ACNM Elections
Create the change you want to see. Your vote is your voice.
Actively choose ACNM’s future leadership by voting in the 2026 ACNM election and encouraging your fellow members to cast their ballots as well. Through your vote, not only do you help determine the direction for the College, choose priorities, and promote the values you care about; you set in motion, those who will help you build a bright future for ACNM.
Election Timeline:
October 24, 2025: Applications Open
December 1, 2025: Deadline to submit applications
Slate announced to membership: January 2nd, 2026
Voting period: January 16th, 2026- March 1st 2026,
ACNM 2026 Election Cycle - Open Positions
- Vice President (one seat, three year term)
- Region IV (one seat, three-year term)
- Region VI (one seat, three year term)
- Region VII (one seat, three year term)
- Nominating Committee Members (three seats, three-year term)
Online Voting: Begins January 16, 2026 - March 1, 2026
To cast your vote:
Go to https://www.directvote.net/ACNM/ and LOG IN using your unique election credentials, including Member Number and Election Passcode. You will receive an email from Survey & Ballot Systems with these credentials.
If you did not receive your electronic ballot, please email customer service at [email protected] or call 952-974-2339. Customer service is available Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, USA, excluding holidays.
Per the ACNM Bylaws, only Active members are permitted to vote in ACNM elections. Associate members may not vote.
For more information contact: Kim Amsley-Camp, Nominating Committee Chair via email at: [email protected] using the subject line: Call for Nominations.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors ensures ACNM’s well-being by collectively directing, advocating and investing in ACNM’s affairs, while meeting appropriate interests of ACNM stakeholders. Through the duty of care, each board member has a legal responsibility to participate actively in making decisions on behalf of ACNM and to exercise his or her best judgment while doing so. Under duty of loyalty, each board member must put the interests of ACNM before their personal and professional interests when acting on behalf of the organization in a decision-making capacity. Through duty of obedience, board members bear the legal responsibility of ensuring that ACNM complies with the applicable federal, state, and local laws and adheres to its mission.
Vice President:
- Core Responsibilities
- Coordinate quarterly meetings of the Volunteer Leadership Council (VLC)
- Oversee the national awards process, including intake, review, and coordination
- Facilitate the annual ACNM Awards Ceremony
- Serve as liaison to the Fellows Board of Governors (FACNM)
- Maintain compliance with bylaws related to volunteer structure and leadership
- Participates in Executive Team and Board of Directors meetings, frequency varies
- Liaison Responsibilities
- Volunteer Leadership Council (VLC): meets quarterly (1–2 hours)
- Fellows Board of Governors (FACNM): meets quarterly (1 hour)
- Awards Committee: active during the annual 3-month intake and review period
Tenure of Appointment:
All voting members of the Board shall be elected to serve a term of three (3) years. *NOTE: The term of the President-Elect is three (3) years; one (1) year as President-Elect and two (2) years as President. Each member shall serve until a successor is elected and assumes office. Each of the Regions is expected to elect a Regional Representative, who shall adhere to all terms concerning members of the Board. Members of the Board shall take office at the Board meeting following the Annual Business Meeting at which their election is declared. No voting member of the Board shall be eligible to serve more than two (2) consecutive terms, or seven (7) consecutive years, whichever is the longer duration. After two (2) consecutive terms, each Board member, except the President, is eligible again for service on the Board after one (1) year has elapsed from the end of service. The President is limited to one three-year (3) term at a time, one (1) year as President-Elect, and two (2) years as President. After three (3) years have lapsed from the end of service, a former President is eligible to serve as President-Elect/President again for one additional term. The terms of the voting members of the Board shall be staggered to ensure that approximately one-third of the positions expire each year.
Candidates for Vice President
Candidate Name: Amy Nacht, DNP, CNM, MPH, FACNM
Candidate Bio: I am self-nominating myself for the office of Vice President of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. I believe in service to community and to my professional community, and perhaps most importantly believe in being part of positive growth and the build of healthy communication and management systems. Since starting my career as a Certified Nurse-Midwife in 2001, I have not wavered in my commitment to collaborate across midwifery, nursing, public health, and physician communities to promote our profession. It is my sincere goal to make known what a midwife is, what a midwife does, and how our expertise as clinicians, educators, and leaders can be part of bettering the health of families and communities. I started my career in midwifery as I wanted to serve and elevate those whose voice was less heard. This is still my mission every day that I arrive at work and I strive to elevate not only the voices of my patients, but of all of the staff, the learners, and the colleagues I am honored to work with each day. This role would afford me the ability to move this agenda forward raising awareness of our profession and the ACNM mission, providing a voice to all members by listening to what is being said, and collaborating across other professional organizations to strengthen our position in the US healthcare system. With almost 25 years as an ACNM member, volunteer, and strong midwifery advocate, I am prepared to give back to our organization and our members and work diligently to strengthen our profession.
Ballot Question Responses for Vice Presidential Candidate Amy Nacht
Candidate Name: Denise Smith, CNM, PhD
Candidate Bio: I am a nurse-midwife, health systems researcher, and faculty member at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. My current position is divided between clinical practice with University Nurse-Midwives in Aurora, Colorado, teaching, and research. My scholarship focuses on midwifery care models, person-centered maternity care, and health policy, in particular how health system structures and clinical practices shape equity and quality in perinatal care. I have been a midwife for 18 years and am a proud graduate of East Carolina University’s midwifery education program. As a student, I was juggling young children, serving as a military reservist, and supporting my spouse’s military career—all while living 900 miles away from family. My experience reflects what many students entering the profession, as well as practicing midwives, often face: navigating a stage of life filled with multiple, competing demands. Over the past 18 years, I have had the opportunity to live and work across the country and to be part of diverse midwifery communities, for which I am deeply grateful. These experiences have given me a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our profession. I am deeply committed to strengthening midwifery and expanding equitable access to high-quality, person-centered midwifery care nationwide.
Ballot Question Responses for Vice Presidential Candidate Denise Smith
Candidate Name: Pandora Hardtman, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN
Candidate Bio: Dr. Pandora’s career has spanned diverse roles, including Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, homebirth practitioner, and clinical professor at high-volume academic service delivery sites. A former Board Member of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), she has also worked for key global health partners such as UNFPA, UKAid/DFID, GIZ, HRH2030, the Clinton Foundation, and EngenderHealth’s Fistula Care Plus, with a focus on strengthening midwifery and maternal-child health services in low-resource and fragile settings. She has provided strategic direction, Clinical and programmatic support to Ministries of Health, and professional bodies at the global, regional, and national levels. Her areas of expertise include regulatory reform, curriculum development, leadership, and workforce capacity-building across the humanitarian-development continuum. Alongside global commitments she continues to attend births—“catchin’ babies”—in socioeconomically and culturally diverse communities across the Southern United States and the Caribbean. She is known to inspire midwives to “push for change past the perineum,” championing systemic transformation in maternal and newborn care.
Ballot Question Responses for Vice Presidential Candidate Pandora Hardtman
Regional Representative, Board of Directors (Regions IV, VI, and VII)
| Region | States/Territories |
|---|---|
| IV | Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio |
| VI | Arizona, Colorado, Indigenous Peoples Affiliate, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming |
| VII | Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Uniformed Services, Samoa, Guam |
The Board of Directors ensures ACNM’s well-being by collectively directing, advocating and investing in ACNM’s affairs, while meeting appropriate interests of ACNM stakeholders. Through the duty of care, each board member has a legal responsibility to participate actively in making decisions on behalf of ACNM and to exercise his or her best judgment while doing so. Under duty of loyalty, each board member must put the interests of ACNM before their personal and professional interests when acting on behalf of the organization in a decision-making capacity. Through duty of obedience, board members bear the legal responsibility of ensuring that ACNM complies with the applicable federal, state, and local laws and adheres to its mission.
As a Board Member:
- Communicate Board charges to divisions and committees.
- Serve as a liaison to selected groups.
- Coordinate with national office staff on work priorities.
- Report on issues related to the work of the volunteer structure, internal and external stakeholders.
- Respond to ACNM members or related constituent inquiries.
- Provide input for documents as requested.
- Represent ACNM to agencies and organizations external to ACNM related to the work of ACNM.
As a Regional Representative:
- Maintain regular contact with their local members to assess the needs of local members and to consider the good of the organization in all their votes; report quarterly to ACNM Board serve as liaisons to ACNM Divisions, Committees and collegial organizations.
- Conduct a regional meeting during the ACNM Annual Meeting and may attend/organize other meetings throughout their region.
- Contribute to Quickening, present the Exemplary Affiliate Award, coordinate the "With women, for a lifetime" commendation and communicate on a regular basis with members of their region.
- Adhere to all terms concerning members of the Board.
Tenure of Appointment:
All voting members of the Board shall be elected to serve a term of three (3) years. *NOTE: The term of the President-Elect is three (3) years; one (1) year as President-Elect and two (2) years as President. Each member shall serve until a successor is elected and assumes office. Each of the Regions is expected to elect a Regional Representative, who shall adhere to all terms concerning members of the Board. Members of the Board shall take office at the Board meeting following the Annual Business Meeting at which their election is declared. No voting member of the Board shall be eligible to serve more than two (2) consecutive terms, or seven (7) consecutive years, whichever is the longer duration. After two (2) consecutive terms, each Board member, except the President, is eligible again for service on the Board after one (1) year has elapsed from the end of service. The President is limited to one three-year (3) term at a time, one (1) year as President-Elect, and two (2) years as President. After three (3) years have lapsed from the end of service, a former President is eligible to serve as President-Elect/President again for one additional term. The terms of the voting members of the Board shall be staggered to ensure that approximately one-third of the positions expire each year.
Candidates for Region IV
Candidate Name: Lucia Jenkusky, DNP, APRN-CNM, EFM-C, FACNM
Candidate Bio: Lucia Jenkusky is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Practice and Specialty Track Director for the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Midwifery programs at The Ohio State University. Dr. Jenkusky is a Fellow of the American College of Nurse Midwives (FACNM), dedicating over 25 years to advancing midwifery education, clinical practice, and leadership.
Lucia earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from The Ohio State University and her Master’s in Midwifery from Stony Brook University. She has extensive clinical experience, currently serving as Director of Women’s Health Services and Certified Nurse Midwife at Ohio State University Total Health Care Center, a FQHC in Columbus, Ohio. Her work emphasizes equitable, evidencebased care for diverse populations in underserved communities.
Nationally, Lucia has been an active ACNM member since 1997, serving on the Committee for the Advancement of Midwifery Education, Council of Fellows, and the Perinatal Mental Health Taskforce. She is the immediate past-chair of the Directors of Midwifery Education (DOME) in 2023–2024 and previously served in DOME as secretary. She has contributed to ACNM through mentoring programs and preceptor development. Lucia is the president-elect of the Ohio Affiliate, has been a member of the board of directors since 2023. She is a member of the Ohio ACNM Forward conference planning committee.
Lucia’s scholarship includes publications on maternal mental health and diagnostic evaluation, and she has presented nationally on topics such as perinatal mood disorders and intercultural competence. She is a peer reviewer for Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health and Women’s Healthcare: A Clinical Journal for NPs.
Committed to service and collaboration, Lucia brings a strong voice for education, advocacy, and inclusivity. As Region 4 Representative, she aims to strengthen member engagement, support midwifery education, and advance policies that promote access to high-quality reproductive health care.
Ballot Question Responses for Region IV Representative Candidate Lucia Jenkusky
Candidate Name: Shalyn Calaway, DNP, APRN, CNM
Candidate Bio: Hi all – I’m Shalyn Calaway. I am excited to be a candidate for ACNM’s Region IV Representative. I currently reside in Little Rock, Arkansas and practice at UAMS. I am a mom of three littles (Steele, Stella, and Stallings) and a wife to Sean. I am a survivor/walking miracle of Guillain-barré Syndrome.
Ballot Question Responses for Region IV Representative Candidate Shalyn Calaway
Candidates for Region VI Representative
Candidate Name: Cathleen Hewlett-Masser, DNP, CNM, IBCLC, FACNM
Candidate Bio: Dr. Cathleen Hewlett-Masser, DNP, CNM, IBCLC, FACNM is a Clinical Educator, Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico, College of Nursing since 2024, where she currently serves as the UNM Nurse-Midwifery Program coordinator. She also serves within the Doctor of Nursing core curriculum, mentoring learners through their DNP project courses. Her scholarship includes developing innovative clinical learning tools to maximize skill development for midwifery learners. She practices clinically as a Certified NurseMidwife with the Midwifery team at Women’s Specialists of New Mexico, specializing in midwifery care for all who seek it. She is an advocate for reproductive justice, recognizing the role of psychological safety in comprehensive reproductive health care. Dr. HewlettMasser also advocates for the value of midwifery care in improving maternal-child outcomes and increasing access to care. Her policy priorities include securing independent licensure at the National level while protecting independent licensure in New Mexico. She currently serves as Co-president of the New Mexico Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and as a member of the New Mexico Department of Health Nurse-Midwifery Advisory Council. Hewlett-Masser earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Science in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University. Her doctoral project centered on expanding access to effective perinatal depression care.
Ballot Question Responses for Region VI Representative Candidate Cathleen Hewlett
Candidate Name: Jessica Ellis, CNM, PHD, FACNM
Candidate Bio: Jessica A. Ellis, CNM, PHD, FACNM, is an Associate Professor (Clinical) at the University of Utah and a practicing midwife. She currently serves as the Region VI Representative on the ACNM Board of Directors and is seeking a second term because she values the relationships, shared problem-solving, and sense of community she has built with members across the region which includes Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and the Indigenous Peoples Affiliate.
During her first term, Jessica focused on strengthening communication and creating more reliable pathways for members to stay connected to ACNM leadership. She provided regular regional updates, supported affiliates during transitions, and worked to ensure that diverse perspectives—from large affiliates to midwives practicing in smaller or frontier-serving settings—were represented in Board discussions. Her leadership style is grounded in transparency, and respect for the unique strengths within each part of the region.
Jessica has been an active ACNM leader for many years. She previously served as President of the Utah Affiliate and chaired the Clinical Practice & Documents Committee. She has contributed to national guidelines, the ACNM Leadership Competencies, and reviews manuscripts for the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. In her academic role, she directs a nurse-midwifery program, leads accreditation efforts, and mentors emerging midwifery educators. Clinically, Jessica practices midwifery with interests in physiologic birth, induction of labor, ultrasound education, and care for medically complex populations. Her scholarship focuses on clinical education, and models of care that support both midwives and families.
Jessica is committed to helping Region VI feel connected, supported, and represented. Her goal for a second term is to continue strengthening communication, building partnerships, and ensuring that every member—no matter their setting—has a voice in shaping ACNM’s future.
Ballot Question Responses for Region VI Representative Candidate Jessica Ellis
Candidates for Region VII Representative
Candidate Name: Rebecca Garrett-Brown, BSN, RN, MS, CNM
Candidate Bio: I’m originally from Philadelphia and wanted to be a CNM since a family friend had her baby at Booth Maternity Hospital in 1978. I graduated from Georgetown University in 1986 with my BSN in Nursing and moved to San Diego to work in L&D at UCSD Medical Center, establish my residency, and earn my master’s in nursing/midwifery at UCSF in 1991. I’ve been a member of ACNM since 1991 and was present when the California Nurse-Midwives Association (CNMA) was founded in 1994.
I worked at Naval Medical Center in San Diego for 20 years, helping with 2,000 births and taking care of personnel wives, daughters, and active-duty pregnant patients. I also did home births for 2 years and was involved with the California Association of Licensed Midwives. I’ve also taught student nurse-midwives since 1992 and feel that being a preceptor is one of the most important and rewarding positions I’ve experienced as a CNM.
In 2011, I returned to UC San Diego Health Systems as a Staff CNM. I helped with another 1,000 births at UCSD (in-hospital birth center and traditional L&D rooms) before retiring in 2023. I participated in Benchmarking, Quality Assurance improvement, served as the clinical placement coordinator for SNMs’ UCSD Integration, and was the lead CNM at the La Jolla Branch Clinic. I also taught the Medical Student lecture and participated in Meet the Maternity Team Panels.
I have always been active in my state ACNM affiliate (California Nurse-Midwives Association) and local CNMA chapter. I served as a past president of the CNMA and stay involved with the CNMA’s Legislative Action and Advisory Committee. I’ve received the Region 7 Excellence Award, the Clinical Preceptor Award, and a Daisy Award. I’m married, have one son, and enjoy yoga, walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, photography, and travelling.
Ballot Question Responses for Region VII Representative Candidate Rebecca Garrett
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall oversee and supervise the nomination and election process for members of the Board of Directors (BOD) and members of the Nominating Committee in accord with American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Bylaws. The Nominating Committee shall promulgate policies to ensure that appropriate procedures are in place for the selection and presentation of qualified nominees to the membership. (Article XIII Section A.1.a.) The Nominating Committee is a member committee of the ACNM. The Nominating Committee structure and function can only be changed by amendment to the ACNM Bylaws. (Article XI, Section B)
The Nominating Committee:
- Is comprised of seven members voted by eligible voters.
- Facilitates identification and evaluation of eligible college members to fill vacancies on ACNM Board (i.e. the President Elect).
- No collaboration between the committee and Board currently exists.
- Chairperson must be a member who has served at least one (1) year.
- Members serve a three (3) year term for a total of two (2) consecutive terms.
- Two (2) committee members are elected each year.
- Current Nominating Committee members are not eligible for any open Board position.
General Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee:
- Prior to the Annual Meeting of the membership, the Nominating Committee shall choose the Chairperson from among those members who have served at least 1 year.
- Prepare the Consent to Serve (CTS) documents for candidates.
- Determine the election timeline and deadline to receive Consents to serve and CVs from potential candidates.
- Solicit potential candidates from the membership
- Construct a ballot and questionnaire.
- Maintain confidentiality: Name of all nominees are kept confidential.
Election Process Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee:
- Nominating Committee selects a slate of candidates.
- Nominating Committee chair sends a letter/email of notification of selections and the information regarding necessary submissions and deadlines.
- Nominating Committee chair notifies candidates who are not selected.
- Presentation of candidates to the membership.
- Nominating Committee assists the National Office in completion of candidate.
Candidates for Nominating Committee
Candidate Name: Heidi Radmer, CNM, MSN, RNC
Candidate Bio: My name is Heidi Radmer. I am requesting to join the nominating committee. I am currently an Active Duty CNM, stationed at Ft Wainwright, AK. I have been on active duty for 21 years. I graduated with my Master’s of Nursing in Midwifery in 2011 from the University of Colorado Anschutz campus.I am currently pursuing a DNP in Systems Leadership from Rush University. I am originally from Minnesota, I have lived in Texas, New York, Colorado and Alaska. I feel that I would be a good candidate for this committee as I have worked in a variety of settings providing me with exposure to different leadership styles and qualities in people. My years in the military have provided me with examples and qualities of good leadership that I feel I could apply to serving on this committee.
Ballot Question Responses for Nominating Committee Candidate Heidi Radmer
Candidate Name: Tina Johnson, CNM, MS, FACNM
Candidate Bio: Maria Christina “Tina” Johnson, CNM, MS, FACNM is a nationally recognized midwifery leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning clinical practice, education, health policy, quality improvement, and organizational leadership. She currently serves as the inaugural Director of Midwifery Services at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, where she leads the development of a full-scope, collaborative midwifery practice within an academic health system in partnership with the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Tina Johnson previously served for nine years on the national staff of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), as Director of Midwifery Practice, Education, and Global Outreach. In this role, she provided national leadership on midwifery practice standards, workforce development, health policy, patient safety, and global midwifery capacity building. She also directed ACNM’s work with the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) and represented midwifery on multiple national advisory and steering committees focused on maternal safety, interprofessional collaboration, and health systems transformation. Her career includes extensive experience as a midwifery service director in hospital-based and community settings, academic faculty appointments, international consulting, medicolegal review, and a strong record of scholarship and national and international presentations. A Fellow of ACNM, Tina is deeply committed to mentorship, inclusive leadership development, and strengthening the profession through transparent, values-driven governance. She brings to a national nominating committee a seasoned perspective on leadership selection, organizational needs, and the importance of cultivating diverse, mission-aligned leaders prepared to serve the future of midwifery.
Ballot Question Responses for Nominating Committee Candidate Tina Johnson