Our Leadership: Laura Kowal

Laura Kowal serves as President, Delaware Valley, and is a member of Nemours Children’s Executive Cabinet, reporting to the enterprise Chief Operating Officer. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Laura joined Nemours in 2014.

With 12 years of distinguished service at Nemours, Laura has held senior leadership roles of increasing scope and responsibility, most recently as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. Her work has included supporting complex healthcare transactions, business development, operational transformation initiatives, and cross-enterprise integration efforts. 

Prior to joining Nemours, Laura practiced law in the health law group of the Business and Finance practice at Ballard Spahr LLP, an Am Law 100 firm, with a focus on complex corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, as well as fraud, abuse, and regulatory matters. She is a member of the American Health Law Association (AHLA) and assisted in the development of the AHLA Health Law Curriculum Manual.

Laura's operational expertise is grounded in real-world clinical experience. For more than a decade, she worked as a physical therapist and certified wound care specialist in hospital, outpatient, and post-acute care settings, giving her first-hand understanding of patient care delivery and clinical operations.

Laura graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law with a certification in health law. She received a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Drexel University and holds an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in Spanish literature. She is fluent in Spanish.

Laura previously served as a member and Chair of the Board of Directors of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. Laura currently serves on the Board of REACH Riverside, a Purpose-Built Community in Wilmington, Delaware, supporting an integrated model for neighborhood revitalization that centers on mixed income housing, educational opportunity from cradle to college, and community wellness.