Meet Our Team
Becky Christensen
Founder and Campaigns Director
Director, Colorado Families for Vaccines
Becky is a former surgical care nurse from Colorado’s Western Slope.
A lifelong Coloradan, Becky was in the nursing profession for 20 years before she harnessed her volunteer passion for politics and turned it into a new career. She worked at the state legislature as an aide with key expertise in public health policy. Becky has overseen several political campaigns and emerged as one of Colorado’s most respected political operatives.
After seeing members of the anti-vaccination movement derail a number of key policy goals, Becky decided to pivot to take on anti-vaxxers directly. She founded SAFE Communities Coalition, an organization with a simple goal: strengthen public health and save lives.
Today, she oversees nine state chapters as SAFE’s campaigns director. Becky is a dynamic and strategic leader who drives effective advocacy campaigns and mobilizes grassroots support. Becky is responsible for developing and executing strategic plans to advance pro-vaccine goals and objectives at the state level.
Northe Saunders
Executive Director
Director, Maine Families for Vaccines
Northe brings 15 years of leadership, grassroots organizing, and fundraising experience to our organization. He has worked on the local, state, and national levels for numerous political campaigns, candidates, and advocacy organizations.
In 2019 he was encouraged by his partner, a pediatrician, to testify in support of removing non-medical exemptions to the vaccine schedule for students in Maine. He was galvanized by the strong opposition to the legislation and joined the volunteer organization, Maine Families for Vaccines, to support the effort. He led the grassroots citizen lobbying effort that saw the successful passage of the legislation. When the opposition attempted a referendum to use a “People’s Veto” and overturn the legislation, he served as volunteer political director for Maine Families.
Northe oversaw the creation of a state PAC, hiring of campaign staff, and coordination with political allies. Maine Families celebrated a resounding 72.4 percent victory at the polls, and the legislation was upheld. He is excited to bring his passion for fundraising, grassroots organizing, and pro-science advocacy to other states across the nation.
Caitlin Gilmet
Communications Director
Director, Maine Families for Vaccines
Caitlin is a writer, designer, and grant fundraiser with deep experience working for nonprofit organizations supporting access to care, education, opportunity, and justice for historically marginalized individuals and communities.
When Caitlin’s infant son caught chicken pox shortly after starting daycare, she learned how easy it was for other parents to evade the vaccine requirements that keep us all safe. She co-founded Maine Families for Vaccines, which made history by eliminating non-medical exemptions to school-required immunizations.
Since joining SAFE in 2022, Caitlin has overseen communications strategy for the organization and its Families for Vaccines chapters, providing full-service brand development and training local teams on rapid-response multi-channel communication, print and digital design, PR, social media, event planning, and fundraising. Caitlin is passionate about demystifying science, empowering less likely activists, and promoting good health and hope.
Jennifer Herricks, Ph.D.
Advocacy Director
Founder, Louisiana Families for Vaccines
Dr. Jennifer Herricks earned a PhD in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in global health policy with a focus on infectious diseases at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
During her postdoctoral work Jennifer saw how well-organized, well-funded anti-vaccine activists can shift public policies that directly affect public health. Since then she has been passionate about protecting public health through vaccine advocacy, and empowering families and policymakers to make informed decisions with accurate information.
In 2022, Jennifer founded Louisiana Families for Vaccines, a grassroots network of local advocates that works closely with a diverse set of community partners to combat vaccine misinformation, educate about the value of policy based in science, and support legislation that champions public health.
Jennifer joined SAFE Communities Coalition as Director of Advocacy in 2024 and works with other Families for Vaccines state chapters across the country to develop effective strategies that elevate the voices of the pro-vaccine majority and push back against anti-vaccine policies that threaten public health.
Ashley Chambers, JD
Director of Legal Affairs
Executive Director, Arizona Families for Vaccines
Ashley is a proud Virginian, but has called The Valley of the Sun her home for almost 15 years. At the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Ashley double majored in Political Science and Hispanic Studies. After college graduation, Ashley attended The George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C., where she focused on constitutional law. After law school, Ashley was offered a position at a law firm in Phoenix, and she picked up and moved cross-country.
Ashley was a criminal lawyer in Arizona for a decade, with experience in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, Ashley served as Executive Director of a criminal justice non-profit that lobbied at the legislature, which sparked her passion for legislative advocacy. After having children, Ashley knew she wanted to focus on issues directly impacting the children’s health. Ashley is currently the Executive Director at Arizona Families for Vaccines, focusing on building a grassroots pro-vaccine movement and bringing those stories to the Arizona Capitol. Ashley also serves as SAFE’s Director of Legal Affairs and specializes in building partnerships and coalitions with diverse stakeholders. Ashley is passionate about translating legal jargon and legislation into easily understandable language for diverse stakeholders, including everyday citizens, community groups, businesses, and policymakers, thereby empowering them to make informed decisions about their lives and communities.
Ashley has three active children who keep her on her toes and an Arizona-born husband. When Ashley is not spending time with her family, she likes to exercise, read fiction books, go for long walks, and listen to legal and true-crime podcasts. Ashley maintains her Arizona and Virginia bar licenses and is active in the legal community.