Volunteers
Volunteering is one way to make a real difference! From helping your local community to bettering conditions across the globe, you can positively impact people by offering your time and creativity to ACNM's cause. Gain new experiences and insights, make meaningful connections, and build essential career skills by giving back to others!
Contact ACNM volunteers by logging into the member directory.
Check out our open volunteer opportunities.
Download Volunteer Chart
Download 2022 - 2023 ACNM Governance Handbook - Dec 12. 2019 - revised 6.6.2022.pdf
One unique aspect of the American College of Nurse-Midwives is its vast array of opportunities and positions available to all potential volunteers. Much of the organization's successes and victories derive from the efforts of volunteers who span across the United States.
ACNM encourages our members to find an area that aligns with their interests and talents below:
Board Committees
Executive Committee
Chair: Jessica Brumley
- Comprises the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, President-Elect, and one other voting member of the Board
- Performs duties delegated by the Board and may act on behalf of the Board between meetings, as consistent with the Bylaws
Awards Committee
Chair: Alexis Dunn Amore
- Coordinates and oversees the management of the ACNM awards
- Responds to charges from the Board meetings, as specified in the Charge Book
Finance and Audit Committee
Chair: Susan DeJoy
- Carries out financial oversight for the College
- Recommends policy and guidelines concerning financial matters to the Board
Board Governance Committee
Chair: Nikia Grayson
- Assists the Board in overseeing the College’s governance structure, policies, and procedures
- Reviews the overall governance of the College and recommends improvements when necessary to the Board
Personnel Committee
Chair: Kathleen Lavery
- Advises the Board on matters pertaining to personnel, administration, staffing, and benefits
Regional Representatives I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII
Regions:
I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII |
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New York Rhode Island Vermont Puerto Rico | Washington, DC. Maryland New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia International addresses | Alabama Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee | Arkansas Illinois Indiana Kentucky Michigan Missouri Ohio | Iowa Kansas Minnesota Nebraska North Dakota Oklahoma South Dakota Wisconsin | Arizona Colorado Indian Health Services Montana New Mexico Texas Utah Wyoming | Alaska California Hawaii Idaho Nevada Oregon Washington Uniformed Services Samoa Guam |
Region I Representative: Julie Knutson
Region II Representative: Emily McGahey
Region III Representative: Nikia Grayson
Region IV Representative: Kathleen Lavery
Region V Representative: Carrie Neerland
Region VI Representative: Jessica Ellis
Region VII Representative: Theresa Coley-Kouadio
Other Committees
Nominating Committee
Chair: Carol Blues Kimberly Amsley-Camp
- Comprised of seven members
- Facilitates identification and evaluation of eligible college members to fill vacancies on ACNM Board
Council of Fellows
- Comprised of ACNM members who have been granted the Fellow of ACNM (FACNM) designation and is a component of the Board
- Serves as a general resource to ACNM and the profession of midwifery in a consultative and advisory capacity
- Reflects the commitment of the ACNM to honor the breadth of expertise and collective wisdom among midwives represented within the Board of Fellows
Volunteer Leadership Council (VLC)
Chair: Alexis Dunn Amore
- Provides a forum for communication and coordination among ACNM Divisions to promote transparency and synergy within the volunteer structure and to facilitate coordination with the Board and the national office
- Comprised of chairs of the ACNM Divisions and a representative from the Nominating Committee, and chaired by the Vice President
Divisions & Committees
Division of Advocacy and Affiliate Support enables a legislative and public policy environment that supports the unencumbered practice of midwifery by CNMs and CMs to the full extent of their education, training, and experience; increases consumer awareness, understanding, and use of midwifery and midwives; and strengthens and supports ACNM’s state affiliates.
Chair: Zoe Gutterman
Affiliate Development and Support Committee (ADS)
Chair: Linda George
- Directly develops and provides ACNM state Affiliate leaders with the resources (via access to current and pertinent materials: toolkits, training, mentoring, websites, etc.) needed to create and manage dynamic, thriving Affiliates
- Assists Affiliate leaders in effectively governing and managing State Affiliates
- Increases diversity within the membership and leadership of Affiliates
- Increases general Affiliate member numbers, engagement, and satisfaction
- Strengthens statewide communications, supporting structures, and networking
- Maintains open and dynamic linkages with regional and national structures; facilitates student engagement at the Affiliate level
- Provides professional development opportunities for members; plans and implements the Affiliate Workshop at the Annual Meeting
- Coordinates within the DAAS to ensure advocacy and consumer engagement agendas are implemented at the Affiliate level
Committee of Midwife Advocates for Certified Midwives (C-MAC)
Chair: Marian Seliquini
- Supports full and equitable national and state recognition of the CM, state licensure of CMs with unencumbered practice to the full extent of their education, training, experience, and ACNM membership; advocates for state legislation directed towards licensure and full practice authority for CMs
- Educates the membership about CMs; increases midwifery student population by promoting multiple pathways to midwifery education
- Lobbies for the CM role in federal and state initiatives related to provision of midwifery care; develops advocacy strategies during Annual Meeting
- Coordinates activities within the DAAS and with the federal lobbyist and ACNM Director of Government Affairs
Consumer Engagement Committee (CEC)
Chair: Chris Kocis
- Provides recommendations and expertise to the ACNM Board, affiliate leadership, and members related to increasing consumer engagement in midwifery
- Identifies consumers as they relate to the profession of midwifery
- Determines barriers restricting access to midwifery care and develops strategies to overcome these barriers to improve the health and well-being of women and their families
- Educates targeted organizations that engage adolescent women and women beyond childbearing years about the benefits of midwifery care
- Develops and establishes strategies that will enhance the engagement of consumers in services offering the midwifery model of care
National Government Affairs Committee (NGAC)
Chair: Lexi Garbus
- Identifies and prioritizes legislative, advocacy, and public policy issues and opportunities that relate to midwifery and maternal health at the national level and supports identification and implementation of ACNM’s advocacy agenda
- Serves as a forum for policy coordination among the Divisions as well as mobilization of grassroots efforts by ACNM's membership, ensuring that the College’s direct federal political action is both enthusiastic and effective
- Recruits and supports state legislative contacts to mobilize affiliate leadership that will effectively support the national advocacy agenda; initiates and coordinates federal grassroots efforts
- Targets specific legislators through their constituents in the states
- Coordinates activities within the DAAS and with federal lobbyists and the ACNM Director of Government Affairs
- Supports planning and implementation of advocacy activities at the Annual Meeting
Political Action Committee (PAC)
Chair: Claire Harper
- Provides financial support of ACNM’s federal advocacy and legislative agenda
- Conducts fundraising activities within ACNM; oversees distribution of PAC funds to federal legislative campaigns
- Educates members about the political process; coordinates activities within the DAAS, and with the ACNM federal lobbyists and the ACNM Director of Government Affairs
- Supports planning and implementation of advocacy activities at the Annual Meeting
State Government Affairs Committee (SGAC)
Chair: Julie Blumenfeld
- Supports state affiliates to conduct state legislative and advocacy work
- Develops relationships with state affiliate and legislative leaders
- Coordinates activities within the DAAS and with the ACNM Director of Government Affairs
- Supports planning and implementation of advocacy activities at the Annual Meeting
Division of Membership and Publications provides overall direction and facilitates the ACNM Membership and Publications functions by working with the chairs and members of the following committees: Clinical Standards and Documents, Diversity and Inclusion, Membership and Marketing, Midwives of Color, Publications, and Students and New Midwives.
Chair: Miri Levi
Clinical Standards and Documents Committee (CSDC)
Chair: Kari Radoff
- Develops clinical practice standards and documents; conducts regular review and revision of clinical practice standards and documents
- Identifies and collaborates with other organizations that provide women’s health and primary care
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee (DEIB)
Chair: Angy Nixon
- Establishes and coordinates the functioning of Bias Incident Transparency and Healing (BIRTH) Team, an on-call D&I volunteer team offering rapid response to bias incidents in real time during ACNM Annual Meetings
- Assists ACNM in developed policy pertaining to D&I issues
- Facilitates communication [shared language], data collection, and analysis concerning D&I issues within ACNM
Membership and Marketing Committee (M&M)
Chair: Melanie Cabezas Phipps
- Seeks opportunities to enhance the overall member experience
- Establishes membership priorities and set goals for membership expansion
- Collaborates with other committees when input is needed about membership, membership recruitment and retention, and in marketing the value of membership to midwives
Midwives of Color Committee (MOCC)
Chair: Carolyn Curtis
- Recruits, retains, and supports the advancement of persons of diverse ethnic/cultural backgrounds to the profession of midwifery
- Provides educational information to the ACNM membership that promotes respect for cultural variations
- Acts as a resource to ACNM leadership to promote and increase equity for midwives and students of color in ACNM
- Aims to reduce inequities and disparities in maternal child health through the midwifery profession
Publications Committee (PC)
Chair: Eva Fried
- Identifies content gaps or topics worthy of publishing, evaluates and prioritizes proposed projects, and helps maintain an annual publishing schedule
- Monitors the publishing environment, stays abreast of industry publications, and dialogues with fellow members to generate recommendations on topics for ACNM publications
- Reviews annual sales reports to make recommendations on the retirement and revision of publications
- Makes recommendations for streamlining publications’ operations and marketing and enhancing the value of ACNM publications to members
Students and New Midwives Committee (SANMC)
Co-Chairs: Erin Morelli and Denise Gonzalez
- Eases the transition from student to new midwife during the first five (5) years of practice via online/virtual support, publications, mentorship program, liaisons to educational programs, and in-person events at the Annual Meeting
Division of Organizational Capacity promotes the recognition of ACNM's role as a leader in women’s health, reproductive health, and midwifery and ensures ACNM has the resources necessary to support a high functioning organization. The Division also provides internal resources to the ACNM volunteer structure to ensure volunteers can carry out ACNM strategic goals and initiatives.
Chair: Danielle Molinar
History & Archives Committee
Chair: Winifred Connerton
- Coordinates between the Board and the National Library of Medicine in the maintenance of the College’s archives
- Organizes the recording of the midwifery profession’s historical narrative including the oral histories of ACNM members
- Maintains a list of midwifery history sources; works with the affiliates to help preserve midwifery history at the local level
Bylaws Committee (BC)
Chair: Alexandra Michel
- Reviews and makes recommendations to proposed changes to ACNM and ACNM affiliate Bylaws and to Standing Rules of Procedure (SROPs) within the volunteer structure
Ethics Committee (EC)
Chair: Stephanie Tillman
- Upholds ACNM’s responsiveness to the ethical dimensions of the midwifery profession
Leadership Development Committee (LDC)
Chair: Denise Smith
- Provides expertise and advice to the College as it relates to the development of volunteer leaders
- Develops and executes orientation plans for new volunteer leaders
- Aims to maintain a diverse and inclusive leadership team comprised of representatives of differing ethnic, cultural, and gender backgrounds
Division of Global Engagement promotes the interests and expertise of ACNM members across the world. The Division actively promotes the understanding of the reciprocal benefits of working with diverse communities on a global level through the exchange of information and by increasing knowledge about midwifery. The ACNM DGE comprises of active and involved ACNM member volunteers who, as global citizens, encourage the diffusion of midwifery expertise to improve both midwifery workforce capacity and the quality of health care systems for women and their families worldwide.
In partnership with ACNM, the DGE also offers venues for sharing global health and midwifery information, and extensive research used to expand the number of ACNM members participating in global projects. DGE is active in the intercontinental exchange of information and provides the necessary support to international midwives who wish to attend the Annual Meeting.
DGE further maintains effective and up-to-date communications to engage, educate, and connect ACNM members interested in global midwifery through networking, research, education, communication, and guidance on global health competencies.
Chair: Christina Marea
Education Committee (EC)
Chair: Nicole Warren
- Aids in enabling personalized learning for ACNM members interested in global health professions
- Shares educational resources with groups or organizations working in global health
- Works to improve outcomes for women and their families through midwives who appreciate the value of a culturally respectful practice
Networking Committee (NC)
Chair: Katie Millar
- Facilitates communication among ACNM members through networking events and sharing of resources to establish individual group and organizational connections that foster their personal development in and knowledge of global and refugee health
- Shares and promotes best practices for ACNM members working in global and refugee health
Program Planning Committee (PPC)
Chair: Mara Evans
- Organizes and hosts the DGE Reception & Silent Auction for ACNM members and guests at the ACNM Annual Meeting
- Organizes other global health content for ACNM meetings
- Leads and coordinates DGE-supported fundraising for the Bonnie Westenberg Pedersen International Midwife Award
- Participates in the recruitment, selection, and hosting of the Pedersen awardee.
Division of Advancement of Midwifery
Chair: Suzan Ulrich
The Practice Advancement Sub-Division strengthens the profession of midwifery in the United States by assisting midwives in establishing Boards of Midwifery, supporting midwifery as a distinct profession embracing diverse backgrounds, and encouraging more individuals to attain CNM/CM credentials.
Business Committee (BC)
Chair: Carla Morrow
- Provides expertise and advice to ACNM on business issues that impact midwifery
- Supplies expertise and representation on the Midwifery Works Planning Committee as well as the Annual Meeting’s business track
- Monitors and responds to business related inquiries posted by members on ACNM Connect
- Reviews and revises the Getting Paid manual as needed
- Identifies potential business experts to serve as advisors on behalf of ACNM
Clinical Practice & Health Care Systems Committee
Chair: Kimberly Trout
- Communicating the value of midwifery-led care to those who are in a position to create change and make the midwifery model of care more accessible in hospitals in the US.
* Ultrasound Education Subcommittee (A Subcommittee of Clinical Practice & Health Care Systems Committee)
Chair: Kristen Ostrem
- Develops didactic and clinical ultrasound education opportunities for midwives
- Facilitates coordination between the Board and membership from national organizations that include midwifery providers with the distinct scope of ultrasound use for midwifery practice, for the purpose of developing standards of practice
Home and Birth Center Committee (HBCC)
Chair: Paula Halaby
- Identifies, develops, and updates the ACNM educational and professional resources (Evidence-based Practice (EBP) guidelines, handbook, sample documents, literature, suggested curricula, and data collection tools) specific to home birth and birth center standards and practice
- Monitors national and state issues and social trends related to Home and Birth Center standards
- Represents ACNM among other home birth and birth center midwifery organizations
- Supports ACNM staff in providing consultations and referrals and/or resources to CNMs/CMs
- Provides a professional forum, consulting, mentoring and referral service
Professional Liability Committee (PLC)
Chair: Erin Farah
- Monitors matters related to midwifery liability, malpractice insurance, and litigation
- Conducts the National Midwives and Liability Survey every 5 years
- Contributes liability related education and resources to membership
Quality and Safety Committee (QSC)
Chair: Cathy Emeis
- Works to advance, support, and showcase the high-quality midwifery care practiced by ACNM members
- Collaborates with ACNM to facilitate ACNM representation or input on inter-professional committees and task forces that aim to improve the quality and safety of maternal, neonatal, and women’s health care
- Oversees the Benchmarking Project, an annual submission of selected metrics to showcase midwifery processes
Education Advancement Subdivision establishes and updates educational resources for student midwives, determining the activities that classify competency in midwifery and developing criteria that allow an individual to demonstrate such competency. The Subdivision furthermore delineates and implements the process for practicing midwives to remain up-to-date in skills and information.
Clinical and Academic Educators Committee (CAEC)
Chair: Amy Nacht
- Supports professional development, encourages innovation, and stimulates networking among midwifery educators, medical students, residents, and nursing, and midwifery students
Committee for Advancement of Midwifery Education (CAME)
Co-Chairs: Ronnie Litchman, Pat Burqhardt, Mairi Rothman
- Aims to strengthen the education of current, new, and student midwives to increase the number of practicing midwives in the United States
- Supports the work of the Core Competency Subcommittee
Continuing Education Committee (CEC)
Chair: Victoria Burslem
- Reviews all program applications to ACNM for Continuing Education (CE), including the ACNM Annual Meeting, Midwifery Works, and Journal for Midwifery and Women’s Health
Program Committee (PC)
Co-Chair: Happy Barnes
Co-Chair: Mary Kay Miller
- Plans, coordinates, and evaluates the educational content of the ACNM Annual Meeting
- Conducts the Annual Business Meeting, which involves the collaborative efforts of the Board, ACNM staff, contracted meeting partners, committee members, and vendors
Division of Research advances the profession of midwifery by promoting the development, dissemination, and implementation of research. DOR coordinates research activities within ACNM, as well as with other national and international midwifery research organizations.
The DOR aspires to indoctrinate a continuously evolving midwifery research agenda that reflects pertinent and contemporary strategic priorities. DOR members conduct research that addresses the direct needs of the profession and also encourages, facilitates, and coordinates the research of others.
The Division further nurtures the research interests and abilities of ACNM members, fostering communication among midwifery researchers, clinicians, the media, policymakers, health planners, and funders. The DOR advises the ACNM about research issues including membership surveys, research priorities, and evaluation of research proposals that require ACNM endorsement or support.
Chair: Elise Erickson
Data and Information Management Committee (DIMC)
Chair: Ellen Tilden
- Encourages the systematic collection of data for midwifery practice and education; assists with the ACNM membership data collection
- Continues the development and refinement of data collection about midwifery practice and education, including the use of minimum data sets
- Supports the use of technology in the collection of midwifery data by members
- Encourages the development of Practice Based Research Networks (PBRN).
- Serves as advisors to the Membership Survey (annually and as needed)
Global Research Committee (GRC)
Chair: Nicole Warren
- Communicates relevant information of the DGE to the DOR
- Solicits and reviews global health abstracts for the ACNM Annual Meeting
- Coordinates review and selection of Global Health Research Award recipients in coordination with DOR
Research Networking Committee (RNC)
Chair: Karen Robinson
- Maintains the DOR membership and leadership roster
- Plans and facilitates networking opportunities for researchers and ACNM members interested in research
Research Dissemination Committee (RDC)
Co-Chairs: Jenna Loguidice and Gina Novick
- Promotes the maintenance of a research culture within the ACNM
- Coordinates Division of Research activities at the Annual Meeting, including abstract review and judging
- Supports specific activities to assist members to use research and evidence-based care in clinical practice
- Serves as liaison for the Program Committee; promotes and facilitates research presentations and posters at the ACNM Annual Meeting
Research Survey Committee (RSC)
Chair: Karen Trister Grace
- Reviews all requests from researchers and marketers who wish to use ACNM members as participants in their research
Workforce Committee (WC)
Chair: Kate Woeber
- Fosters data collection and supports state and national policy dialogue on the CNM/CM workforce
Task Forces
Task Forces are ACNM member groups established to accomplish very specific and defined activities or projects under the auspices of a specific committee. These groups generally report directly to their respective overseeing committee.
Gender Equity Task Force
Chair: Jennifer Demma
- Investigates simulation, didactic material, clinical experiences, and areas for curricular sharing that can be incorporated into student midwives’ and obstetrical residents’ educations
Perinatal Mental Health Task Force
Chair: Sara Gilbe
- Addresses issues related to perinatal mental health that can negatively impact childbearing women and their families
Bullying in Midwifery Task Force
Chairs: Anna Hanson and Letitia Sullivan
- Addresses issues and develops solutions related to bullying in ACNM and the Midwifery industry as a whole
Rasicm in Midwifery Education Task Force
Chairs: Jessica Anderson, Nichole Wardlaw, Bridget Howard, and Cara Krulewitch
- Investigate issues related to implicit and explicit bias within midwifery education and develop a toolkit to address these issues.
Caucuses
Caucuses aim to provide fellowship, support, and networking opportunities on topics related to the practice of midwifery.
Black Midwives for Reproductive Justice and Birth Equity
Chair: Michelle Drew
- The ACNM Caucus of Black Midwives for Reproductive Justice and Birth Equity is the collective space for Black midwives and student midwives working to achieve justice and equity for Black women and people capable of pregnancy and Black people in the current and future midwifery workforce to work collaboratively to advance local, state, and national policy and action that achieve those goals. We operate under the principles of Sankofa, honoring the elders and ancestors that have cared for our communities and working to rebuild the Black midwifery workforce, and Ubuntu, collective work and interdependence on one another to uplift, honor and advance the critical importance of the Black midwife as a central figure in health knowledge and caring in Black communities.
Disaster Preparedness and Response Caucus
Chairs: Karen Hays & Robert Prepas
- Supports ACNM members’ desire to participate in disaster preparedness and response activities by assuring professionalism, coordination, and accountability
Friends of Midwives of Color Committee and Ethnic Diversity Caucus
Chair: Vacant
- Promotes and increases ethnic diversity among midwives
- Assists the Midwives of Color Committee
Medical Education Caucus
Chair: Leilani Mason
- Promotes the role of midwives in the field through medical education that encourages normal pregnancy and birth in a woman-centered philosophy.
Midwifery Business Network Caucus
Chair: Christie Bryant
- Examines the business needs of the ACNM membership
Midwifery History Caucus
Chair: Karen McGee
- This History Caucus is a forum open to members of all ages who are passionate about collecting and archiving the stories of our esteemed midwife predecessors (65+) and keeping senior midwives involved in ACNM.
- Our interviews are archived, and are available to all, at the Frontier Nursing University Library: Frontier.libguides.com/digitaldepot
- Click here to download Guidelines for Interview.
- Click here to submit your application for membership.
Midwives in Support of Life Caucus
Chair: Vacant
- Serves as a forum to exchange information on delivering better access to care for mothers and their newborns while also providing resources to promote how midwife-led care reduces or eliminates the need for interventions, decreases infant mortality rates, and lowers rates of cesarean birth
Midwives Teaching Nurses Caucus
Chair: Erin Morelli
- Shares best practices, recommended texts, and other teaching tips for midwives who instruct undergraduate nurses
- Presents at the Annual Meeting, highlighting the importance of the professional role of midwives
Native American Caucus
- Serves as a resource for members interested in the work of midwives in Indian Country or Alaska, or in the health and well-being of Native American women and mothers
Public Health Caucus
- Serves as a forum for midwives with public health backgrounds or relevant interests to connect, exchange ideas, affect policy, and promote the education of the general membership on issues including interpersonal violence, STD screening/treatment, care of the HIV-infected woman, and other diverse public health topics
Reproductive Health and Abortion Caucus
Chair: Amy Levi
- Aims to advocate on individuals’ complete autonomy over their reproductive health and the vital role access to comprehensive reproductive and sexual health plays in reducing health and economic disparities
- Serves as a resource to support ACNM midwife members in advocating to keep abortion access unconditionally safe and legal
Midwives for Universal Health Care Caucus
Chair: Keely Robinson
- Promotes through education, advocacy, and community engagement, the need for high-quality universal health care that results in improved health outcomes and where midwifery is integral to the care of women