Gloria Feldt

Gloria Feldt is a nationally acclaimed activist, author, keynote speaker and commentator on women's lives, rights, health, and leadership from where the personal meets the political. She’s been dubbed "the voice of experience" by People Magazine, one of America’s “Top 200 Women Leaders, Legends, and Trailblazers” by Vanity Fair, “Woman of the Year” by Glamour, and a “practical visionary” by her colleagues.

She was a teen mom whose life’s passion for reproductive justice led her to a 30-year career with the world's largest reproductive health care provider and advocacy organization, Planned Parenthood. After leading the organization’s affiliates in West Texas and Arizona where she dramatically expanded their health care services, she served as president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 1996 to 2005.

Gloria turned Planned Parenthood into a powerhouse, and led the creation of its bold “Vision for 2025”. She led the reproductive rights, health, and justice movement to “fight forward”, changing strategy from reacting to threats to one that advanced its own initiatives to improve women’s health: successfully obtaining insurance coverage for contraception, wider access to emergency contraception, spearheading introduction of The Prevention First Act and the updated Freedom of Choice Act.

Gloria is author of three books. The most recent, co-authored with actress Kathleen Turner, is the New York Times best seller, "Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles." Previous books are "The War on Choice: The Right-Wing Attack on Women's Rights and How to Fight Back" and "Behind Every Choice Is a Story." She is currently writing a book about women’s relationship with power, to be published by Seal Press, fall, 2010. She has also contributed chapters to several women’s health books, including "Our Bodies, Ourselves Menopause."