Governance

As an ACM member throughout her 30 year midwifery career, Michelle has held a number of branch and national leadership positions including as a National Midwife Director from 2012 – 2014 and ACM Vice-President from 2014 – 2016, Vic Branch Vice President (2008) and NT Branch Vice President (1998). Following on from her most recent roles on the Board Michelle was Co-Chair of the International Confederation of Midwives Education Standing Committee between 2017 and 2022.
Michelle Newton is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at La Trobe University in Victoria. Throughout her career she has worked in a variety of clinical roles in QLD, NSW, NT and Victoria, before taking on roles in both clinical education and then in the University sector in NT and Victoria. Her current role is in university-based midwifery education and has led the design, development and implementation of midwifery curricula from Bachelor to Masters level. She has also contributed to the oversight and regulation of midwifery education through roles on the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) Midwife Accreditation Committee as between 2015 – 2021, including Deputy Chair – 2018 – 2019 and Chair - 2019 -2021.
Michelle has expertise in the implementation and evaluation of midwifery-led models of care and in primary health care initiatives. Michelle’s PhD explored the implementation of caseload midwifery models of care, and current research focusses on the growth and sustainability of caseload models from a workforce and implementation perspective. Other research foci include the integration of continuity experiences into midwifery curricula, innovative models of employment of midwifery students in the maternity setting and the wellbeing of students and midwives in practice.

Dr Zoe Bradfield holds a joint appointment as a Midwifery Academic and Midwifery Research Fellow at Curtin University and King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, WA. In these roles, Zoe sits on a number of Advisory Committees within the Department of Health. As a midwifery educator, Zoe enjoys the challenge of developing the next generation of midwives and is always looking for innovative ways to engage students. Zoe’s clinical background in rural and metropolitan midwifery have given her valuable experience in a number of different midwifery models and a determination to see women across Australia have equity of access to midwifery continuity of care. Zoe’s Doctoral Thesis explored midwives’ experiences of being ‘with woman’ during labour and birth, in a variety of models, which has further galvanised her commitment to help strengthen the midwifery profession through leadership, education and demand driven research.

Jodie Atkinson is a Registered Nurse and Midwife and has a Masters in Health Professions Education. She is a Midwife Educator and currently coordinates the Graduate Midwifery Program and midwifery student planning at Women and Newborn Health Service in Western Australia. Jodie is the current Chair of the WA ACM branch. She is passionate about supporting the wellbeing of all midwives and supporting and developing student and graduate midwives to work to their full scope of practice across the continuum of midwifery care in all areas, to build a strong future midwifery workforce.

Alison currently works in private practice in the ACT and NSW and has an adjunct professorial position at the University of Canberra. Her PhD examined why midwifery continuity of care works. Prior to her academic role/s she worked in NSW State government in policy, research and leadership positions. In her early and mid-career years, Alison worked in SA, Qld and NSW and was a change agent for models of midwifery care including midwifery group practice, public-funded homebirth and group antenatal care.

Liz has been a midwife since 1995 and has been in private practice for the past 16 years. Liz is well known for her lobbying and advocacy at all levels of government and she was in the first group of Medicare midwives in Australia. Her main levels of acumen are in policy and business development. She has an MBA from Griffith University. Liz is currently the Managing Director of My Midwives and Vice President of Midwives Australia, Liz's midwifery goal is to ensure that every woman in Australia has a midwife who she knows providing care in birth. Liz is passionate that every woman feels informed, safe, respected and cared for during this special time.

Sarah Kolo has nearly 15 years' experience providing accounting and financial services and managing operational environments. Sarah is a Chartered Accountant, currently working at the Royal Hospital for Women as the Director of Clinical Support and Finance. She has provided management accounting functions to facilitate decision making for various State and Territory Government departments, owner/operator small businesses and a range of national and multinational organisations. Sarah is a passionate advocate of women's health and improving access to healthcare for women of all ages. Outside of work Sarah is at her happiest when she is ocean swimming with a group of friends.