About the CABC

Maria Petrie, MHIT, BSN, RN Chair

• Supporting birthing families as a doula, childbirth educator and a Registered Nurse/Birth Assistant at two CABC-Accredited birth centers
• Cybersecurity Account Manager for Commercial Health and Life Sciences at Booz Allen Hamilton
• BSN, Medical University of South Carolina; BS in International Affairs and Modern Languages, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Master’s in Healthcare Information Technology from University of South Carolina

Emily Hayes, MHA, RNC-OB/EFM Vice Chair

• Nurse Manager, Family Beginnings Birth Center, Labor & Delivery, Miami Valley Hospital (Dayton, OH)
• EPIC analyst, certified in OpTime and Stork
• MHA, University of Cincinnati

Moira Richards, MD    Treasurer

• Medical Director of Neonatal Specialists (Mednax)
• Medical Director of NICU at Tucson Medical Center for Children, Tucson, AZ
• Graduate University of Minnesota Medical School; Residency at Phoenix Hospitals Affiliated Pediatric Program

Sandra Lawrence, Secretary

• Consumer Representative for CABC Board of Commissioners
• Midwifery and Birth Center advocate
• Experience as Administrative Staff Member at Geneva Woods Birth Center

Janelle Bandurraga-Rice, LDM, CPM

• Clinical Director of Alma Midwifery in Portland, OR
• Graduate of Birthingway College of Midwifery

Lauren Braswell, CNM

• Staff midwife at Lifestages Centers for Women at Miami Valley Hospital North Campus in Englewood, OH
• Master of Science in Midwifery University of Cincinnati
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing Georgia State University

Jennifer Fardink, BSM, CPM-TN, LCPM

• Co-owner of Clarksville Midwifery, Clarksville, TN
• Graduate of Midwives College of Utah with a Bachelor’s of Science in Midwifery
• Graduate of Association of Texas Midwives Training Program

Kara Peterson, MSN, CNM, FNP-C

• Family Nurse Practitioner-Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center in Pittsburgh PA
• Midwife-19 years serving families at The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health, a non-profit, independent, free-standing birth center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2004-2023
• MSN/CNM, Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing
• FNP, Post Master’s Certificate -University of Cincinnati

Kaleen Richards, CNM, ARNP, FACNM

• Founder/Owner and Director of CABC-accredited Tree of Life Birth & Gynecology
• Master of Science in Nursing from Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing
• President Florida Alliance of Birth Centers, member of the AABC Government Affairs Committee, and ACNM Florida Legislative Delegate

Erin Stein, MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC

• Staff midwife at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, NC
• Former Director of Clinical Services at CABC-accredited Charleston Birth Place and full-time CNM there since 2014
• Master of Science in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University – Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Mark B. Woodland, MS, MD, FACOG

• Previous Chair, Department of OBGYN, Reading Hospital/Tower Health (Reading, PA);
• Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Drexel University College of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)
• Board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Graduate of George Washington University School of Medicine (Washington, DC)

The homelike environment and focus on mom and baby are what first drew Pam to work at a birth center where she could support women and their families in the natural birth process. Pam loves making plans and policy (where both her creative and engineering sides show) and will try anything once. She is the mother of five athletes and the wife of a coach. You won’t find this self-described klutz on any court or field, though. She would much rather be traveling or listening to Rock music.

Kristi Cunningham

Kristi is a Licensed Midwife with over 25 years of out of hospital birth experience, and nine years as a Free-Standing birth center owner.  The combination of learning from a traditional home birth midwife and an apprenticeship in 1999, helped curate her balanced approach to supporting birthing families. She moved to Jamaica shortly after becoming a CPM in 2001, where she had a home birth practice and attended births at the waterbirth center in Oracabessa. Her work in Jamaica led to a collaboration with midwives in the Casamance region of Senegal, and the support of the French translation of “A Book For Midwives” which was donated and dispersed across Western Africa. She Co-founded a birth center in Mendocino County, California, in 2015 where she was the Director for nine years.

Marcia James

A passion for shared decision making is what led Marcia to become a midwife and open a birth center, where she could offer alternative birthing options to her community. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling.  Tropical locations are at the top of her list. When she is not able to travel, reading fiction or binge watching the latest Netflix series occupies her free time. She has two grown children who are slightly jealous of the attention her hairless dog, Gaby, receives.

Elizabeth Fontenot

Elizabeth was drawn to midwifery and birth center care by the emphasis on natural, physiologic, undisturbed birth and all that is born out of that process. She appreciates the birth center setting and the emphasis on education and shared decision making. A native of the deep South, she lives with her husband, four children, and one crazy dog. None of her four births went the way she expected, from an unplanned c-section to an unplanned home birth! When she’s not carting her children around town or recovering from a busy call shift, she may be found propagating plants, redecorating her house, or enjoying the outdoors.

Cheryl “Sherry” Hartenbower

Sherry was introduced to birth center care as a student when she spent her last semester at a birth center in Georgia. “From the moment I walked in the doors of the Birth Center and was greeted, I knew I was home.”  She is certified as a Parent Educator and Aware Practitioner, has studied Spinning Babies and the Body Ready Method, and has used those skills to “help pregnant people have more comfortable pregnancies, easier labors, and better postpartum recoveries.” “I love to quilt, hike, flower, and spend time with my grandchildren. My husband and I look forward to new adventures traveling in our RV.”

Anna Hepsø

Anna has been passionate about childbirth since middle school, when her aunt would tell her stories about her experiences as a doula and L&D nurse and loaned her a copy of Spiritual Midwifery. Before she pursued this early calling, however, she took a few detours, in Iowa, Norway (where she studied snowboarding and ocean sports at a folk school), Massachusetts (to earn her B.A. in linguistics), and then back to Norway to study education. She ultimately landed in Minnesota. Anna is currently coming up for air after an intense eight years of childbearing/rearing her four born-at-home children, and is looking forward to finding herself and her interests again (which before kids included camping, canoeing, language learning, singing, cooking, and traveling). She and her husband take the kids back to Norway regularly to visit family.

Rhonda R. Johnson

From the age of 15, Rhonda felt drawn to help women. This calling, along with the births of her own children- a birth center birth for her son and a home birth for her daughter- led her to become a midwife. After over 20 years of practicing throughout the U.S., Rhonda recognizes that a trusting relationship with a midwife fosters empowerment, allowing a woman to make the best decisions for herself and her family. Rhonda treasures spending time with her grandsons and hiking with her dogs but doesn’t always keep two feet on the ground: she like to tandem sky-dive, too.

Gazelle Lange

Gazelle became a midwife almost before she knew it was happening. Part of the Ina May generation, her beautiful home birth inspired her to help other women searching for that same experience. Throughout her 40 years as a midwife, she has loved helping women through pregnancy and childbirth. Gazelle is an avid gardener and enjoys making pickles and fermented products, and putting up produce. She appreciates good ice cream and enjoys drinking craft beer while playing cribbage with her husband.

Susan Melnikow

Susan has devoted forty years to being a maternal-child change agent, spanning a variety of roles including doula, RN, midwife, teacher and administrator in a variety of settings in four states. She is committed to facilitating undisturbed, physiologic birth, after the experience of birthing her own daughter at home, and approaches pregnancy and birth as a sacred event. Susan is a true “child of the 60’s,” having grown up in Oakland/Berkeley during that era, and derives great pleasure from the study of indigenous, earth-based ways of life, loves to spend time in nature, and enjoys cooking a good meal.

Julie Moon

Julie knew as soon as she was exposed to the birth center model that it was what she had been searching for to help serve and empower families through the birthing process.  As she has expanded that to traveling and teaching at birth centers she has found that we all have so much to share with each other to be stronger and better, and that has become her passion.  Julie lives in rural Alaska with her husband and three children, where they grow/raise/fish and hunt most of their food, and enjoy traveling and exploring the glorious world they live in. Julie is happiest on the water, in the kitchen with her children, and anywhere new and exciting things are happening.

Elizabeth Smith

Elizabeth has served Sonoma County families for more than 25 years and advocates for all types of families to receive equitable, midwifery-led care both in and out of the hospital. She is mom to four amazing children. Elizabeth loves to eat, but hates to cook and thinks dessert is the best part of a meal! In her free time, she likes to knit and crochet.

Nicole Winecoff

Nicole has always had a passion for babies and knew from age 5, that she was going to be a “baby nurse” when she grew up. That passion never wavered through nursing school. Midwifery has given her the opportunity to become part of many families! She delivered the flower girls in her daughter’s wedding! When she is not working in the birth center she loves spending time with her husband, 2 grown daughters and 2 golden retrievers! She also loves to travel and especially loves going Disney World! Nicole enjoys watching football and most things chocolate!

Michele DeAngelo, Executive Director

Michele began her career at a birth center where she wore lots of different hats. This paved the way for her work at CABC, first as the Operations Manager, before being promoted to Executive Director. Michele lives with her husband, two exuberant dogs, and three daughters who were brought into the world with the help of midwives. When she’s not overseeing the daily activities of CABC, Michele enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.

Susan Stapleton, CNM, DNP, FACNM, Communications Coordinator

After a long career providing full-scope midwifery care in multiple locations, Susan is now focusing on her two professional loves for which there was little time before – research and writing. Susan has a long history with CABC and is glad to be serving the organization in a new way. Her other time is filled with family – especially grandchildren, travel to parts of the world that broaden her view of the world, and spending time outdoors in her adopted state of Maine.

Abbie Synan, Administrative Assistant

Early on, Abbie was a birth center volunteer before evolving to Administrative Director of a freestanding birth center in Pennsylvania for over seven years. Additionally, she has worked as a billing consultant, assisting birth centers and solo practitioners, since 2012. Before joining the CABC administrative team, Abbie’s involvement with the CABC began as a Board member. She also participates on the Board of the American Association of Birth Centers Foundation. Aside from her work within the birth center world, Abbie is also a freelance writer and avid traveler.

Sonya Green, Operations Manager

Sonya, before joining CABC, had the opportunity to take a 10-year career break to be a stay-at-home mom of 3. During that time, she served on the board and volunteered for a local non-profit. Prior to that she was a bank manager and previous to that led roles from Operations Manager to Director of Operations for different companies. Sonya enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, trying new restaurants, playing poker and games, and “date nights” with her husband.