Tanya is a dynamic mother of 6, military spouse, Navy veteran, homeschooler, midwife, maternal health specialist, reproductive justice advocate and community midwife possessing keen insight, empathy, resourcefulness and wisdom.

She’s a born nurturer, caregiver, and leader who is self-motivated, passionate, focused and driven to accomplish any goal or task, committed to uplifting the most vulnerable and marginalized among us. Tanya has skills in strategic planning, health policy, collaboration, communication, public speaking and leadership. She will also serve as NCM's Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Officer.

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Demetra Seriki is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), perinatal and reproductive activist. Demetra has worked in various aspects of birth for the last 22 years with the last 8 years focused on community midwifery and perinatal open access models of care. Additionally, Demetra holds a board position with Elephant Circle, a Colorado based birth justice organization. In 2021 Demetra supported legislative efforts in Colorado which resulted in the landmark legislative Birth Equity Bill passage SB21-193, SB21-194 in collaboration with ElephantCircle.

While midwifery is Demetra’s purpose work, educating the next generation of midwives is her heart work. Demetra became a Certified Preceptor in 2017 and since that time she has not only trained midwifery students in skills intensives, she previously held the position of House Mentor and Faculty at Midwives College of Utah.

Demetra has a unique background that spans over 18 consecutive years, consisting of medical administration as a Registered Medical Manager, Certified Professional Medical Auditor, and Registered Medical Coder. Her diverse background includes working in multiple specialties and settings which include, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Practices, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy, and Chiropractic.

 

 

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I am the namesake of my great-grandmother “Mama Tansy” and great-great granddaughter of granny-midwife Emma Swain, who delivered many of her grandchildren in the 1920s. Birthwork and holistic healing runs deep throughout my lineage and I experience this sacred calling as reclamation of my community’s heritage. All four of my mother’s children were delivered by midwives and I still recall the calm birth of my younger sister happening right in front of me as I ate breakfast. It was my journey as a mentoring doula that has been the catalyst for my transition into midwifery and I am excited to begin my ASM at NCM in 2022.

In addition to being a full-spectrum doula, I hold a BS in Child Development and Learning and an M.Ed. in School Administration and Supervision. While I formally served in public schools for more than fifteen years, most of my tenure in education was spent at the grassroots level supporting students and families through community organizing, removing learning barriers, and creating access and opportunities for underrepresented communities. I look forward to applying this same passion supporting NCM students.

I embody liberation by embracing rest as resistance, spending time with loved ones around great meals (especially brunch), and filling my endless affection for the arts by attending theatre and dance productions. I live in Nashville, TN with my chocolate Chesdaor named Eden. My preferred pronouns are she/her/hers.

 

 

My preferred pronouns are she/her/hers. I was born at home with a grand midwife in Mississippi, on my maternal side only my mother was born in a hospital. I was called to be of service as a midwife after the birth of my first daughter and it was a rather shocking change of career that has fulfilled my entire being. In addition to my BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, I returned to school at NCM to earn my ASM in 2010 and my PhD in Midwifery Research in 2020. I am a licensed midwife in NM, TX, & VA, a CPM and an IBCLC. I enjoy volunteering and have served as a past member on the NM LM Advisory Board, am a past co-chair of the New Mexico Midwives Association (NMMA), and am a current Vice President of the MEAC Board.

 

 

 

Ya'a't'eeh, my name is Renee Dotson Cox and I am originally from the Navajo reservation community of Window Rock, Arizona.  My maternal clan is Dibelizhini and my paternal clan is Bilagaana. I possess a master's degree from the University of New Mexico in Counseling and have spent the majority of my professional career working for the educational advancement of  Indigenous communities.  I am honored to have been selected as NCM's Director of Admissions.  My preferred pronouns are she and her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am originally from Vietnam and emigrated here from Saigon when I was but a wee youngin at 5. It was a strange and catalyzing experience to be uprooted from where you were and later, to have come from somewhere else. It offers perspective and an appreciation for things lost and things gained. I've been interested in natural health and healing for a long time, and feel that whatever we can do to ease the weight carried from generation to generation and make the transition from one to another -into life- smoother will lessen the burden we all carry. Midwifery stewards an important passage of life and I love being a part of the process.

 

 

Carolina Nkouaga is a public health consultant and a community midwife. For over a decade, she served as the Director of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Office for Community Health, where she collaborated on the development of the health extension model and various community health worker initiatives, as well as working with community partners to improve the health and health equity in the state of New Mexico more than any other state. She currently serves families in central New Mexico during the prenatal, birth and postpartum period, holding space and honoring their traditions as they welcome a new life. She draws on her experience of working in indigenous communities throughout Latin America on community development projects, as well as the Bahá’í principles of unity and service, to guide her work.  With ties to Costa Rica and Cameroon, the family home that she shares with her awesome husband and two phenomenal daughters is often filled with the sounds of drums and singing.