TPCN Leadership

Vincent Edward Friedewald III, Esq.
Executive Director

Vince Friedewald has served as the founding Executive Director of TPCN since May, 2006. Vince graduated cum laude from The University of Houston Law Center (JD) and from The University of Notre Dame (BA). In addition to Austin, Vince has called home to Houston, Honolulu, New York City, and London.

Before moving to Austin to head TPCN, Vince practiced law in Houston, where he specialized in employment litigation and transactions for a major Texas law firm. Earlier, Vince was a professional medical writer, writing continuing medical education programs on behalf of physician experts from prestigious institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Columbia University, and the National Institutes of Public Health.

Leaving the law firm to lead TPCN was a logical step professionally for Vince based on both his legal and medical background. But it was also a logical step personally. His father, a cardiologist, pioneered diagnostic ultrasound during the 1970's, and performed the first real-time ultrasound of the in utero fetus. Dr. Friedewald discovered that the fetal heart beat begins between 4 and five weeks—earlier than previously believed. To Vince, the advances in understanding early pregnancy achieved by his father and others helped inform him at an early age that the unborn child is completely human in its genetic, metabolic, and cellular characteristics at all stages of development, and thus is worthy of protection.

Yet it was Vince's education about expectant mothers that ultimately motivated him to promote abortion alternatives. Before joining TPCN, Vince researched why so many women work to provide alternatives, and why so many seek them out. He was surprised to learn how many women choose abortion not with a free and informed conscience, but rather because of isolation, self-imposed pressure, or outright coercion by family, spouses, or boyfriends. He was convinced that countless women were suffering through a decision they never really wanted to make—nor wouldn't have to—if just one other person were available to listen, support, protect, and educate.

Vince thus joined TPCN with the knowledge that helping build a network of compassionate providers that respond to the needs of pregnant women is not only a decent endeavor, but also a necessary one.

Today, Vince leads TPCN with three primary goals. First, improve the reach and quality of abortion alternatives throughout Texas, so that no woman chooses abortion because she is alone or under pressure. Second, maintain the State of Texas' trust in TPCN as a responsible steward of public funds. Third, educate the public that support for abortion alternatives is progressive and compassionate, requiring no allegiance or opposition to Roe v. Wade, but instead only to serving the needs of women and their families.

Joseph P. Kerwin, M.D.
Chairman, Board of Directors

The Chairman of Texas Pregnancy Care Network's Board of Directors is Dr. Joe Kerwin, a scientist and physician with a distinguished career in innovation and management of high-profile government contracts.

Following seven years of service to the United States Navy as a Naval Flight Surgeon and Naval Aviator, Dr. Kerwin became a scientist-astronaut for NASA in 1965. He flew as Science Pilot on the first Skylab mission, spending a month in space in 1973. After Skylab he served in various NASA management positions, including NASA Representative in Australia and Director of Space and Life Sciences at the Johnson Space Center.

In 1987 he joined Lockheed Martin to manage the Extravehicular Systems Project for Space Station Freedom, and later was a co-inventor of the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue, currently used by space walking astronauts on the International Space Station. In 1994 he led a liaison group for Lockheed's FGB contract, the procurement of the Russian "space tug", which became the first element of the International Space Station.

Dr. Kerwin joined Systems Research Laboratories in 1996 to serve as Program Manager of the team that bid to win the Medical Support and Integration Contract at the Johnson Space Center. The incumbent, KRUG Life Sciences was selected. Shortly thereafter, KRUG recruited Dr. Kerwin to replace its retiring President.

In 1998, KRUG Life Sciences became the Life Sciences Special Business Unit of Wyle Laboratories of El Segundo, California. Dr. Kerwin continued to lead the unit as Senior Vice President of Wyle. In 2003, Wyle was awarded the ten-year, billion dollar Bioastronautics contract by NASA to manage its future medical work in support of human space flight. He managed that program until July, 2004, when he retired.

In addition to his duties at Wyle, Dr. Kerwin most recently served on the Board of Directors of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.

Dr. Kerwin is 76 years old, married, and has three daughters and five grandsons. His work as a Science Pilot for NASA has been featured on nationally broadcast programs on the History Channel. Dr. Kerwin lives in Bryan College Station, Texas.

Other Board of Directors Members:
Joe Wolfskill – Member, Past Chairman
David Uhrbrock, MD – Vice Chairman
Kristine Peters, CPA – Treasurer
Randall Gabrel – Secretary
Kathey Pendleton – Member