Mujeres Staff

Staff

	Brenda Madura, RN, MS, CNM Executive Director Brenda is a certified nurse midwife with her master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago where she maintains adjunct faculty status in the graduate school of nursing. She has worked for more than 25 years with women in Chicago, the majority from Michoacán, and, now in Pátzcuaro for four years. In addition to direct clinical services delivering sexual and reproductive health care in various clinics and hospitals in and around Chicago she has mentored many students. She developed and opened a large hospital based nurse midwifery services in Chicago. She was the co-founder of an organization dedicated to opening nurse midwife practices in and around Chicago. On many occasions she has been invited to speak at conferences and on television as a women’s health care expert on varying topics. Opened a clinic run by nurse midwives to care for women residing in a domestic violence shelter.
	Gaby Mier Martínez Assistant Director Gaby has her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UNAM. She was a specialist in educational programs for adults living in rural environments through her work with CREFAL. She has worked for 15 years conducting research in rural communities in Michoacán. She has published many articles and participated in several workshops regarding adult education in rural environments.
	Jacoba de Jesús Hipólito Clinic Manager/Instructor Nurse Midwife Jacoba is a nurse with over 28 years of experience working in IMSS-Oportunidades clinics and is also a traditional midwife. She grew up in the community of Cucuchucho, which is mixed mestizo and Purépecha. Over the course of her career she has given many workshops on various themes related to women’s health and has been delivering babies in her community for over 25 years.
	Margarita Ascencia Flores Community Coordinator Margarita is from the indigenous community of Puácuaro and is Purépecha. She is an artist who carries on the tradition of the local craft in her community and is a community leader. She has held various positions within the municipality of Erongarícuaro and other governmental institutions. Many of those positions had never before been given to women. She has been working in the communities as an activist, organizer and women’s health care educator for more than 10 years.
	Veronica Pureco Farías Community Coordinator Veronica is a Mestizo woman who was born and lives in Pátzcuaro. She brings extensive experience to the group regarding the oppression of women. Despite the fact that Veronica was never given the opportunity to finish 6th grade she has become our leader in community outreach programs. She now organizes and leads the women’s health care workshops. She has also served as a promotora for the program IMSS-Oportunidades. She worked with Mujeres Aliadas as a volunteer for two years prior to receiving a paid position.
	Ondine Aleksandra Aurora Rosenthal Sievers Administrative Assistant, Translator and Documentarian Ondine has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and has worked in journalism and in the production of documentaries in her home state of Michoacán. She is from the local town of Erongarícuaro , a mixed mestizo and Purépecha community. She is bilingual (Spanish and English) and bicultural (Mexico and the United States).
	Richard Ferguson Director of the Residency Program and Research, and Documentarian Richard is an epidemiologist and health care systems analyst with 30 years of experience. He has conducted investigations, supervised projects and published extensively in peer reviewed journals within the area of maternal/child health, population health within latina communities, pregnant adolescents, violence against women and HIV/AIDS. As a volunteer for Mujeres Aliadas, he directs the student internship and residency program, coordinates academic affiliations, and is director of research and evaluation. He is also producing and directing documentary films in Pátzcuaro.