Brenda Reseter CNM, MSN

Hello, I'm Brenda, a seasoned professional eager to bring my expertise to the role of Secretary. With a background in leadership, I've cultivated a strong foundation in organizational development and effective communication. Throughout my 33 years of military service, I've held key positions where I've played a crucial role in ensuring transparent communication. This journey has equipped me with a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in fostering community growth. My commitment to transparent communication and streamlined administration is evident in my track record of streamlining administrative practices to reduce redundancy. These initiatives have not only enhanced organizational efficiency but have also contributed to a more connected and engaged community. In the role of Secretary, my focus will be on optimizing communication channels, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the seamless flow of information within our community. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring my skills to this position, contributing to the overall success and cohesion of our organization. I look forward to the prospect of serving as your Secretary, where my dedication to excellence and passion for community development can thrive.

Best Regards,
Brenda RESETER

Brenda Reseter CV 
Brenda Reseter Responses to Questions

Chelsea Gleason MSN

I am Chelsea Gleason, Certified Nurse Midwife. I have been a midwife for 2 years in rural south west Kansas. Prior to that I worked as an RN for 14 years. I am currently in private practice. As an owner, operator, and provider staying organized, keeping notes and creating a record of all the things happening is essential. I grew up in the 4-H program and held the office of secretary, treasurer, vice president, and president for several years during that time. I also am the leader for our local 4-H club and teach the kids how to be a secretary, write minutes, publish those minutes and how to run a meeting if the president and vice president are absent from the meeting. I am a big supporter of the Midwifery profession and advocate locally as much as possible to keep the profession alive. I am the first midwife to have had privileges in our local hospital and now the first one to own their own clinic in our community. I look forward to putting my secretary skills and passion for advocacy to use in a way that can benefit the Midwifery profession.

 Chelsea Gleason CV

Chelsea Gleason Responses to Questions

Susan DeJoy CNM (ret), PhD, FACNM

The Treasurer has oversight and accountability for all ACNM’s financial matters. These fiduciary responsibilities require not only commitment to ACNM and midwifery, but also knowledge and experience in basic business management, budget preparation and accountability, accounting and auditing principles, oversight of investments, and program and project planning. I have this background and am eager to bring my expertise to the ACNM Board. My experience includes:

• 40 years in midwifery leadership in a large academic health system, including fiscal management and accountability for a large, profitable midwifery division of 3 clinical practices and a midwifery education program.

• Appointment to the ACNM Division of Accreditation (now ACME) Governing Board, which included Board responsibility for fiscal solvency.

• Appointment to a large (700 providers) multispecialty group practice Board of Directors whose primary responsibility was fiscal oversight.

• Appointment to 2 terms on the ACNM Foundation Board of Trustees (2016-2022), including 2 terms as Treasurer. During my tenure, I chaired the Finance and Audit Committee, which included developing continuing fiscal education for the Board; oversaw the transition to new accounting and auditing firms that better met the organization’s needs; and led revision of policies and processes for budgeting and fiscal management.

• Grant procurement and management, successful program development, practice marketing, and personnel development and management. While I have retired from my leadership position and full-scope clinical practice, I continue to work as a consultant to large health care organizations starting midwifery clinical services and education programs. I have the time and energy to devote to the role of Treasurer and would focus on bringing a more business-based focus to the Board. I believe in the importance of the ACNM, its mission and its responsibility to improve the health of all the people we care for, and I’m willing to personally invest in the organization’s future success.

Susan DeJoy CV
Susan DeJoy Responses to Questions

Region II Representative Candidates

Emily McGahey DM, MSN, CNM, FACNM

Emily McGahey DM, MSN, CNM, FACNM is the Clinical Director and practices full-scope as a midwife at The Midwife Center in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her midwifery education at the University of New Mexico and her doctoral education at Thomas Jefferson University. She has dedicated her career to advocating for birthing and gynecologic options in the Pittsburgh community. During her time as a midwife, Emily has been active with the Pennsylvania Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (PA-ACNM). She served as President of the Affiliate from 2012 through 2018. She now serves as the Vice President of the Affiliate. Additionally, she serves as the Legislative Committee Co-Chair, assisting PA-ACNM in furthering midwifery through legislation, education, and advocacy. Emily was one of the founding members of PA-ACNM’s Midwifery Forward conference, which has raised over $100,000 for the affiliate. Emily is currently the secretary of the State Government Affairs Committee. She has participated on the Committee for Midwife Advocates of the Certified Midwife, the Workforce Committee, and the Nominating Committee of the national ACNM. Emily withdrew from the Nominating Committee to run for Region II Representative. An advocate for community birthing options, Emily volunteered with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC) from 2013-2015. She has taught for both the master's and doctoral level midwifery programs at Thomas Jefferson University.

Emily McGahey CV

Emily McGahey Responses to Questions

Carrie Neerland PhD, APRN, CNM, FACNM

Carrie Neerland has been a midwife for nearly 2 decades and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Carrie has been actively involved in ACNM since she was a student and has served at multiple levels, from the Minnesota Affiliate to the national level. In the MN Affiliate, Carrie served as Treasurer, Media Chair, Co-President, is a founding member of the MN Committee for Equity and Justice, and helped spearhead the affiliate’s regional interprofessional conference, Optimal Outcomes in Perinatal, Sexual, and Reproductive Health. At the national level, Carrie has served as Chair of the Membership and Marketing Committee, Chair of the Division of Membership and Publications, and most recently as Region V Representative to the Board of Directors where she worked with multiple committees and state affiliates. In addition, Carrie has been a member of the Minnesota state Perinatal Quality Collaborative and served on the Maternal Mortality Review Committee as a case abstractor. Carrie is committed to anti-racism, unifying midwifery in the US, and ACNM’s vision of midwifery for every person and community.

Carrie Neerland CV
Carrie Neerland Responses to Questions

Brielle Stoyke APRN, CNM, IBCLC, PMHNP-BC

Brielle Stoyke graduated from the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing with her master’s degree and became a certified nurse- midwife in 2000. She has practiced in many settings: clinics, hospitals, a birth center, and attended home births with an Amish population. She practiced as a full-scope midwife for fifteen years and another six years in clinic-only. She was vice president for her state affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives for two terms. Brielle participated in the Government Affairs Committee and was a co-chair of the ACNM's 50th anniversary celebration. She held a co-director position in a sizeable CNM practice. She was an expert witness for a law firm on a CNM defendant case. She has been awarded patient satisfaction honors and taught midwifery as an adjunct professor. Brielle enjoyed working on licensing birth centers in Minnesota in 2010 and was a key member in updating the advanced practice registered nurse bill in 2015. She worked as a Certified Nurse-Midwife from 2000-2021. She went back to school for psychiatry when it was clear she wanted to help her patients navigate their mental health. Brielle is a board-certified psychiatric mental
health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) specializing in perinatal mental health. She worked in a Mother-Baby Intensive Outpatient Program with pregnant and postpartum patients. Brielle is married with two teenage girls. She loves boating, group fitness classes, and finding humor in everyday life!

Brielle Stoyke CV
Brielle Stoyke Responses to Questions

Tracy Webber DNP, CNM, MPA, FACNM

In 2000, I underwent a career change earning Nursing (2002) and Midwifery (2003) degrees at the Yale School of Nursing (YSN). I returned to YSN obtaining a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2019. During my career, I became the first midwife to attend births at Pocono Medical Center, then continued my career in Nursing Administration becoming the Director of MCH Nursing and Midwifery at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. In 2018, I relocated to Rochester, NY, where I serve as the Director of the Midwifery Division at the University of Rochester Medical Center and am the first Black midwife at the University Midwifery Group. I have a dual appointment at the Schools of Nursing and Medicine, where I lecture annually about the history of enslaved midwives and Black maternal health, serve as a Diversity Officer within the OBGYN Department, was named a Core Investigator with the Office of Health Equity Research, lectured for three Department Grand Rounds, and helped organize an upcoming Grand Rounds to be given by acclaimed midwife, Jennie Joseph. I also served on the Boards of the Healthy Baby Network and the New York Midwives (Nominating Committee). I remain active on the Board of the NYS Perinatal Association, the ACOG Committee on Advancing Equity in Obstetric and Gynecologic Health Care, and the Rochester Black Advisory Group addressing health equity. I am an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Psi Omega Zeta Chapter and serve as the NYS Storks' Nest Coordinator, supporting initiatives to address birth equity, eliminate prematurity, and low birth weight babies. Last, but not least, I became an ACNM Fellow at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Tracy Webber CV
Tracy Webber Responses to Questions

Mari-Carmen Farmer MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC


A first-generation Afro-Latina midwife and educator, Mari-Carmen has been engaged in reproductive justice work for over 20 years. Prior to midwifery, Mari-Carmen completed a degree in Sociology and became engaged in activism and community organizing in Philadelphia. She is an Americorps alum, a seasoned doula and childbirth educator, and an experienced facilitator with a strong background in designing and leading trainings, retreats, workshops, and healing circles. She has also applied these facilitation skills in the Centering Pregnancy model to care for diverse client populations and to lead workshops focused on health equity and antiracism for students and clinicians around the country. Since graduating from the CNM/WHNP program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, Mari-Carmen has been providing midwifery care for families from a wide range of cultures in Philadelphia and engaging midwifery students as both a mentor and preceptor. She is the founder/creative leader of Midwife y Maestra, a consulting collaborative focused on addressing trauma, building capacity, and nurturing community among midwives and other healthcare providers. Locally, she is currently the President of Philly Metro Midwives, the Philadelphia Chapter of the PA Affiliate of the ACNM, she helped establish and organize the Philly Melanated Midwives and the Health Equity and AntiRacism Committee of the PA Affiliate and contributes her time and talent to a number of local initiatives addressing maternal morbidity and mortality. Mari-Carmen has presented at several ACNM conferences, has served as a member of MOCC and the Mentoring Subcommittee, and most recently served as a member of the ACNM Core Competencies Review Committee and as the Chair of the ACNM Scope of Practice Taskforce. Mari-Carmen is committed to centering the narratives of the people she serves, as she believes that stories create connections between individuals and communities that can catalyze powerful social change.

Dr. Ruyak CV Mari-Carmen Farmer CV
Mari-Carmen Farmer Responses to Questions

Nominating Committee Candidates

Deborah Stiffler PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM

Deborah Stiffler, PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM began her career as a Certified Nurse-Midwife in 1986. She practiced primarily in
underserved areas increasing access for pregnant women. In 2003, Stiffler received her PhD and went into academia where she has taught nurse-midwifery, women’s health nurse practitioner and nursing students. Dr. Stiffler continued to care for higher risk women as she worked part-time at a large metropolitan hospital midwifery service until 2010. Dr. Stiffler has worked with the state of Indiana on efforts such as prescriptive authority, CNMs practicing to the extent of their license, and Medicaid coverage for high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Stiffler is currently a full professor and Associate Dean of the Indianapolis Campus at the Indiana University School of Nursing. Dr. Stiffler is running for a position on the nominating committee. She has previous experience on nominating committees from her work in shared faculty governance at the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. Dr. Stiffler has held a position on
the nominating committee for the IUPUI Faculty Council and on the Executive committee which also provides faculty names to serve on various committees and boards throughout the university. Dr. Stiffler has also served on several university level search committee where she reviewed multiple dossiers of potential candidates and assisted with the selection of candidates to be interviewed. Dr. Stiffler has not had the opportunity to be active in ACNM prior to this and sees this as an opportunity to become more active and assist midwives around the country.

Deborah Stiffler CV
Deborah Stiffler Responses to Questions

Jeanann Coppola DNP, RN, CNM, CNE, C-EFM, FACNM

Jeanann Sousou Coppola, DNP, RN, CNM, CNE, C-EFM, FACNM, is a highly accomplished clinician, devoted educator, and scholar with a professional journey spanning 20 years as a certified nurse midwife (CNM) and nine years as a certified nurse educator (CNE). Her expertise extends to electronic fetal monitoring (C-EFM), and in 2021, becoming a Fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (FACNM). Beyond direct patient care, Dr. Coppola has showcased exemplary leadership, outstanding scholarship, and professional accomplishments within and beyond midwifery and academic nursing. Dr. Coppola's commitment to leadership and clinical excellence is evident in her actions. She actively contributes to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Continuing Education (CE) Taskforce under the Division of Advancement of Midwifery, Education Advancement Sub-Division. She evaluates and approves continuing education activities for CE credits in this role, providing valuable insights during program application reviews. Furthermore, she is a peer reviewer for the AWHONN Nursing for Women’s Health journal and recently edited two chapters in the AWOHNN Core Curriculum for Maternal-Newborn Nursing, 6th edition. As a Clinical Associate Professor at Rutgers School of Nursing, Camden, she served as Faculty Organization co-chair, overseeing monthly meetings and guiding all committee work. Dr. Coppola has also chaired various faculty committees, showcasing her dedication to the vision and mission of RU-SNC. She is the course coordinator for the undergraduate women's health nursing course. Her extensive contributions underscore her as a leader, educator, and scholar of exceptional caliber in nursing and midwifery. She has been in the Eta Mu Chapter of the Sigma Nursing Society as secretary. Her research passion lies in both mentoring and human trafficking awareness. She developed and currently oversees the Faculty mentoring program at RU-SNC and has been the co-chair of
the Healthcare Committee of the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NJCAHT).

Jeanann Coppola CV
Jeanann Coppola Responses to Questions