndong has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Yaounde, Cameroon. |MORE

At Future Choices' private screening of the Emmy awardee, A Walk to Beautiful, Carrie Ngongo of EngenderHealth picks up where the film ends, drawing from her intensive experience working with African women debilitated by obstetric fistula. The lively exchange of ideas which this film inspired is captured in "We Walked with the Women," aired January 2010. |MORE

Carrie Ngongo, a senior program associate on the Fistula Care Project managed by EngenderHealth,  provides technical support to institutional partners worldwide to develop, implement and evaluate programs that address obstetric fistula prevention, treatment and reintegration. |MORE

Senator Suzi Oppenheimer joined Future Choices for the February 2010 episode, "Family Planning's Perfect Storm — Perilous Predictions for 2010" in which she reported on the challenges anticipated this legislative season for family planning funding and reproductive rights.

Senator Suzi Oppenheimer has earned a reputation in the Legislature as an energetic and vocal advocate for education, environmental protection, child care, health care, fiscal reform and the arts.  Her record of community service, local government experience, and leadership on statewide issues has enabled her to work in a bipartisan manner to address the concerns of her constituents and all New Yorkers. |MORE

The May 2008 episode of Future Choices features Rachael Pine and Lisa Landau who introduce us to New York City's Nurse-Family Partnership Program. This undertaking pairs first-time mothers from low-income families with skilled and caring nurses who serve as mentors to the young women from mid-pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. | MORE about the program

Rachael Pine, as director of the Fund for Public Health, is working with NYC's NFP to scale up to reach needy first-time moms throughout the city. | More about Rachael.

Rachael N. Pine, J.D.
Executive Director
Fund for Public Health in New York

In “UNFPA: Promoting Health for Women Worldwide” Anika Rahman spells out the many ways in which UNFPA engenders health and dignity for women everywhere.

Anika Rahman, a well-known international women’s rights advocate , assumed the leadership of Americans for UNFPA in July 2004. For more than ten years, Ms. Rahman has monitored and analyzed United States and international population policies that affect the reproductive rights and health of women. As President of Americans for UNFPA, she oversees education, advocacy, and fundraising on behalf of the United Nations Population Fund. -->>Read further.

Anika Rahman,
CEO, Americans for UNFPA

In "Columbia University - New Strategy to Fight AIDS in Africa" Dr. Allan Rosenfield, Dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, describes the "tsunami that is happening every day in Africa”: the AIDS epidemic, but offers hope that with the wise infusion of support from the U.S. and other European nations we can plausibly hope for victory over this disease within our lifetime.

Once he completed medical school and his residency program in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Rosenfield proceeded directly to Nigeria and launched a distinguished career devoted to the improvement of women's health in the developing world. At the time of his death in 2008 Dr. Rosenfield was one of the foremost leaders in reproductive health and widely acclaimed in the U.S. and internationally.
His achievements were chronicled in the 2008 Winter Issue of P&S. See: "Allan Rosenfield: Doctor to the World."
Read also an abbreviated CV... of his extraordinary contributions to reproductive health care throughout the world.

Allan Rosenfield, M.D.,
Dean, Mailman School of Public Health

Columbia University

[now deceased]

Stem cell research offers tremendous prospects for very significant advancement to reduce suffering and to find cures for many of the most debilitating medical conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, serious burns, diabetes. In “Faith, Compassion, and Stem Cell Research” Rabbi Dennis Ross, Director of Concerned Clergy for Choice in Albany, clarifies what this important research is and isn’t, and underscores the compelling moral imperatives for pursuing this exciting scientific endeavor.

As director of Concerned Clergy for Choice for The Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of New York State, Rabbi Ross coordinates an interfaith network of 1000 clergy in support of reproductive rights. He is also one of the rabbis of Temple Emanuel of Worcester, MA and has served synagogues in New York, Washington, DC, and Massachusetts. Read further.

Allison Shigo co-produced the award-winning film, A Walk to Beautiful, winner of the International Documentary Association award for Best Feature Documentary 2007 and nominated for an Emmy Award. A Walk to Beautiful screened at over 25 film festivals worldwide, won several |MORE

One hundred years after obstetric fistula was eliminated in developed countries, this birth injury remains a major peril to millions of young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and some Arab States. In September 2009 Future Choices travels to Ethiopia via Engel Entertainment's award-winning documentary to follow five Ethiopian women on their "Walk to Beautiful." We meet Allison and these women in the September 2009 episode of Future Choices: "Pursuing the Path to Peace: Obstetric Fistula in Ethiopia."

Allison Shigo
Co-Producer
A Walk to Beautiful

Veena Siddharth, the Vice President of International Programs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), draws on two decades of experience in the international arena and a background in advocacy and human rights. At Planned Parenthood, Veena continues to devote herself to securing for women in Asia, Africa, and Latin America economic and reproductive rights which are essential to the well-being of their family, their community and their country. |MORE

Ms. Siddharth joined Future Choices in June 2009 for Bye Bye Global Gag in which she brilliantly illustrates the opportunities open to health care advocates throughout the developing world now that the Global Gag Rule has been rescinded by President Barack Obama.

Veena Siddharth
Vice President, International Programs
Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Erika Sinclair was a Program Associate for the Maternity Care Program at EngenderHealth 2002-2006. Read More...

In "With Love, Labor, Loss, EngenderHealth Campaigns Against Fistula" Erika recounts her observations of the horrific impact of obstetric fistula on women in Niger (West Africa) and the program of action which EngenderHealth has undertaken to improve their prospects for productive lives.

Erika Sinclair
EngenderHealth

Fran Snedeker's interest in reproductive rights was piqued by her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960's. Little did she know then that she was on her way to becoming Producer of "Future Choices." Read More...

Fran launched the LMC-TV educational series, "Future Choices," in the spring of 2004 to promote public awareness of and concern about pivotal reproductive health issues. Read More...

Fran Snedeker, Producer

Shirley Stagner has served as director of the Lawrence Hospital Center's Cancer Survivorship Program since its inception in 2008. She brings to this position nearly 40 years of professional experience in oncology. |MORE

Ms. Stagner was the linchpin in "Cancer Survivorship --
Charting the Course to Renewed Strength", the August 2010 episode of Future Choices spotlighting the Lawrence Hospital Center cutting-edge program.

Andrea Stewart-Cousins joined Future Choices in October 2006 to explain what she means when she asserts that "Albany is still broken."

At the time she appeared on Future Choices, Andrea Stewart-Cousins was a candidate for New York State Senate in the 35th District. Her updated biography subsequent to her election to that seat is found here.

Andrea Stewart-Cousins
NYS Senator

Joan Trant, Deputy Executive Director of The Resource Foundation, first served on Foundation's Board for almost three years before joining staff in January 1998. She has 15 years' experience in international banking, including work in the Mexican and Argentine markets. Read More...

Joan Trant
The Resource Foundation

As Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Lisa Winjum oversees government relations and advocacy for the affiliate. She began her tenure at Planned Parenthood in March 2005.
Prior to joining the Planned Parenthood staff...Read More

Ms. Winjum joined "Future Choices" in December 2008 for "Pursuing Women’s Health and Rights in the Obama Era, " describing the 'sea change' which she anticipates in way women's reproductive health will be valued with the advent of the Obama administration.

Lisa B. Winjum, JD
Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic