We partnered with Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette on the search for a President and CEO. Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) is the largest nonprofit sexual and reproductive health care provider in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Our work resulted in the recruitment of Sara Kennedy to the role.

Prior to this role, Kennedy served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood Northern California (PPNorCal) for seven years. She is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with specialized training in Family Planning and Clinical Research.  In these roles, Kennedy managed all operational and clinical aspects of health care delivered in PPNorCal’s 17 health centers and Telehealth across Northern California, as well as supervised PPNorCal’s contact center, Data and Analytics, Research, and the Community Health Department. 

Kennedy has her Master of Public Health, and her primary interest is in providing organizational leadership centered on health equity to improve public health outcomes. During her tenure at PPNorCal, Kennedy spearheaded a statewide collaborative project with the California Department of Public Health and the seven California Planned Parenthood affiliates to prevent congenital syphilis and to address the STI epidemic.

Kennedy has served as an Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association delegate to the California Medical Association House of Delegates and was an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District IX Committee Member on State Legislation, advocating for legislation that will positively impact the health of communities. Kennedy is also a trained forensic medical examiner for refugees seeking asylum from sexual violence and torture.