Abigail

Marter

Experience

Abigail Marter’s experience brings together leadership, collaboration, clinical care, and research across many different settings. Her career in Navy Medicine and military health research has given her the opportunity to care for patients, guide teams, and help organizations work through complex challenges with clarity and purpose.

United States Naval Medical Research Unit - South

  • Led $65M military infectious disease research program spanning 10 countries
  • Partnered with U.S. Embassy to use social media to highlight organization’s mission
  • Advanced critical facility building plans, regularly communicating with engineers
  • Spearheaded first inclusive corporate climate assessment, driving staff satisfaction
  • Provided steady, compassionate leadership through multiple employee crises
  • Promoted transparency through regular staff town halls and leadership rounds
Captain
Commanding Officer/Chief Executive Officer
2023 – 2024

United States Naval Medical Research Command

  • Coordinated operations for 8 global commands spanning 1,600 staff and $250M budget
  • Overhauled critical directorate to purge toxic behaviors and improve facility security
  • Launched monthly communication across 8 commands for alignment and collaboration
  • Led strategic improvements to workplace culture, fostering recognition and well-being
  • Drove staffing and process improvements, accelerating critical responsiveness
  • Oversaw an 83% increase in employee engagement on corporate climate assessment
Captain
Deputy Commander/Chief Operating Officer
2021 – 2023

United States Navy Medicine Readiness & Training Command

  • Provided executive leadership for a 150-person directorate with $10M budget
  • Oversaw graduate education for 25 nationally accredited medical and dental programs
  • Led the Navy’s largest Institutional Review Board, managing over 300 active protocols
  • Supervised training that delivered essential clinical education to 20K students annually
  • Championed excellence by launching directorate-wide staff recognition programs
  • Directed critical COVID-19 actions by training additional nurses for inpatient surges
Captain
Associate Director for Professional Education
2020 – 2021

Naval Medical Center San Diego & Naval Health Research Center

  • Provided strategic guidance to clinical and research organizations, driving collaborations
  • Led strategies that enhanced hospital staff performance and communication efficiency
  • Coordinated multidisciplinary scientific teams with $10M budget for large-scale research
  • Developed and led high-impact sessions at military’s largest health research conference
  • Proactively secured funding to build staff expertise in mixed methods research
  • Built strategic partnerships with top-tier institutions such as NIH, Johns Hopkins and NYU
Commander
Executive Liaison
2015 – 2020

Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory

  • Provided medical expertise as member of Executive Steering Council
  • Clinical leader and medical advisor for diverse research organization
  • Trained military medical teams in advanced and basic Life Support
  • Strengthened safeguards for high-risk research in undersea environments
  • Concurrently delivered primary care as a Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Stood up a Research Safety Review Board for diving research
Captain
Senior Nurse Executive
2024 – 2026

Education, Licenses & Certifications

Abigail’s education and certifications reflect her long-standing commitment to nursing, patient care, and leadership. She earned her Ph.D in Nursing from the University of Virginia, a Master of Science in Nursing from Rush University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Rochester. She is also a nationally board-certified Advanced Nurse Executive and Family Nurse Practitioner. 

Healthcare Finance for Nurse Executives
AONL
Advanced Nurse Executive
ANCC
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing
University of Virginia
Master of Science (MS) in Nursing
Rush University
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing
University of Rochester
Board Certified Nurse Practitioner
AANP National Board Certification (current)
Licensed Nurse Practitioner
District of Columbia & Rhode Island Board of Nursing (current)
Registered Nurse
District of Columbia, California & Rhode Island (current)
Advanced Life Support Instructor
American Red Cross
Basic Life Support Instructor
American Red Cross

Endorsements

Hear from the people who’ve worked with Abigail.

Philosophy

Abigail’s leadership philosophy centers on integrity, teamwork, and purpose.

Connections

See professional connections that support Abigail’s work.