Vy Mai - Executive Director (she/her)
Vy has always had a passion for helping others and is currently attending the University of Washington as a first-generation college student, focusing her studies on Public and Global Health. Vy is joining MAWS with a desire to help marginalized communities gain access to quality and affordable healthcare, in an equitable way.
Vy experienced her first birth at the age of 11 when her baby sister was born, but she was appalled at the injustice that her mother faced from hospital staff, so she has always been in support of midwifery. Her experience includes working as a CNA in assisted living and in-home care, interning at various hospitals and nursing facilities around the greater Seattle area, as well as administration work in larger nonprofit hospitals and local organizations. Vy has worked with patients from many diverse backgrounds, which enables her to connect with her community and accommodate different needs.
Born in Vietnam, Vy immigrated to the U.S. with her immediate family when she was five years old. She tries to travel back to her hometown, Huế, every other year to visit her grandparents and extended family. Vy has two dogs that she and her fiancé, Conner, rescued - Coco is a golden lab/retriever mix and Louis is a white Siberian Husky. In her free time, Vy likes to travel and try new foods to keep up with her Yelp Elite status!
Vy has always had a passion for helping others and is currently attending the University of Washington as a first-generation college student, focusing her studies on Public and Global Health. Vy is joining MAWS with a desire to help marginalized communities gain access to quality and affordable healthcare, in an equitable way.
Vy experienced her first birth at the age of 11 when her baby sister was born, but she was appalled at the injustice that her mother faced from hospital staff, so she has always been in support of midwifery. Her experience includes working as a CNA in assisted living and in-home care, interning at various hospitals and nursing facilities around the greater Seattle area, as well as administration work in larger nonprofit hospitals and local organizations. Vy has worked with patients from many diverse backgrounds, which enables her to connect with her community and accommodate different needs.
Born in Vietnam, Vy immigrated to the U.S. with her immediate family when she was five years old. She tries to travel back to her hometown, Huế, every other year to visit her grandparents and extended family. Vy has two dogs that she and her fiancé, Conner, rescued - Coco is a golden lab/retriever mix and Louis is a white Siberian Husky. In her free time, Vy likes to travel and try new foods to keep up with her Yelp Elite status!
Jen Segadelli, JD, MSM - MAWS President (she/her)
Jen graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2010. Her experience as a reproductive rights attorney in resource-constrained nations inspired her to further her professional interest in reproductive health and, in particular, maternal health and childbirth. International law, human rights advocacy, and reproductive rights were central to Jen’s interest in pursuing a legal career. Jen’s passion for maternal health and childbirth evolved as her reproductive rights work in Kenya pulled her closer to the inexcusable and highly preventable loss of pregnant persons and infants in pregnancy and labor. As she could not imagine a more meaningful way to serve pregnant people and families, Jen pursued her interest in midwifery and graduated from Bastyr University with a Masters of Science in Midwifery in June of 2016.
Prior to birth work, Jen worked as an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Gender Violence Recovery Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. She has previously served on the MAWS board as a student member, and board member, and hopes to continue to use her legal expertise to lobby, research, and write about the intersection of law and midwifery because for Jen, legal advocacy and direct service will always be inextricably linked. Jen is currently the Clinical Education Supervisor and adjunct faculty in the Department of Midwifery, and adjunct faculty in the Department of Health Psychology at Bastyr University.
Jen graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2010. Her experience as a reproductive rights attorney in resource-constrained nations inspired her to further her professional interest in reproductive health and, in particular, maternal health and childbirth. International law, human rights advocacy, and reproductive rights were central to Jen’s interest in pursuing a legal career. Jen’s passion for maternal health and childbirth evolved as her reproductive rights work in Kenya pulled her closer to the inexcusable and highly preventable loss of pregnant persons and infants in pregnancy and labor. As she could not imagine a more meaningful way to serve pregnant people and families, Jen pursued her interest in midwifery and graduated from Bastyr University with a Masters of Science in Midwifery in June of 2016.
Prior to birth work, Jen worked as an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Gender Violence Recovery Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. She has previously served on the MAWS board as a student member, and board member, and hopes to continue to use her legal expertise to lobby, research, and write about the intersection of law and midwifery because for Jen, legal advocacy and direct service will always be inextricably linked. Jen is currently the Clinical Education Supervisor and adjunct faculty in the Department of Midwifery, and adjunct faculty in the Department of Health Psychology at Bastyr University.
Jessica Swan, LM, CPM, MSM - MAWS Vice President (she/her)
Jessica graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 with a degree in Psychology and a desire to go to Bastyr University's newly established Department of Midwifery. It was a screening of "The Business of Being Born" that sparked a passion within her for birth and family rights. While in the Midwifery Program, Jessica was a student midwife with Eastside Midwives at Puget Sound Birth Center in Kirkland, WA. Upon graduation in 2015, she was hired into the practice as a full time midwife. Jessica wrote her Master's Thesis on the use of the Laryngeal Mask Airway which is a simple tool that can be used to improve outcomes during neonatal resuscitation. Since graduating Jessica has precepted a dozen students and discovered that her biggest passion is teaching. Jessica teaches the entire Clinical Skills series and helps facilitates the Basic Clinical Exam and the Advanced Clinical Assessment. She is currently practicing with Snohomish Midwives. Jessica has served as the Vice President of the MAWS Board of Directors for four years. She lives in Kirkland with her wife Chelsey, where they spend their spare time cooking, puzzle-ing, reading, and traveling to Burning Man and beyond.
Jessica graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 with a degree in Psychology and a desire to go to Bastyr University's newly established Department of Midwifery. It was a screening of "The Business of Being Born" that sparked a passion within her for birth and family rights. While in the Midwifery Program, Jessica was a student midwife with Eastside Midwives at Puget Sound Birth Center in Kirkland, WA. Upon graduation in 2015, she was hired into the practice as a full time midwife. Jessica wrote her Master's Thesis on the use of the Laryngeal Mask Airway which is a simple tool that can be used to improve outcomes during neonatal resuscitation. Since graduating Jessica has precepted a dozen students and discovered that her biggest passion is teaching. Jessica teaches the entire Clinical Skills series and helps facilitates the Basic Clinical Exam and the Advanced Clinical Assessment. She is currently practicing with Snohomish Midwives. Jessica has served as the Vice President of the MAWS Board of Directors for four years. She lives in Kirkland with her wife Chelsey, where they spend their spare time cooking, puzzle-ing, reading, and traveling to Burning Man and beyond.
Kristin Eggleston, LM, CPM - MAWS Treasurer (she/her)
Kristin graduated from MCU in 2009 and started her homebirth practice in rural south central Washington. Kristin started her path to midwifery with the homebirth of her son in 2002. This was the impetus that linked her previous interest in medicine and anthropology with her new interest in natural health and parenting. She now has offices in Prosser and Yakima and works closely with midwives in Ellensburg and the Tri-Cities. She has been on the MAWS Board since 2014 as the Member Services Chair and a member of the Legislative-Policy Committee. She now lives with her husband, Bryce, and their busy, blended family of five kids and two dogs, in Prosser.
Kristin graduated from MCU in 2009 and started her homebirth practice in rural south central Washington. Kristin started her path to midwifery with the homebirth of her son in 2002. This was the impetus that linked her previous interest in medicine and anthropology with her new interest in natural health and parenting. She now has offices in Prosser and Yakima and works closely with midwives in Ellensburg and the Tri-Cities. She has been on the MAWS Board since 2014 as the Member Services Chair and a member of the Legislative-Policy Committee. She now lives with her husband, Bryce, and their busy, blended family of five kids and two dogs, in Prosser.
Melanie Dickson, LM, CPM, QMP Chair (she/her)
Melanie graduated from Seattle Midwifery School in 2006. Since then she has caught babies in a homebirth practice on the Olympic Peninsula, a busy birth center in the greater Seattle area, and in 2015 completed the bridging program to certify as a Registered Midwife in Ontario--but returned to practice out of hospital because Washington midwifery has always felt like home.
Melanie is the current Coordinator of the Quality Management Program for MAWS, and is committed to improving outcomes for midwives and the families they serve. She believes that as a midwifery community, we can strive for clinical rigor and best practice, while at the same time supporting each other with empathy and respect. She aims to increase representation on the QMP and make the entire process more transparent, less intimidating, and safe for all. She currently lives in Woodinville with her family.
Melanie graduated from Seattle Midwifery School in 2006. Since then she has caught babies in a homebirth practice on the Olympic Peninsula, a busy birth center in the greater Seattle area, and in 2015 completed the bridging program to certify as a Registered Midwife in Ontario--but returned to practice out of hospital because Washington midwifery has always felt like home.
Melanie is the current Coordinator of the Quality Management Program for MAWS, and is committed to improving outcomes for midwives and the families they serve. She believes that as a midwifery community, we can strive for clinical rigor and best practice, while at the same time supporting each other with empathy and respect. She aims to increase representation on the QMP and make the entire process more transparent, less intimidating, and safe for all. She currently lives in Woodinville with her family.
Mariah Falin, CD(PALS), Midwifery Consumer (she/her)
Mariah Falin, CD(PALS) has been a practicing doula in the Seattle area since 2013. She became a consumer of midwifery care with her second birth and has been a longtime advocate for the midwifery model of care. She is a current member of the board of PALS Doulas and has strengthened existing ties and created new opportunities for collaboration in our local perinatal community. Her colleagues describe her as a connector and valuable community resource. She lives in a tiny home in Lynnwood with her partner of 18 years, their two boys, black lab and cat.
Mariah Falin, CD(PALS) has been a practicing doula in the Seattle area since 2013. She became a consumer of midwifery care with her second birth and has been a longtime advocate for the midwifery model of care. She is a current member of the board of PALS Doulas and has strengthened existing ties and created new opportunities for collaboration in our local perinatal community. Her colleagues describe her as a connector and valuable community resource. She lives in a tiny home in Lynnwood with her partner of 18 years, their two boys, black lab and cat.
Sunita Iyer, ND, LM (she/her)
Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM is a licensed primary care naturopathic doctor and licensed midwife in the state of Washington. She earned her doctorate and midwifery training from Bastyr University. She served on the MAWS board from 2004-2010 as both a student and professional midwife, and left the board in 2010 to serve as both a member and Chair of the Midwifery Advisory Committee until 2015. She is currently in active clinical practice and is on faculty at the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. Her interests and expertise are in pediatrics, women’s health, and preconception & perinatal care. She loves seeing whole families from beginning to end, and enjoys a bit of the “town doctor” life. She runs an integrative clinic alongside her better half, Eastside Natural Medicine, in Kenmore, WA, and practices alongside many incredibly talented colleagues who share the love of caring for and encircling families. She is looking forward to serving the midwives of Washington State with some fresh eyes and a renewed perspective.
Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM is a licensed primary care naturopathic doctor and licensed midwife in the state of Washington. She earned her doctorate and midwifery training from Bastyr University. She served on the MAWS board from 2004-2010 as both a student and professional midwife, and left the board in 2010 to serve as both a member and Chair of the Midwifery Advisory Committee until 2015. She is currently in active clinical practice and is on faculty at the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. Her interests and expertise are in pediatrics, women’s health, and preconception & perinatal care. She loves seeing whole families from beginning to end, and enjoys a bit of the “town doctor” life. She runs an integrative clinic alongside her better half, Eastside Natural Medicine, in Kenmore, WA, and practices alongside many incredibly talented colleagues who share the love of caring for and encircling families. She is looking forward to serving the midwives of Washington State with some fresh eyes and a renewed perspective.
Louisa Severn, LM, CPM (she/her)
I was licensed in 2010 after graduating with the last cohort of Seattle Midwifery School and practiced in Kitsap County almost continuously since. I am currently re-entering the Washington midwifery scene after a burnout related, three year hiatus spent working in fertility medicine and third party reproduction at Sound Fertility Care in Seattle. I was a member of the MAWS board from 2008-2017 and served as the Midwife Chair of the JUA from 2012-2017. I am passionate (and frequently vocal) about midwives being paid appropriately and student midwives being trained properly and treated fairly. Baked goods and knitting are my love languages. My wife and I live in Kingston Washington where we raise our hilariously massive blended family and plot revolution
I was licensed in 2010 after graduating with the last cohort of Seattle Midwifery School and practiced in Kitsap County almost continuously since. I am currently re-entering the Washington midwifery scene after a burnout related, three year hiatus spent working in fertility medicine and third party reproduction at Sound Fertility Care in Seattle. I was a member of the MAWS board from 2008-2017 and served as the Midwife Chair of the JUA from 2012-2017. I am passionate (and frequently vocal) about midwives being paid appropriately and student midwives being trained properly and treated fairly. Baked goods and knitting are my love languages. My wife and I live in Kingston Washington where we raise our hilariously massive blended family and plot revolution
Emily Jones, CPM, MSM (she/her)
Emily Jones (she/her) earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis in 2015. In 2020, she graduated with a Master of Science in Midwifery program from Bastyr University. During her time as a student midwife, Emily completed her Master’s Thesis on the topic of community midwifery integration into Washington State Disaster and Emergency Management. She is a leading member of the Washington State Midwifery COVID-19 Response Coalition and is greatly interested in the intersection of midwifery care and public health. As a new midwife and a member of the MAWS Board of Directors, Emily focuses her attention on reducing barriers and increasing access to midwifery care.
Emily Jones (she/her) earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis in 2015. In 2020, she graduated with a Master of Science in Midwifery program from Bastyr University. During her time as a student midwife, Emily completed her Master’s Thesis on the topic of community midwifery integration into Washington State Disaster and Emergency Management. She is a leading member of the Washington State Midwifery COVID-19 Response Coalition and is greatly interested in the intersection of midwifery care and public health. As a new midwife and a member of the MAWS Board of Directors, Emily focuses her attention on reducing barriers and increasing access to midwifery care.
Natalie Jolly, PhD
Twenty years ago, when Natalie Jolly attended her first homebirth with an Amish midwife in the farms of Pennsylvania, she had no idea that she was embarking on a lifetime pursuit of birth activism and research. Indeed, like many who attend their first birth, she thought, “This will never work!”. But, after assisting at a breech delivery, a surprise delivery of twins, the birth of a dwarf baby, and many others in her two years midwifing in Pennsylvania, she learned what midwives well know – childbirth DOES work, and works well – when supported by the care of midwives and an active birth community.
In the two decades since Natalie attended her first homebirth, she has continued to research and write on women’s experience of childbirth as a sociologist at the University of Washington Tacoma. Her work considers everything from cesarean delivery to pubic hair, and she was recently invited to speak as a panelist for the World Health Organization in their “Happy Birthday: Childbirth in the World Health Organization”.
As a mother of 5 children herself, all born at home with midwives, Natalie Jolly is personally invested in the role that everyday citizens can play in supporting Washington’s midwifery community. Jolly hopes to bring an “outsider within” perspective as mother, researcher, and childbirth activist to the MAWS Board.
Twenty years ago, when Natalie Jolly attended her first homebirth with an Amish midwife in the farms of Pennsylvania, she had no idea that she was embarking on a lifetime pursuit of birth activism and research. Indeed, like many who attend their first birth, she thought, “This will never work!”. But, after assisting at a breech delivery, a surprise delivery of twins, the birth of a dwarf baby, and many others in her two years midwifing in Pennsylvania, she learned what midwives well know – childbirth DOES work, and works well – when supported by the care of midwives and an active birth community.
In the two decades since Natalie attended her first homebirth, she has continued to research and write on women’s experience of childbirth as a sociologist at the University of Washington Tacoma. Her work considers everything from cesarean delivery to pubic hair, and she was recently invited to speak as a panelist for the World Health Organization in their “Happy Birthday: Childbirth in the World Health Organization”.
As a mother of 5 children herself, all born at home with midwives, Natalie Jolly is personally invested in the role that everyday citizens can play in supporting Washington’s midwifery community. Jolly hopes to bring an “outsider within” perspective as mother, researcher, and childbirth activist to the MAWS Board.