Meet Our Team & Discover Our Mission
Our Team
Sanford M. Benardo, Esq.
Co-Founder and President
Sanford M. Benardo has achieved global recognition within the legal and medical communities as an innovator in the fields of surrogate parenting and third party family building. For more than twenty five years, he has been a featured commentator when major news outlets cover stories related to assisted reproduction and adoption, and he is quoted often in domestic and international print and electronic media. He has represented intended parents, gestational carriers, traditional carriers, egg donors, donor egg recipients, donor egg facilities, hospitals, adoption agencies, adoptive parents, and birth/expectant parents as part of his broad-based fertility law practice.
Mr. Benardo sits on the American Bar Association’s Subcommittees on Reproductive and Genetic Technologies, Adoption, and Ethics, Professionalism and Grievance. He is a founding member of the American College of Assisted Reproduction and Adoption Lawyers (ACARAL) and a past member of the Bioethical Issues Committee and the Children and the Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Additionally, he is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and its Legal Professionals Group, the New England Fertility Society, and the Hastings Center for Bioethical Research. Mr. Benardo is also a board member and advisor to several philanthropic and research organizations dedicated to expanding reproductive rights and reproductive choice. He is a graduate of New York University and the Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the Fordham International Law Journal. He is admitted to the Bars of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the United States Supreme Court.
Katherine Benardo
Co-Founder and Egg Donor Coordinator
Kathy has been leading the egg donor program at Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (NAFG) since its inception and directs all egg donor recruiting, pre-screening, matching and cycle coordination. She is sought after for her insights on egg donation by journalists and news programs and has been interviewed extensively by media representatives from around the world. Kathy also maintains the NAFG blog, where she shares her thoughts and invites discussion. Kathy received her BA from Smith College and an MA from New York University.
Lindsay Alexander, MSN, RN
Surrogacy Coordinator
Lindsay is a registered nurse specializing in fertility and reproductive endocrinology. She graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University and received a Master’s in Nursing from Columbia University. She trained and gained initial experience at a large IVF clinic in New York City. With her clinical expertise, comprehensive knowledge of assisted reproductive therapies and administrative/organizational background, Lindsay is well-positioned to guide and support our intended parents and gestational carriers every step of the way.
Suzanne Chalfen
Surrogacy Program Assistant
Suzanne wears a number of hats as part of the NAFG family! She helps us in the field with our gestational carriers and egg donors and she is also instrumental in obtaining and organizing records and associated data. Suzanne has extensive business experience and spent a number of years working as a paralegal with various Boston law offices. She holds a BA from Northeastern University and a certification from Bentley University’s Institute of Paralegal Studies.
Fiona Kelman
Egg Donor Program Assistant
Rebecca Snow, RN, CCRN
Surrogacy Consultant
Rebecca is a registered nurse specializing in neurosurgery and critical care. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and is currently pursuing further studies through Ohio University. Rebecca has been involved with NAFG since 2013. She served as a gestational carrier and now consults with prospective surrogates to offer support, answer questions, and share her experiences.
Kristen Chambliss, Ph.D., PLLC
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Kristen Chambliss is a licensed psychologist specializing in treating individuals coping with infertility, in vitro fertilization, relationship concerns, and anxiety. She currently practices in Friendswood, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston, Texas.
Following training at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch, the Southwest Cancer Treatment and Research Center, and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Dr. Chambliss entered private practice to better meet the needs of individuals and couples she serves.
Dr. Chambliss is trained in the newest, most cutting-edge therapy techniques based on the most recent advances in research. In addition to being a skilled therapist in helping individuals coping with reproductive health, anxiety, and relationship concerns, she has presented at national conferences and to general audiences speaking on the topics of reproductive health, cancer, and anxiety. Dr. Chambliss has also served as a consultant to multiple fertility clinics, oocyte, sperm, and embryo donor agencies and banks, and provides screenings for gestational carriers.
Our Mission
A Letter from Our President
On behalf of all of us at Northeast Assisted Fertility Group, I want to welcome you to our website.
I know that you have found us for a very important reason – because you hope to expand a family or give of yourself to help others realize their dream of having a child. These are highly sensitive – often private – pursuits and they deserve the attention of experienced professionals.
I started Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (NAFG) because I felt that a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to egg donation and surrogacy would be a great benefit to egg donors, donor egg recipients, surrogate mothers, and intended parents alike. The practitioners with whom we are affiliated are all well-established leaders in their respective fields, and represent the very best of the scientific, medical, legal and mental health communities. In addition to an impressive base of knowledge, all have a warm and confident manner and are very approachable.
To function at a high level, a fair amount of selectivity is necessary. We screen our egg donor and gestational carrier candidates extremely carefully and apply stringent protocols to the egg donor requirements and surrogacy evaluation process so that only the most qualified, most likely to succeed egg donors and gestational carriers are accepted into our program. We also spend a considerable amount of time with prospective intended parent(s) – educating them on the egg donor and surrogacy process and addressing their concerns, in order for them to have a full measure of understanding before they decide to start with us. Once a part of our program – either as an egg donor, donor egg recipient, gestational carrier, or intended parent – you can expect conscientious and personal attention from everyone here. My role as president is to ensure that we always provide the best possible experience for you.
I wish you well.
Sanford M. Benardo, Esq.
Co-Founder and President
Mission Statement
Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (NAFG) is committed to creating happy and loving families through egg donation and gestational surrogacy. We are devoted to making these complex processes successful through our requirements of the highest standards, using our multi-faceted, personalized approach featuring extensive egg donor and gestational carrier outreach and screening. By navigating the egg donation and surrogacy journeys with the highest degree of expertise, integrity, and sensitivity, NAFG’s goal is for our clients to have the babies they always wanted, and for our egg donors and surrogates to feel great about their experience.
Couples or singles interested in having a child through donor egg and/or surrogacy, or prospective egg donors and gestational carriers, will find much useful information on this site. For additional information or to discuss your specific concerns, please phone us at 1-800-710-1677, where you can speak to one of our staff directly, or e-mail us at inquiry@assistedfertility.com.
Serving Families Nationwide and Internationally with Egg Donation and Surrogacy
Our main office is located in Greenwich, CT but you do not need to live near one of our locations to work with us. Our egg donors and surrogates come from all over the United States, and donor egg recipients and intended parents can be located anywhere in the world.
Hear From Those Who’ve Trusted Us With Their Journey
Still Have Questions?
Ready to Learn More? Let’s Start the Conversation
Whether you’re applying to become an egg donor or surrogate and want to see if you qualify, or you’re a donor egg recipient or intended parent exploring your family-building options, we’re here to provide knowledgeable guidance, dedicated care, and a truly personalized experience.
Ready to Begin? Let’s Start the Conversation
Whether you’re applying to become an egg donor or surrogate and want to see if you qualify, or you’re a donor egg recipient or intended parent exploring your family-building options, we’re here to provide knowledgeable guidance, dedicated care, and a truly personalized experience, from your first conversation to the final milestone.
