CWI Staff

Carolina Nkouaga is a public health consultant and a community midwife. She currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for National College of Midwifery and as a consultant to the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force, the Center for Health Innovation, and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council and has previously served on the New Mexico Department of Health Licensed Midwife Advisory Board, 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 in central New Mexico 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.

Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo) and Kwatsan (Ft. Yuma Quechan)

 Jodene Nerva-Chee (Fox Clan) is a mother of four children and also the daughter of the late Angie Tenorio-Nerva (Kewa Pueblo) and the late Joseph Nerva. Jr. (Kwatsan, Winterhaven, CA). She was born in Albuquerque, NM, however, for a brief period she lived in Winterhaven. CA. At age 6, she moved back to Kewa Pueblo where she lived until adulthood. Currently, she resides in Albuquerque, NM. Jodene's educational career began at Santo Domingo Elementary/Middle school which is located within her Kewa community. She later attended and finished high school at Bernalillo High in Bernalillo, NM. In 2014, She graduated from the University of New Mexico with her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy pre-law concentration and received a distributed minor with a focus in Native American studies. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Tulsa with a Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law. She plans to obtain her Juris Doctor at the University of New Mexico in the near future. She aims to be a positive role model for the future generations of young men and women; especially her children. She has done this for her children by being a full time student/mother, having a full-time job and having the determination to pursue her educational goals. "When my time comes to leave this world, I hope to leave an impressionable and successful path for the future generation to follow and continue where I leave off. Through perseverance and resiliency, anything is definitely possible.”—Jodene Nerva-Chee 

Diné

My name is Taleisa Benally 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.