Stephen Y. Nakada, MD, FACS, FRCS(Glasg)

The Uehling Professor and Chairman
UW Department of Urology

Dr. Stephen Nakada is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology and the David T. Uehling Chair of Urology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed his residency training at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. Dr. Nakada went on to complete an Endourology Fellowship at Washington University prior to joining the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in 1995. He has served as Chairman of Urology in Madison since 2001. In 2020, Dr. Nakada was named Chief Administrative Physician of the Practice Plan at the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation.

Dr. Nakada’s research focuses on urolithiasis and the renal aspects of minimally invasive urology. He has authored or co-authored more than 250 scientific articles and 50 book chapters and has edited more than 10 textbooks in these areas. Dr. Nakada has served on the AUA Staghorn Stone and Ureteral Stones Guidelines Committees, the AUA/ABU Examination Committee, and as Chair of the AUA Laparoscopy and Robotic Surgery Committee. He has also served as President of the R.O.C.K. Society, the Society of Academic Urologists, the Endourological Society, the American Board of Urology, and the American Urological Association (AUA), serving as AUA President from 2024 to 2025.

Dr. Nakada received the AUA Gold Cystoscope Award in 2004, the AUA Distinguished Service Award in 2017, and the Hugh Hampton Young Award in 2020. In 2019, he received the Ralph V. Clayman Mentor Award from the Endourological Society. Dr. Nakada has been a member of the AUA since 1997.

Jennifer Miles-Thomas, MD, URPS, MBA

AUA Treasurer
Vice Chair of Regional Integration and Innovation
Assistant Professor of Urology
Northwestern Medicine

Dr. Jennifer Miles-Thomas is the Vice Chair of Regional Integration and Innovation in the Department of Urology at Northwestern Medicine. She previously served as President and CEO of Urology of Virginia and as Medical Director of the Pelvic Health program at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. Dr. Miles-Thomas specializes in female reconstructive surgery, pelvic prolapse, incontinence, complex urinary disorders, and neurologically related urinary conditions . Eager to expand her leadership and strategic acumen, she earned an completed her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2024.

In addition to her clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Miles-Thomas is deeply involved with the AUA.  She has served as a mentor in the AUA Leadership Program, contributed to the AUA Leadership & Business Education Committee, hosted multiple AUA podcasts focused on the Business of Urology and sat on the Mid-Atlantic AUA Board of Directors.  Dr. Miles-Thomas has been a member of the AUA since 2005.

Kirsten Greene, MD, MAS, FACS*

Associate Chief Medical Officer
Paul Mellon Professor and Chair, Department of Urology
UVA Health

Dr. Kirsten Greene received her undergraduate training from the University of Virginia on full academic scholarship. She received her MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her general surgery and urology training at the University of California, San Francisco where she also received a Masters in Clinical Research. She specializes in urologic cancers and minimally invasive surgery. Kirsten was Vice Chair and Chief of Urology at the SFVA and Associate Chair for Education and Program Director for the Department of Urology at UCSF until 2019. She was the first woman to achieve the rank of full Professor in the UCSF Department of Urology. In 2019, she became Chair of the University of Virginia Department of Urology and holds the John Cole Endowed Chair in Urology. She was Associate Chief Medical Officer for UVA Health from 2020-2024.  Her research interests include minimally invasive surgery, novel imaging technologies in prostate cancer, resident and physician well-being and burnout, and outcomes in bladder, kidney and prostate cancer. She is the Past President of the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) and the Secretary of the Society of Urologic Oncology(SUO). She also served on the American Board of Urology Trustee Board. She won the UCSF Resident Teaching Award and Peter R. Carroll Mentorship award at UCSF in 2018, the UVA Resident Teaching Award in 2022, and the AUA Mid Career award in 2022.

Christopher Kane, MD, FACS

Senior Assistant Vice Chancellor of Clinical Affairs,
UC San Diego Health Sciences and CEO,
UC San Diego Health Physician Group

Dr. Christopher Kane serves as Senior Assistant Vice Chancellor of Clinical Affairs at UC (University of California) San Diego Health Sciences and chief executive officer for UC San Diego Health Physician Group. Dr Kane has authored more than 390 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters with a focus on prostate cancer risk factors and outcomes, prostate cancer surgery, and minimally invasive surgery for prostate and kidney cancer. He serves on the editorial boards of several major urology journals as well as multiple prostate cancer and kidney cancer guidelines committees. Dr Kane was the founding chair of the urology department in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and led urology from 2007 through 2020.

Before joining UC San Diego Health, Dr Kane held leadership positions at UC San Francisco and the Naval Medical Center San Diego. He was awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal by UC Davis in 2011. In 2014, he was elected to membership in the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons. He was elected to the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons in 2018. He was president of the Western Section of the AUA in 2024 and is currently a trustee and president of the American Board of Urology. He is a retired Navy Captain and a decorated veteran of Desert Storm.

David F. Penson, MD, MPH

AUA Secretary
Professor and Chairman, Department of Urology
Hamilton and Howd Chair in Urologic Oncology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. David Penson is the Hamilton and Howd Chair in Urologic Oncology, Director of the Center for Surgical Quality and Outcomes Research and Professor and Chair, Department of Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He obtained his MD from Boston University and completed his urology residency at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He then was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar fellowship at Yale University and also obtained an MPH at Yale. He currently maintains a clinical practice in urologic oncology at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. 

Dr. Penson’s specific research interests include the comparative effectiveness of treatment options in localized prostate cancer and the impact of the disease and its treatment on patients’ quality of life. He has received federal grant funding from the National Cancer Institute, the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. He previously chaired the National Institutes of Health’s Health Services Outcomes and Delivery (HSOD) study section, which reviews almost all health services research grant submitted to the NIH.

Dr. Penson served as AUA Public Policy Chair (2012-2016) and AUA Science & Quality Chair (2018-2022). He has been a member of the AUA since 1997.

Eugene Rhee, MD, MBA*

AUA President
National Chair of Urology, Permanente Medicine
Assistant Medical Director for the Business Line, KP San Diego

Dr. Eugene Rhee holds dual leadership roles as National Chair of Urology for Kaiser Permanente, where he oversees the delivery of urologic care to 12 million lives within the United States' largest nonprofit managed healthcare system and Area Assistant Medical Director for Business Line & Finance for Kaiser Permanente, San Diego. He earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and political science from Emory University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Clinically, Dr. Rhee is a specialist in incontinence, urologic reconstruction, sexual medicine, and minimally invasive treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In addition to his clinical practice, he holds device patents in the field of urology, reflecting his commitment to advancing the science of care through innovation and technology.

Dr. Rhee is a dedicated leader in urological health policy and scholarly work. He served as the inaugural Section Editor for health policy at Urology Practice and is a graduate of both the AUA Leadership Program and the AUA Gallagher Health Policy Scholar program. His leadership includes tenure as AUA Public Policy Chair (2020–2024) and key roles on committees for federal advocacy, workforce planning, electronic health records and telemedicine. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the AUA Western Section. Dr. Rhee has been a member of the AUA since 1996.

Dr. Rhee served as AUA Public Policy Chair (2020-2024). He was also a graduate of the AUA Leadership Program and a distinguished AUA Gallagher Health Policy Scholar. Dr. Rhee has been a member of the AUA since 1996.

Kyle A. Richards, MD, FACS*

AUA RUC Member
Associate Residency Program Director
Associate Professor, Department of Urology
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Kyle Richards is an associate professor in the department of urology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he leads the bladder cancer program.  Locally, he served as Chief of the VA for 9 years and associate residency program director for 5 years.  Regionally, he currently serves on the North Central Section of the AUA Board of Directors as Historian.  Nationally at the AUA, Dr. Richards serves on the coding and re-imbursement committee and is the current AUA RUC (RVU update committee) member.  The RUC is a critical group organized by the AMA that makes recommendations to CMS regarding physician re-imbursement.

Dr. Richards is a graduate of the AUA leadership program and previously served as faculty for the AUA Masterclass in Executive Leadership in 2025.  Lastly, he was awarded an AUA Presidential Citation in 2025 for creation of a bladder cancer program and leadership in advocacy to uphold relative value units.

Jennifer Robin, PhD

Associate Faculty and Executive Coach, Indiana University
Co-author of "Working with Distressed Physicians: A Guide to Physician Leaders"

Jennifer Robin, Ph.D. brings a unique blend of skills and experiences to her coaching and consulting engagements. She is a psychologist, ICF credentialed (PCC) and Certified Co-Active coach (CPCC), and an expert in leadership development, organizational culture, and strategic human resource management. During her career, Jennifer has served as a trusted advisor to dozens of leaders and leadership teams, designed and delivered leadership development programs, managed operations in higher education, and led a School of Business as its dean.

Jennifer has built a thriving coaching and consulting practice over 25 years and is recognized as an expert in great workplaces. She is a former Senior Consultant and Advisory Practice Lead at Great Place to Work® Institute, and she has coauthored four books – Working with Distressed Physicians: A Guide for Physician Leaders (2025), No Excuses: How You Can Turn Any Workplace into a Great One (2013), The Great Workplace: How to Build It, How to Keep It, and Why It Matters (2011) and A Life in Balance: Finding Meaning in a Chaotic World (2006).

Jennifer is an executive coach with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a former Professor of Management in the Foster College of Business at Bradley University. She has served as the Dean of the School of Business at Southern Connecticut State University and Associate Dean at Bradley University.