Peter G. Johnson, CNM, PhD, FACNM, FAAN

Peter G. Johnson, CNM, PhD, FACNM, FAAN is a dedicated midwifery leader with a proven track record of advancing the profession through education, policy advocacy, and global health initiatives—qualities that make him an excellent candidate for ACNM President-Elect. Born in Western New York, Dr. Johnson began his career serving in the U.S. Air Force, gaining hands-on experience in labor and delivery before earning his certificate in nurse-midwifery, an MS in Nursing Administration, and ultimately a PhD in Educational Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Over nearly four decades, Dr. Johnson has driven innovation in midwifery education and practice. From directing accredited nurse-midwifery programs at the University of Maryland and Stony Brook University to leading global nursing and midwifery strategies at Jhpiego (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University), he has consistently worked to strengthen the midwifery workforce, improve accreditation systems, and expand access to high-quality maternity care. Notably, he has served as Chair and Site Visit Coordinator for the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), as well as President of the Directors of Midwifery Education—roles through which he championed evidence-based standards and promoted excellence across midwifery programs nationwide. Dr. Johnson’s longstanding involvement with the American College of Nurse-Midwives underscores his commitment to the organization’s mission. A Fellow of the ACNM, he has contributed to various committees and initiatives, earning recognition such as the ACNM Lifetime Visionary Award. In his current role as Clinical Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, he continues to nurture the creation of future midwives, developing an ACME pre-accredited program and expanding midwifery education opportunities in New York State.

Drawing on this breadth of experience, Dr. Johnson aims to strengthen ACNM’s impact, foster inclusive member engagement, and advocate for policies that advance equitable maternity care, positioning him as a strong candidate for President-Elect.

Peter Johnson CV
Peter Johnson Responses to Ballot Questions

Jessica Densmore, DM, MSN, CNM, FACNM

Jessica Densmore, DM, MSN, CNM, FACNM, is a full-scope midwife practicing at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and an adjunct faculty member at the Geisel School of Medicine. She is passionate about group prenatal care and has started multiple CenteringPregnancy® programs. Her state policy work as an elected State Representative and two terms as ACNM-NH Affiliate president revealed the profound unmet needs of the people in her area. The importance of multidisciplinary co-creation is a thread through her work, and it led her to become a key advisor in the development of a suite of products, including a new speculum, to improve the experience of patients and providers during gynecological exams. Publications have included two editions of a widely used book, “A Pocket Guide to Clinical Midwifery: The Efficient Midwife.” She has been honored with awards for excellence in teaching by both medical students and residents for her influential role in their education. She also supports midwifery students at all stages of their education. All of her experiences have made her a strong advocate for families in her community and around the world. She has recently earned a Doctorate of Midwifery at Thomas Jefferson University where she worked to document physiologic labor expression.

Jessica Densmore CV
Jessica Densmore Responses to Ballot Questions

Eileen Thrower, Ph.D., APRN, CNM, CNE, FACNM

Dr. Thrower is an associate professor at Frontier Nursing University, where she is the Chair of the Department of Midwifery and Women’s Health. Her doctoral research examined oral histories of nurse-midwives in Georgia, and she continues her research on the history of midwifery. She is passionate about the scholarship of teaching and learning and has published and presented on evidenced-based teaching methodologies.

During her 30-plus years of clinical practice, Dr. Thrower established two nurse-midwifery practices in West Georgia. She currently works in a Locums Tenems role at the Atlanta Birth Center and previously practiced in birth center and hospital settings. Dr. Thrower is the past president of Georgia’s ACNM Affiliate and the ACNM National Program Committee chair. She is the Chair of ACNM’s History and Archives Committee. In her free time, Dr. Thrower enjoys hiking, camping, boating, crocheting, reading, and solving crossword puzzles.

Eileen Thrower CV

Eileen Thrower Responses to Ballot Questions

Kristi Norcross, APRN, CNM, DNP


When I consider my expertise in midwifery, I am uniquely prepared to grow the diversity, quality & number of our ACNM elected position applications as a member of the nomination committee. Having practiced midwifery in settings all over the US (NV, CA, MD, VA, FL, TX) & world (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UK, Cameron, DE), I can appreciate talents of individual midwives & connect them with unique opportunities. Previously I served ACNM in both the Uniformed Services Affiliate, South Dakota, Texas & desire to continue serving ACNM as a member of the nominating committee.

Kristi Norcross CV
Kristi Norcross Responses to Ballot Questions

Zoe Gutterman, CNM, MPHN, FACNM


Zoe Gutterman (she/her) is a Certified Nurse Midwife with a Master's in Public Health Nursing. She is the Midwifery Practice Director at Unity Healthcare, a FQHC in Washington DC, where she manages a team of midwives across seven clinics, as well as spearheading an initiative to expand services at Howard University Hospital. She is currently the ACNM Division Chair for the Division of Advocacy and Affiliate Support.

She served two terms as the DC Affiliate President. In this role she worked with the affiliate to identify areas of improvement and established new committees to tackle those needs. These include the Anti-racism Committee, Mentorship Committee, and Marketing Midwifery Committee. Some examples of success from these committees include writing an Affiliate code of conduct, and hiring and working with an anti-racism consultant to overhaul Affiliate governing documents from an DEI perspective, and collaborations with DC ACOG Affiliate and the DC CPM community to improve interprofessional communication and collaboration. Additionally, Zoe led advocacy efforts to pass legislation accrediting Certified Midwives in D.C. Zoe also served as the chair of the ACNM National Government Affairs Committee. In this role she led the committee in grassroots advocacy for ACNM’s legislative agenda including the Midwives for MOMS Act and the Black Maternal Health Caucus’ MOMNIBUS bill and developed and implementation of ACNM Off the Hill Advocacy Week. She served as chair of the ACNM Annual Meeting Local Committee in 2019 and as a member of the ACNM Program Committee.

Zoe has served on DC’s Perinatal Quality Collaborative. She also works as Adjunct faculty at Georgetown University and is a Fellow of the American College of Nurse Midwives.

Zoe Gutterman CV
Zoe Gutterman Responses to Ballot Questions