ABOUT AWHONN
Our mission is to empower and support nurses caring for women, newborns, and their families through research, education, and advocacy.
Executive Staff

Kathleen A. Hale, MS, RN, NE-BC, Interim Chief Executive Officer
Kathleen joined AWHONN as interim CEO effective May 1, 2020.
Hale is a past president of the AWHONN Board of Directors, who has more than 40 years of nursing experience in a variety of settings including community hospitals, tertiary medical centers, multi-campus settings in union and non-union environments. She brings to AWHONN extensive experience in project management, building and renovation projects, and programmatic improvement projects. Hale is a recognized regional and international leader currently serving as the Past President of the Northeast NY Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders (NENYONEL) and Nurse Planner for the ACOG Best Practices in Women’s Health Committee. In addition, Hale serves as an appointed member of the Board of Directors of the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders (NYONEL).

DJ Johnson, IOM, CAE, Vice President of Membership and Volunteer Engagement
DJ joined AWHONN in 2019 as Vice President of Membership and Volunteer Engagement. As a member of the AWHONN executive team, DJ develops and leads the organization’s membership and volunteer development efforts.
For the last seventeen years, DJ has served as a chief strategist and innovator in the areas of membership, volunteer development and stakeholder engagement, including at the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the Drug Information Association. He is a 2016-2018 class of the ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program scholars, and has spearheaded diversity and inclusion efforts at multiple organizations. In 2013 he gained the dual honors of being named one of Association Forum’s “40 Under Forty” exemplary association executives and one of Association Trends Magazine Young & Aspiring Association Professionals. He currently serves on the CAE Commission, which governs the Certified Association Executive examination and credential.
DJ is a sought-after presenter and facilitator.

Billie Robinson, MBA, CAE, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Marketing, Communications And Meetings
Billie joined AWHONN in 2008 with the position of Associate Director of Meetings. Most recently, he served as the Senior Director of Meetings & Convention Services.
Billie leads a team that has delivered successful conventions and has built a successful sponsorship model and development of corporate partnerships. An accomplished association professional, Billie has more than 20 years of association management experience specializing in meetings management, professional development, advertising and sales.
Billie has served on several industry advisory boards including Visit Orlando, New Orleans and Montreal and is currently a member of the Leading Authorities Association Advisory Council. Designated a Certified Association Executive (CAE) by the American Society of Association Executives in 2002 and a Diversity Executive Leadership Scholar (DELP) in 2013, Billie continues to serve the profession by volunteering at various events and working with internal staff who wish to earn their CAE. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Boise State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College.

Benjamin Scheich, MS, Vice President – Analytics, Operations, Policy and Strategic Initiatives
Ben joined AWHONN in 2008 and is responsible for managing the Analytics, Education Operations, Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the association.
Ben’s focus is on using data and analytics to better understand AWHONN member needs and develop resources to meet those needs. Ben is passionate about process improvement and creating automated, just-in-time analytics resources to manage product metrics.
Ben has a Master’s Degree in Biostatistics from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and enjoys speaking about analytics in associations.
Financial Reports
AWHONN Bylaws
AWHONN Committees
AWHONN Coalitions
Advisory & Expert Panels
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. AWHONN is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP580. Accredited status does not imply endorsement by AWHONN or the American Nurses Credentialing Center of any commercial products displayed or discussed in conjunction with educational activities.