Keira Sorrells – Founder & Executive Director

Keira Sorrells is the Founder and Executive Director of the NICU Parent Network, the only U.S.-based collaborative of NICU support organizations, representing 45 organizations across 28 states. As the mother of triplets born at 25 weeks, including the loss of one at 14 months, Keira’s personal journey fuels her passion for systemic change in maternal-infant health. She believes parents are the ultimate experts in their babies and advocates for their voices to shape policies, research, and practices.

Keira serves as the Family Partner Co-Chair of the Family-Centered Care Taskforce and advises researchers to bridge the gap between clinical research and families’ lived experiences. A champion for inclusivity and belonging, she works to ensure NICU care systems reflect the needs of those they serve. Through collaboration and advocacy, Keira continues to drive meaningful progress for NICU families nationwide.

Jennifer Degl – President

Jennifer Degl is the mother of four, including a micro preemie who was born at 23 weeks gestation, and the founder of Speaking for Moms & Babies, Inc. Her mission is to educate the public on maternal and neonatal health issues. She is the author of three books and articles in both the Journal of Pediatrics and Journal of Perinatology, a passionate public speaker, an active member of the International Neonatal Consortium Leadership Team, and she also serves on the Board of Directors for both the NICU Parent Network and the NIDCAP Federation International. Jennifer is also the creator and coordinator of Maria’s Hope, the NICU parent mentor program at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in NY. Jennifer has been a high school science teacher for 25 years and believes education is the key to health care reform.

Tieast Leverett – Vice President

Tieast is the mother of three inspiring children including a micro preemie NICU graduate who was born at 26 weeks. She is actively engaged in advocacy for neurodiversity and eliminating disparity in access to medical care. Tieast has held positions in training, public speaking, government contracting, and commercial aviation, and is currently the D&I Business Resource Groups and Global Integration Manager for Stellantis North America.

Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez – Immedidate Past President

Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez, is the mother of four angel babies and a surviving twin born at 24 weeks. She is both an International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited Professional Coach and a Trauma-Informed Certified Coach, and founder of GKF Coaching and Consulting and Families Blossoming LLC. Gigi’s niche areas are leadership and organisational wellness, trauma-informed coaching, NICU/maternal-infant health, diversity, empowerment, consulting, and training/facilitation. She is passionate about incorporating and imbedding joy across all aspects of her work and with all her clients, within any sector or workplace culture.

She has almost 20 years of international clinical, strategic and project management experience within the healthcare sectors both in the USA and UK health systems and holds several global board appointments in the NICU and maternal-infant health space. Gigi also serves as a Parent, Patient, Public Advisory Board (PPPAB) member for EFCNI, a Chair Committee Member for the Global Alliance for Newborn Care (GLANCE), and a Chari Committee Chair member for the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH). She is an experienced international speaker and presenter.

Kristy Love – NPN Founding Member & Past President

Kristy is a mother of two preemies. For over 20 years Kristy has worked in the nonprofit community providing health education, advocating for NICU Families and high-risk population.

She has collaborated with community groups, corporations, national organizations, and universities to improve outcomes for families of premature infants, babies born with special needs and developmental needs. Kristy is the Executive Director of the National Perinatal Association.

Elizabeth Simonton

Elizabeth Simonton is an attorney and former small business owner, who started the NICU Families Fund with her Husband in 2014 after having a NICU experience of their own. ICU baby was developed in 2015 to broaden and extend the mission of the NICU Families Fund. Elizabeth serves on the 2020-2021 Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative Committee, was named a 2019 Miami Leader by the Miami Foundation and is a graduate of Radical Partners’ Social Entrepreneurship Bootcamp’s Cohort 6. Elizabeth believes that every parent should have the opportunity to be at their baby’s hospital bedside and she is passionate about removing barriers for NICU parents to be able to accomplish that.

Pam Frasco

Pam Frasco is a proud NICU mama two-times over and founder of Project NICU. Her experience with the unexpected deliveries of 31- weeker Santino and 30-weeker Salvatore has given her a passion to connect with and give back to the NICU Community. Her sons have inspired her to create a community that supports parents during and after their NICU Journey, and the medical teams that care for them.

Leelee Klein

Elizabeth Smith Klein aka Leelee received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Communications from Denison University 1985, and a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College in 1995. Ms. Klein served as President of The Tiny Miracles Foundation, Inc. from 2007 until 2016. Her twin daughters, Grace and Larsen, were born at 26 weeks gestation in 2000. The birth of her daughters was a very lonely and traumatic time in her life, which led to her passion for developing programs that provide support to all parents of premature babies. Ms. Klein lives with her husband Michael and their three daughters in Darien, CT.