AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative
Leadership Bios
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Laura Degnon, CAE
Co-Leader AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative
Laura Degnon is Executive Director of the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC) and Co-Lead of the AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative. Laura is the President and CEO of Degnon Associates. For over thirty years, Laura has been involved in and is viewed as a well-respected top leader in association management. As an experienced association executive, she brings deep expertise in organizational leadership, strategic partnerships, and large-scale workforce initiatives. Her work focuses on aligning pediatric leaders and organizations to address critical workforce, education, and policy challenges.
Robert Vinci, MD
Co-Leader AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative
Robert Vinci is the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and former Chair of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center. Bob is the Co-Lead of the AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative. Dr. Vinci is widely recognized for his work in pediatric education, clinical leadership, and workforce research. His scholarship and leadership have contributed significantly to national conversations on pediatric education and workforce.
Melissa Gillooly, MPP
Project Director AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative
Melissa Gillooly is Project Director for the AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative. A mission-driven health care and nonprofit leader, she brings over twenty-five years of experience in health systems administration, nonprofit management, workforce strategy, and health policy. Melissa contributes strategic guidance for the Pediatrics Workforce Initiative and provides administration for all the PWI workgroups – helping to make connections across organizations and to amplify efforts aimed at strengthening the pediatric workforce.
Rebecca Blakenburg, MD, MPH
Education Redesign Pillar Leader
Rebecca (Becky) Blankenburg is Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official at Stanford University School of Medicine. A pediatric hospitalist by training, Dr. Blankenburg is a national leader in medical education, residency and fellowship program development, and competency-based training. She has served as President of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) and is deeply engaged in advancing innovative approaches to pediatric education and workforce training.
Mary Leonard, MD, MSCE
Economic Strategy Pillar Leader
Mary Leonard, MD, MSCE, is the Arline and Pete Harman Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, the Adalyn Jay Physician-in-Chief at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and the Director of the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute. She serves as the Economic Strategy Pillar Leader for the AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative, where she guides national efforts to advance sustainable pediatric payment policy and strengthen the financial foundations of the pediatric workforce. A pediatric nephrologist and epidemiologist, Dr. Leonard is nationally recognized for her leadership in academic pediatrics and her 20 years of continual NIH funding for her research on the effects of chronic disease on child health, bone metabolism, and nutrition. A compassionate clinician and researcher, she is deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of children and advancing the systems that support pediatric care.
Sallie Permar, MD, PhD
Physician Scientist Pillar Leader
Sallie Permar is Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Pediatrician-in-Chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She leads the Physician-Scientist Development Pillar of the AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative, advancing strategies to strengthen research training pathways and sustain the pediatric physician-scientist workforce. An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Dr. Permar’s research focuses on infectious diseases affecting newborns and children, with particular emphasis on maternal and infant immunity. She also leads the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) and is a national advocate for building robust research pipelines in pediatrics.
Ann Reed, MD
Practice Collaboration Pillar Leader
Ann Reed, MD, served as the Samuel L. Katz Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine through December 2025. She leads the Practice Collaboration Pillar of the AMSPDC Pediatrics Workforce Initiative, guiding efforts to advance innovative care models, strengthen partnerships across health systems, and improve access to high-quality pediatric care. Dr. Reed served as President of AMSPDC from 2021 to 2023. A pediatric rheumatologist and immunologist, she is widely respected for her research on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in children, including juvenile dermatomyositis, and brings deep expertise in translational research, academic medicine, and pediatric workforce development.