Jennifer Almanza, DNP, APRN, CNM

Dr Jennifer Almanza (she/her) began her journey in reproductive health at 19, supporting a friend's birth. This inspired her to become a culturally-centered doula and to pursue nursing, gaining experience in Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, and the NICU. She also worked as a high-risk pregnancy case manager before earning a Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Midwifery with support from a Bush Leadership Fellowship. At the University of Minnesota, she contributed to research on doula care and community-based birth centers under renowned Public Health mentors.

A passionate volunteer, Jennifer co-chairs the Minnesota Maternal Morbidity Review Committee, serves on the Minnesota Section of AWHONN Education Committee, and the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and is a founding member of the Indigenous and Midwives of Color Committee (IMOCC).

Dedicated to high-quality, respectful reproductive care, Jennifer is the Advanced Practice Nurse Leader of the Family Birth Centers at HealthPartners and Park Nicollet and continues to deliver babies at Regions Hospital.

Jenny Burgers, BSN, RN

Jenny Burgers BSN, RN is an IPPE-certified perinatal nurse navigator dedicated to supporting families through the heartbreak of perinatal loss. With a deep commitment to reproductive health and social justice, Jenny brings compassion, expertise, and reverence to the most vulnerable moments of pregnancy and birth. Her work is rooted in honoring both the grief and the beauty of these sacred experiences.

Stephen Contag, MD

Dr Stephen Contag is Professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He received his MD from the Central University in Quito, Ecuador, then relocated to the US in 2001. He completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN, and subsequently a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem NC. Prior to coming to the University of Minnesota, Dr Contag worked at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, and most recently at the Univeristy of Maryland in the division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. During his time in Baltimore, he participated in the Maryland Mortality Review Committee for over seven years and helped in the preparation of recommendations for the medial community based on the information derived from the review of Maternal Mortality. These included screening for tuberculosis and identiying and diagnosing women at high risk for disease, and recommendations for identifying and for prenatal assessment of women at high risk for non-congenital cardiac disease in pregnancy. Since returning to Minnesota in 2017, he has participated actively in maternal mortality review, congenital syphilis review, and support for interventions and innovation to reduce the rate of congenital syphilis. 

Linda H Dech, MPH, IBCLC

Linda Hsiung Dech has been the Executive Director for the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies since it started in 2019. Prior to this poisition, Linda was the MN WIC Peer Breastfeeding Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health's WIC Program. She is one of the founders of the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition, advocating on behalf of our current and next generation to have the best start in life possible by making it easier to access the best nutrition available. Her interest in this area started by having a 24-week premature baby who spent 3 1/2 months in the NICU, where mom's own milk was encouraged and supported. Having the opportunity to see the impact of human milk on these very fragile babies became a life-long goal - to see that all babies have access to this amazing food and medicine made by their own mothers. 

Rose L Horton, MSM, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, FAAN

Rose Horton is the Founder & CEO of NotOnMyWatch Consulting Partners, an LLC she created three years after coining the hashtag #notonmywatch. In this role, she provides consulting for healthcare organizations, keynotes, and teams training. She created the hastag out of frustration at the rising rate of maternal & infant morbidity and mortality. As an executive nurse leader, she believes that nurses, as the largest healthcare employee contingent, have the power to change the trajectory of morbidity and mortality. The hashtag is a call to action for all nurses to use their collective voices to support, listen to, advocate for, and follow evidence-based practices in caring for all birthing people. 

Rose was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) in October 2022, nursing's highest honor. She serves as the 2025 President of the Association of Women's Health, Obtetric and Neontatal Nurses (AWHONN), a 25,000-nurse member association that is pivotal in creating, supporting, legislating, researching best practices, and evidence-based care of women and newborns. 

Rose also serves on the Board of Directors for Healthy Birth Day Inc., as well as the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board for Medela, and on the Executive Committee for the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives. Rose is the Executive Director of Maternal Health of Huggies Healthcare. 

Munira Maalimisaq, NP-F, DNP-c, MBA-c 

Munira Maalimisaq is a family nurse practitioner with experise in diversity, inclusion, and health equity. She is a trusted individual with a reputation for developing strong relationships with medical providers, patients, and the communities we serve. She has experience conducting extensive outreach in marginalized communities, educating individuals about vaccine hesitancy, chronic care management, and collaborating with health organizations to create strategies on decreasing health disparities. 

She currently practices primary care at HealthPartners and is the CEO & Founder of Inspire Change Clinic. There, she established the Pathway to Medicine Fellowship, an initiative designed to remove barriers for minority stuents, promote diversity and inclusivity in the healthcare sector, and provide valuable opportunites for healthcare professionals.

Additionally, Munira serves as the representative of the Office of the Special Envoy for Health and Nutrition in the United States for Somalia, further extending her impact on global health intitiatives.

Rachael McGraw, DNP, RN

Dr Rachael McGraw (she/her/hers) has been invested in the well-being of childbearing families for over 25 years. In her current role at the Minnesota Department of Health, she is the Women's Health Consultant where she coordinates the Maternal Mortality Review Committee and leads the state's innovative pilot on servere maternal morbidity. As ranked faculty in the graduate school at St Catherine University School of Nursing, her scholarship focuses on the intersection of social justice, clinical practice, and forward-thinking educational practices. As a visiting researcher at Children's Minnesota, she piloted simulation training on evidence-based implicit bias mitigation strategies. Her clinical background includes caring for childbearing families in acute care, free-standing birth centers, and home births. In all these settings, her fous is on relationship-centered care that strives to partner with families of all types to meet the needs of the parent-child dyad. At the heart of her work is the belief that the way we care for families during the childbearing years deeply matters. 

Hailey Muench, MSN, RNC-OB

Hailey Muench is a Professional Development Specialist in perinatal carae at M Health Fairview. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Cloud State University and her Master of Science in Nursing Education from St. Catherine University. 

With a career dedicated entirely to labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn care, Hailey is a passionate advocate for perinatal nursing and women's health. Her love for education has been a driving force throughout her career, serving as a preceptor, adjunct instructor, mentoring student interns, and continually expanding her expertise through advanced certifications. Committed to both professional growth and the advancement of perinatal care, Hailey is dedicated to shaping the future of nursing through education and advocacy. 

Shashana Skippingday, CPE, ILC

Shashana Skippingday is the Director of Programs, Division of Indian Work.

Corenia Smith, LPN

Corenia Smith (she/her) is the Director of Birth Justice Collaborative. With a background in nursing and a passion for reproductive justice, Corenia skillfully operates at the intersection of policy, politics, and health equity. Her professional experience is deeply rooted in collaboration, and she embraces the spirit of grassroots power-building. Corenia's mission extends to helping oganizations navigate the multifaceted challenges of our time, from the practical work of organizing and facilitating meaningful convenings to broad coalition-building for collective wellbeing. She's dedicated to combining knowledge in social, clinical, and political determinants of health to build and co-create healthier communities where everyone can thrive. 

Nicole Stecker, MN, RN, IBCLC, LCCE
 

Nicole Stecker has dedicated the past 15 years to birth work, passionately empowering birthing individuals through diverse birth experiences. She is committed to providing evidence-based information and advocating for patient-centered care. Nicole champions shared decision-making with all members of the healthcare team, fostering collaboration between patients and their providers. 

Throughout her career, Nicole has actively participated in various local workgroups and organizations, striving to improve birth outcomes. She currently serves as a Clinical Program Specialist at United Hospital in St Paul, while also maintaining her private practice as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Jane Sublette, MS, APRN, CNP, CNM, WHNP-BC

Jane Sublette served as a perinatal System Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with M Health Fairview. She earned her BSN at Rush University, MSN at Case Western University, and Post Masters in Nurse Midwifery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She served 22 years in the Army Nurse Corps, in postitions including Assistant Nurse Manager, OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner, Assistant Director of the OB/GYN Nursing Course, and Director of Women's Health Service, in addition to full-scope nurse-midwifery practice. Before joining Fairview, Jane worked as a Professional Development Specialist in Medical-Surgical/Oncology and Maternal-Child specialties for the Mayo Clinic Health System. Jane is retiring from her appointment with M Health Fairview in which she served as Co-Chair for the System Pediatric Acute Care Committee on Quality, Chair for the System Perintal Nursing Epic Council, and Executive Committee member for the System Zero Birth Injury Initiative. Jane led multiple M Health Fairview system initiatives for newborns including Hypoglycemia, Hyperbilirubinemia, and Early Onset Sepsis. Jane is a member of the leadership commitee for AWHONN Minnesota Section and served several years as the Education Committee Co-Coordinator. 

Sherry Tenge, RN, BSN

Sherry Tenge is the Surrogacy Matching Services Manager for ConceiveAbilities Surrogacy Agency. 

Marika Vukomanovich, DNP, RNC-OB, C-ONQS

Marika Vukomanovich is a Registered Nurse and a Nurse Educator with over 30 years of combined experience in labor and delivery, postpartum/newborn care, and prelicensure nursing education. She is an Assistant Professor at Metropolitan State University and a labor/delivery nurse at Lakeview Hospital. Marika has a strong commitment to advancing patient care, education, and professional development in the nursing field. She is actively involved in AWHONN MN Section as the Membership Coordinator and in Minnesota Perinatl Quality Collaborative (MNPQC), and has a deep dedication to improving outcomes for women and newborns. Marika is excited to contribute to the AWHONN MN state conference, fostering collaboration and sharing valuable insights regarding postpartum urinary retention with the nursing community.

Sarah Wernimont, MD, PhD

Dr Sarah Wernimont is a physician-scientist in maternal-fetal medicine whose research interests are directed towards improving outcomes for individuals with pregnancies complicated by diabetes and obesity. In her clinical research, she has worked to develop and identify better ways to deliver care for patients with diabetes in pregnancy. Her basic research program is directed towards defining the mechanisms by which gestational diabetes impairs placental development. The long term goal of this work is to identify novel strategies to improve pregnancy health and childhood outcomes in pregnancies complicated by diabetes.