Executive Committee Members 2011 - 2013

 President

Joanne Gray
RM, RN, BHlthSci(Nurs)(CSU), GradDipWomens Studies (Deakin), Master of Nursing (Flinders), Child and Family Health Cert. (Tresillian)
Joanne is a lecturer in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at the University of Technology Sydney and is the coordinator of the Bachelor of Midwifery course. Joanne has been involved in midwifery education in the tertiary sector for many years and previously coordinated the Graduate Diploma in Midwifery at Charles Sturt University, as well as at the University of Technology, Sydney. She has worked as a midwife in both rural and metropolitan New South Wales and currently works as a midwife at Royal North Shore Hospital on a casual basis. Joanne is studying in the PhD program at UTS and is exploring the follow-through experience in midwifery education.

Vice President

Vanessa Clements
I feel privileged to be on the ACM (NSW Branch) executive committee representing the midwives of New South Wales. Midwifery in Australia is going through an enormous period of change that is very exciting. I am passionate about midwifery and hope that with my varied experience I will be able to make a useful contribution to the college.

Since qualifying in 1995 as a Direct Entry Midwife in London, I have had the opportunity to work in many clinical settings including community where I was privileged to care for many women opting for home birth. I have held many interesting and diverse positions such as: Specialist HIV midwife; antenatal screening co-ordinator and London Regional Manager for the CEMACH (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health) the organisation that reports on Maternal and Perinatal Deaths in the UK.

Since arriving in Australia in February 2006 I have been working in the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Health Service. Initially I managed Birthing Services and Antenatal Clinic at Sutherland Hospital. More recently I have been appointed at CMC – Midwifery Practice Development for the Central Hospital Network (St George and Sutherland Hospitals).
Treasurer

Helen Cooke
RN, RM,  BHScMan, MNres, FACM CMC Midwifery Sydney West Area Health Service, Member of the NSWMA for 16 years. Member of the NSWMA executive for 3.5 years. Currently treasurer of NSWMA. Second delegate for NSWMA on ACMI executive Committee. ACMI representative on National Drug and Alcohol guideline development committee. Strongly committed to providing the best possible services for members within the available budget. Willing to work hard to continue to promote midwifery as a profession within its own right.  Committed to the ongoing improvement of midwifery standards that ensure midwifery practioners who can offer women the safest and most rewarding levels of midwifery care in a variety of settings.

Secretary


Jane Raymond
I am committed to the profession of midwifery and have a keen interest in midwifery education, both pre-and post-registration. I have been a member of the ACM Professional Development Committee for some years, and more recently on the ACM Marketing and Midwifery Matters Editorial Committees. During 2010, I facilitated several workshops for midwives on motivational interviewing and the care of obese women during pregnancy, and was involved in ACM rural education concerning the requirements for National Registration. 

Public Officer
Pam Mulholland

Executive Committee Members:


Hannah Dahlen
Hannah Dahlen is the Associate Professor of the University of Western Sydney. She is the current Secretary of the Australian College of Midwives, NSW Branch and has held this position for 12 years. She is a Fellow and Life Member of the Australian College of Midwives. Hannah represents the Australian College of Midwives, NSW Branch on numerous State committees including the NSW Maternal and Perinatal Committee, the NSW Maternal and Perinatal Health Taskforce, NSW Nurses Association Midwifery Reference Group, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board Midwives practice Committee. Hannah has taken on the role as the National Media Spokesperson for the Australian College of Midwives in the past year and looks forward to being able continue the work of growing Midwifery in Australia.
 

Suellen Allen
I have been a midwife in NSW since 1991.From 1991 until 2002 I worked on a fulltime basis as a midwife at both RNSH and Gosford Hospitals in all clinical areas of maternity in the following  roles of , Clinical Midwife Educator, Coordinator of the Early Discharge Program and Clinical Midwife Consultant. In 2002 I was seconded to the NSW Department of Health (DoH) to the Office of the Chief Nursing Officer and worked as the Policy Adviser for Maternal Child and Family Health. In 2003 I commenced the role as Clinical Adviser Maternity Services and then transferred permanently to the DoH. These positions have allowed me to participate in professional midwifery and strategic maternity service planning and policy development at a state and national level. I have masters in midwifery and will commence a Professional Doctorate in 2006. I bring a range of clinical experience, knowledge of current professional midwifery issues and experience working at policy and strategic planning level.

 

Ann Grieve
MSc Mid (UOW), BEd (UNE), DTN (UNE), RM,RN, FACM.
I have been a practicing midwife for some 30+ years and have seen vast changes occur in maternity care and in midwifery. The times we live in are still unsettling, but I believe that the midwifery profession must have much greater input into the education of new midwives, the continuing education of experienced midwives and in the direction of the profession as a whole, and we must all be involved. My involvement with the NSW Midwives Association has been in a variety of capacities, most recently as the Coordinator of the Education & Research Committee and I look forward to continuing to work actively to maximise the effectiveness of midwives and the Association.

Moira Williamson
I have worked in midwifery since 1978. Currently I am the coordinator of the Master of Science (Midwifery) program at the University of Wollongong. I have been an active member of the executive of the NSW Midwives Association since 1996 as well as a member of the Research and Education sub-committee. I have represented the Association on various NSW Health Department and other relevant committees. Midwifery is continually on the move and the midwives’ voices through the NSWMA will continue to be heard for the benefit of the profession and the women we care for.



Tracey Foster
Tracey is a midwife and certified lactation consultant who practices at The Orange Aboriginal Medical Service in Orange, New South Wales. Currently she employed as the CMC at Murundhu dharra an Aboriginal program that focuses on improving maternal and infant health outcomes through offering antenatal, birth, postnatal, child & family health services and beyond. Tracey has worked for over 14 years with families in Wiradjuri Country. Her passion for Aboriginal Health and breastfeeding has developed through empowering Aboriginal women.
Tracey has spoken nationally and internationally and has had a paper published in New Zealand on breastfeeding. She had been The NSW Rural Liaison Officer for The NSW Lactation College until 2009 and is actively involved in the protection & promotion of breastfeeding and birth. She is honored at being elected to the NSWMA executive, being a voice for Midwives and birthing for rural NSW.

Ali Teate
I have been a midwife since 1992 and have worked in a variety of settings. As a result of my passion for continuity of midwifery care models I have worked in birth centres, team midwifery programs and caseload models since 1994-5.Currently I am employed at St George Hospital in the caseload midwifery program based in the birth centre that also provides women with a choice to birth at home and at Wollongong Hospital as the project officer for the upcoming homebirth program. My work interests also involve teaching in the Graduate Diploma and Bachelor of Midwifery courses and facilitating the CenteringPregnancy model at University of Technology, Sydney.



Leah Whitehead
I have been a midwife for about 19 years and have worked in both the public and private system as a midwife. I currently work as a caseload midwife at the Royal Hospital for Women, caring for women who with all-risk pregnancies. My particular interest is in how the relationship between women and their midwife affects both how the women feel about their experience of their pregnancy as well as how it may affect the outcome of their labour and birth. I am involved in Midwifery Practice Review, and see this as a way to promote and protect midwifery as a profession. I believe that midwives can gain confidence in their practice through supportive peer review.

Tessa Capsanis
My vision is where midwives move forward in a unified voice that is respected by the national and international community. Whether metro or rural, academic or bureaucratic, purist midwife or multidiciplinary health worker, the midwife has a voice and it will be heard and respected.
While travelling around the state visiting maternity services as rural midwifery project officer, I was impressed by the courage and resilience of midwives. Wherever I went the one thing that stood out was the midwife's unwavering commitment to providing services for women and families. I'm dedicated to whatever it takes to keep midiwves supported in doing what they do best.

Lyn Kramer
I am a midwife with extensive years of experience. I have had the opportunity to be part of a dynamic midwifery team as a Midwifery Unit Manager at John Hunter Maternity. I have recently completed the Clinical Excellence program which has given me the confidence to enhance my leadership and management skills to lead change.   Supporting models of Continuity of midwifery care is part of this change as we improve and develop our maternity care for the Hunter Valley women. My interest is in supporting the professional development and education of our midwives and for those aspiring to be midwives as they are our future. 

Student Executive Committe Member:

Jess Goldstone