CWI Staff

Carolina Nkouaga is a public health consultant and a community midwife. She currently serves families as a midwife with Changing Woman Initiative, in addition to assisting with administration of the organization, and is a consultant to the National College of Midwifery, the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force, and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. She is a member of the New Mexico Department of Health Licensed Midwife Advisory Board, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, the Beyond Flexner Alliance, and Cien Aguas International School Governing Council. For over a decade, she served as the Director of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Office for Community Health, where she collaborated on the development of the health extension model and various community health worker initiatives, as well as working with community partners to improve health and health equity in the state of New Mexico. She currently serves families during the prenatal, birth and postpartum period, holding space and honoring their traditions as they welcome a new life. She draws on her experience of working in indigenous communities throughout Latin America on community development projects, as well as the Bahá’í principles of unity and service, to guide her work. With ties to Costa Rica and Cameroon, the family home that she shares with her awesome husband and two phenomenal daughters is often filled with the sounds of drums and singing.

Diné

My name is Taleisa Benally (Diné) and I am the new Nutrition Aid Coordinator for Changing Women Initiative. I come from the Navajo Nation out in Arizona and came to New Mexico as a collegestudent. I am a recent graduate from the University of New Mexico where I completed my BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. The opportunity CWI has given me is a dream come true and I look forward to leading the indigineous people of New Mexico to a brighter, healthier future. I grew up on a traditional Navajo Ranch, what most Navajos know as sheep-camp, where I grew up farming and herding sheep and goats as a young child. Because of this, I am very well aware of the declining health of our people and the struggles we face in getting access to fresh, nutritious food. I am happy to guide you in your journey to health. I live by the motto that “Health is Wealth.”

Monica Larrea was born in El Paso, Texas, and has migrated throughout the southwest, living in New Mexico for 12 years. She has dedicated over 20 years to serving families in various roles, including early childhood development. Her journey led her to become a doula in 2010 and further propelled her to pursue a career as a midwife in 2016. Monica is honored to serve families in New Mexico, where she embraces the opportunity to provide holistic, client-centered care. Her commitment to the rematriation of midwifery, restoring traditional practices, and centering the experiences of BIPOC and marginalized communities is a driving force in her work. In response to racial disparities in midwifery access and education, she founded the Midwives for Black Lives scholarship fund and created The NARM Study Method. Monica envisions a future where midwifery is not only accessible but also deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom.

Laguna Pueblo

Hello, my name is Brandi Ahmie (Laguna Pueblo). Born in Albuquerque, raised on rez roads. I love my home and community. My youth was spent playing sports, volunteering for KUNM’s Singing Wire and traveling. I’ve been fortunate to step foot abroad in New Zealand, Australia and India. These opportunities have opened my eyes to how big and beautiful our world is. I graduated from UNM with a B.A. in Psychology in 2013. Since then, I have worked in many different spaces ranging from a Health and Insurance advisor to a casino kitchen sous chef, to a USPS letter carrier. I’ve done it all! Although I am grateful for the experience in other areas, I couldn’t be happier to be stepping into the Health Administrator role. I look forward to being a sportive team member to the Midwives and I hope to provide the best birthing experience for our clients.

My name is Claire Barrett Bettler (she/her) and, as a midwife who is passionate about community-based healthcare, I feel incredibly honored to be joining CWI’s amazing team. I have watched this organization grow and create real change in our state, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this work.

My pathway to and through midwifery has been varied and winding, allowing me to observe, support, and experience birth & reproductive health care in homes, birth centers, small community clinics, and large hospitals. I have lived & worked in rural communities and busy cities in the US and other countries, and I currently own a small community-based midwifery practice here in Albuquerque. I deeply value respect, simplicity, and humility, and I look forward to our working together.

Stephanie Murillo is an on-call covering midwife serving CWI clients and is a key part of our Rematriating Apprenticeship initiative. She graduated from the MEAC-Accredited National College of Midwifery in 2023 and is the founder of Parteria Xantico in the borderlands. She lives in El Paso and is bilingual in English & Spanish.

Angelique Steadman is CWI's Midwifery Fellow and is in the final stages of becoming a Licensed Midwife.  She was born and raised in Albuquerque, which is also the place she gave her four children beginnings of their own. As a doula and student midwife, I feels blessed to serve this community that has nourished my family for so long.