By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Today is election day in the United States, where citizens go to the polls to vote on local and state level candidates and initiatives. This is a midterm election so there are no presidential elections this time. I thought it was an appropriate day to present to you and hear from DONA International’s four newest board members elected to serve in the most recent organization election. They take office and begin their three-year terms on January 1, 2019.
DONA International started as a volunteer-led organization 26 years ago and while our management company, Bostrom, provides some paid administrative support to help DONA International run smoothly, practically all of the work of running and moving this organization forward is done by volunteers, from our elected Board to doulas on the ground (just like you) in their communities, doing what they can to promote and support doulas and DONA International.
DONA International would not exist if people (just like you) did not give of their time and energy to help this organization grow and serve members and families who are seeking out and using birth and postpartum doulas. I invite you to consider how you might raise your hand and offer to support this amazing organization through your volunteer efforts. No matter your skill set or your location around the world, DONA International has a spot for you to volunteer. Won’t you consider stepping up and leaning in with your energy and time to make this organization the best it can be? If so, please reach out to the board member responsible for your area of interest. You can find them here. Alternately, you can browse our “Get Involved” page. I know there is a place in this amazing organization for your ideas and commitment. The time is now to take the next step and volunteer your creativity, time and energy! Reach out now!
In the meantime, please join me in meeting the four newest board members!
Diana Zacharin – Director of Certification
Sharon Muza: If money and time were no object, and you had a magic wand, what would you do for DONA International and doulas worldwide?
Diana Zacharin: If money wasn’t a problem, I would translate manuals and certifications packets to at least five different languages (French, Spanish, German, Russian and Creole). Also, I would invest in subtitles for the webinars and breastfeeding online class. DONA International needs to be accessible to different nations with different languages. Countries with lower economic possibilities would receive help so their doulas could participate in the annual conferences. Same for American doulas with a lower income. I would love to see big conferences!
Sharon Muza: Why are you #DONAProud and so willing to lean in and support DONA International with your time and energy in such a committed way?
Diana Zacharin: Since I became a birth doula, almost 12 years ago, I knew there are volunteers working for me on the other side of the phone and the website. I knew they are dedicating their own time and energy for the organization to just be. I wished I will also be a part of that group.
Through the years, I met so many incredible people willing to learn and develop and grow into the profession of supporting other people through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. I got to know them and relate to them and this feeling of belonging was born in me. This feeling of affinity is the result of a complete trust and the certainty that this group of professionals is working from a place of honesty and integrity. I’m proud to belong to this group! And I’m proud to be able to contribute with my little grain of sand.
Jessica Huey – Director of Advocacy
Sharon Muza: If money and time were no object, and you had a magic wand, what would you do for DONA International and doulas worldwide?
Jessica Huey: In an ideal world, I would guarantee truly a doula for every person who wants one. Doulas would be paid a fair wage for every birth they attended, and every person in the perinatal period would have a clear understanding of doula care and the ability to access doulas either free of charge, or at a price commensurate to their financial means.
Sharon Muza: Why are you #DONAProud and so willing to lean in and support DONA International with your time and energy in such a committed way?
Jessica Huey: DONA has a history of advocacy for doulas and families. I am impressed by the many seminal works of research on infant and parent attachment written by our founders that have permanently changed the course of perinatal health care around the world. I am proud that DONA is taking a strong position in support of health equity and social justice for families and I am excited to play a role in continuing to drive this progress.
Nikia Lawson – Western Membership Director
Nikia Lawson: I would train and educate all doulas about cultural competency and inclusivity in their care practices. I would aim to ensure that each family that they connect with is aware of their doula’s ability to empower them to have the birth of their choice and know that the options available to them are accessible to them through education. I would love to see them all honor their role as a doula by being true to the work they are doing without judgment and total support of their community of supporters and the DONA International organization.Melissa Harley – President Elect
Sharon Muza: If money and time were no object, and you had a magic wand, what would you do for DONA International and doulas worldwide?
Melissa Harley: Dream big! I would brainstorm how to meaningfully really reach our organizational vision of ‘a doula for every person who wants one’. I think this would require expanding our reach by training doulas from all backgrounds and cultures, as well as working with health care facilities worldwide to employ doulas as part of the patient care plan. If money really were no object, I would create doula funding (at a living wage) so that doulas can practice freely and fully and parents can receive doula support should they choose to, as opposed to if they can work it into their budgets. We know that moms have better outcomes when doulas are present, so if we had more families receiving doula support, we then, in turn, could make a more significant impact on better health outcomes. Doulas as part of the solution. As Dr. Kennel says in Doula: The Essential Ingredient – “We’ve got to try, try, try to get every mother a doula.”
Sharon Muza: Why are you #DONAProud and so willing to lean in and support DONA International with your time and energy in such a committed way?
Melissa Harley: I believe deeply in the roots and foundation of DONA International. I was lucky enough in my early years as a doula (early 2000s) to attend some DONA International conferences in which I got to meet fellow DONA doulas as well as the founders. Meeting and hearing directly from leaders, fellow doulas and DONA champions that the work I was doing in my community, as a brand new doula made a difference, helped me feel empowered and energized to do this work long term. In a way, that personal and face-to-face contact at conferences helped knit my spirit to my fellow DONA International doulas, and the collective passion and heart for doula support has kept me engaged in the organization long term. I believe that families matter, and that birth matters, and I know that DONA International and our collective work makes a difference worldwide.
I’m part of something special (and so are you!), and if I can lend my support or can help move the profession forward, I want to do that! I feel connected on a very deep level to my fellow DONA doulas, knowing that many do this work for the same reasons- better health outcomes, better birth experiences, and better birth memories for all. I also know that my time here is short, and there will be another generation of leaders who move into these positions when my service is complete. I want to have a small part in building the future of DONA International, and supporting the future of our leadership through connection, peer to peer mentorship and encouragement. We are all an amazing bunch, and I’m exceedingly #DONAProud!
What a phenomenal and strong group of leaders we voted in! I loved reading their answers and can’t wait to watch all they will accomplish for DONA International and doulas. #donaproud
Ana Paula