Nebraska Friends of Midwives Board Members
To contact a board member directly, simply click the blue text.
Chair - April Segura
April was born at home in Nebraska shortly before legislation was passed to prevent Certified Nurse-Midwives from attending home birth in the state. She is now wife to Juan and mama to Ailani, Jaylen, and Jeriel- all three children were born at home under water.
April has a passion for the Hispanic people as she studied for two years in Ecuador. She now works part time at home as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor with the WIC Program and helps lead a Spanish Mom's group in south Lincoln.
April's birth stories are available here and here.
To contact April, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.chair@gmail.com.
April has a passion for the Hispanic people as she studied for two years in Ecuador. She now works part time at home as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor with the WIC Program and helps lead a Spanish Mom's group in south Lincoln.
April's birth stories are available here and here.
To contact April, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.chair@gmail.com.
Vice Chair - Shanna Wright
Shanna is a native of Wisconsin and has lived in Northeast Nebraska for the past eight years. She is currently working on the Master of Social Work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Shanna is married to Chad and together they have five children (ages 15, 13, 12, 12, and 11).
Shanna believes access to midwives, both in the hospital and home setting, is a critical element for the health and well being of Nebraskan women. As a social worker, she also views access to midwifery care as a basic human right.
Shanna believes access to midwives, both in the hospital and home setting, is a critical element for the health and well being of Nebraskan women. As a social worker, she also views access to midwifery care as a basic human right.
Membership Chair - Kathie Smith
Having used midwives for each of her pregnancies, Kathie loves the care she received from midwives and feels their increased use and autonomy in Nebraska would be beneficial to women and children.
Kathie is a birth and postpartum doula, and also serves as the treasurer for DoulaSource, a group promoting the use of birth support professionals during labor. She has a loving, supportive husband who keeps all her technology running smoothly, and two beautiful boys who keep life interesting. In her spare time, Kathie enjoys scrapbooking, crocheting, and gaming. Kathie has a master's degree in educational psychology and hopes to become a childbirth educator someday. Kathie has been involved with NFOM since 2006.
To find out about membership, click here.
To contact Kathie, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.membership@gmail.com.
Kathie is a birth and postpartum doula, and also serves as the treasurer for DoulaSource, a group promoting the use of birth support professionals during labor. She has a loving, supportive husband who keeps all her technology running smoothly, and two beautiful boys who keep life interesting. In her spare time, Kathie enjoys scrapbooking, crocheting, and gaming. Kathie has a master's degree in educational psychology and hopes to become a childbirth educator someday. Kathie has been involved with NFOM since 2006.
To find out about membership, click here.
To contact Kathie, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.membership@gmail.com.
Education/Advocacy Chair - Jodi Haselden
A transplant from out-of state, Jodi is an active-duty Air Force wife whose family has been stationed at Offutt for nine years. Jodi and her husband have three kiddos ages 12, 6, and 3. Currently Jodi is attending school full-time to complete a degree in healthcare management, and in her free time she enjoys gardening, cooking, knitting, and other needle crafts.
A traumatic, natural-intended hospital birth led Jodi to become in involved in Omaha's "birth scene" and to look for other birthing options when pregnant with her third child. Her son was birthed with the help of a direct entry midwife at home.
Jodi would love to see Nebraska families have the option of safe and licensed midwife-attended home births, and hopes to see her children have birth options that she and her husband did not.
To contact Jodi, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.education@gmail.com.
A traumatic, natural-intended hospital birth led Jodi to become in involved in Omaha's "birth scene" and to look for other birthing options when pregnant with her third child. Her son was birthed with the help of a direct entry midwife at home.
Jodi would love to see Nebraska families have the option of safe and licensed midwife-attended home births, and hopes to see her children have birth options that she and her husband did not.
To contact Jodi, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.education@gmail.com.
Legislative Chair - Becky Sherman
"No one pushed me, nagged me, or hassled me to conform to natural childbirth. I was nudged, educated, and pointed towards it love, care, and genuine concern. Through careful guidance and gentle education, a handful of women led me to a new place. A place that values women, supports birth choices, respects the birth process and the power of a woman during birth. A place where I am now very passionate and provoked to greater knowledge as I grow as a mother, doula, and supporter of women."
To contact Becky, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.legislative@gmail.com.
To contact Becky, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.legislative@gmail.com.
Treasurer - Jessica Freeman
Jessica is married to Chris Marks. She is mother to Dorothy (born in a hospital in NY), Gabriel (born at home with two midwives in NY) and Patrick (born underwater at home in NE). Jessica earned a Bachelor of Music and Performer's Certificate in Organ from Eastman School of Music. Prior to moving to Nebraska, Jessica worked for several churches as organist, accompanist, and choir director.
Currently she is serving as the Treasurer for the Lincoln Music Teachers Association as well as the Teacher Coordinator for LMTA's Music Outreach Program, which helps provide children in need with music lessons.
To contact Jessica, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.treasurer@gmail.com.
Currently she is serving as the Treasurer for the Lincoln Music Teachers Association as well as the Teacher Coordinator for LMTA's Music Outreach Program, which helps provide children in need with music lessons.
To contact Jessica, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.treasurer@gmail.com.
Secretary- Laura Ortiz
Laura's Bio is coming soon! For now, read her interview here.
To contact Laura, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.secretary@gmail.com.
To contact Laura, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.secretary@gmail.com.
PR Chair - Rachel Howell
Rachel lives in Omaha, Nebraska where she facilitates family life, enjoys her cottage photography business, and believes it is time for the right of Nebraska women to be attended in our birth places of choice to be recognized by the state. Originally from the Minneapolis area, Rachel met her husband in Chicago, Illinois where she earned her B.A in Spanish and English, and they graduated together from North Park College (now University).
Rachel has been trained as a doula, is a former Bradley Method Natural Childbirth educator, and created and taught her own natural childbirth curriculum. She has been advocating for access to the midwifery model of care- in hospitals, homes, and birth centers- since she read Judith Hertzfeld's book Sense and Sensibility in Childbirth in the fall of 1995. Their three children provided Rachel lots of real-life birth experience during one hospital and two home births. She has served on the board of NFOM since 2008.
To contact Rachel, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.pr@gmail.com.
Rachel has been trained as a doula, is a former Bradley Method Natural Childbirth educator, and created and taught her own natural childbirth curriculum. She has been advocating for access to the midwifery model of care- in hospitals, homes, and birth centers- since she read Judith Hertzfeld's book Sense and Sensibility in Childbirth in the fall of 1995. Their three children provided Rachel lots of real-life birth experience during one hospital and two home births. She has served on the board of NFOM since 2008.
To contact Rachel, simply click on her name in blue text, or send your own email to nfom.pr@gmail.com.
Fundraising Chair- This Position is Currently Open
Organizes statewide (not regional) fundraising including Terracycle, and online auctions, and other such efforts.
Learn more about NFOM's fundraising efforts here.
Learn more about NFOM's fundraising efforts here.
Events Chair- This Position is Currently Open
Facilitates statewide events such as the annual meeting, proclamation signings, the Legislative Day at the capitol, and M&M days. Works cooperatively with the rest of the board, but especially the Legislative Chair. Organizes committees to task events. Has no responsibility for regional events.
