Sarah McBride, CPM
Vice President
Treasure Valley, ID
Peer Member
Education: 2021 Diploma of Midwifery, Mercy in Action College of Midwifery; 2012 Birth Arts International Trained Doula
Professional Activities: Sarah McBride is a staff midwife at Sage Midwifery, a busy home birth practice that serves the Treasure Valley, Idaho. Sarah is passionate about midwifery, mental health, positive outcomes, and bringing humanity and care back into healthcare. She hopes to leave a legacy of improving student-preceptor relationships. Sarah’s introduction to birth work began when she became a mother in 2009. After hearing nightmare birth stories from her friends, she discovered doula work and then midwifery. She was a doula trainer for Mercy In Action from 2015-2017. She is a Mercy In Action College of Midwifery graduate and licensed in the state of Idaho. Prior to serving on the MEAC board, Sarah has served in other board positions as a regional representative for the Idaho Midwifery Council, and event coordinator/treasurer for Cradle, an education and advocacy-focused community group, in Lewisburg, PA. She has also volunteered as a peer breastfeeding leader for Breastfeeding USA. She is the youngest of 7 children and grew up around the globe as a military brat. Her parents inspired a love of humor, literature, education, travel, and service. In her spare time, Sarah loves being with her three children. Her hobbies include nature therapy, reading, writing, and lifelong learning.
Dr. Alechia Abioye
Houston, TX
Public Member
Education: Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership, Teaching Emphasis Maryville University, May 2019
Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis,Higher Education Emphasis University of Missouri, December 2013
Bachelor of Journalism in Magazine Journalism University of Missouri, May 2010
Professional Activities: Dr. Alechia Abioye has served in Higher Education for 14 years. She has a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and experience writing policy, conducting accreditation self-studies, and leading various roles in academic and student affairs. She is a mother of three daughters and deeply passionate about maternal health care and the field of midwifery as a pathway to equitable access for birthing individuals. Since 2015, she has been involved in community organizations committed to equitable prenatal, birth, and postnatal care. Over the past six years, she has worked at institutions focusing on the health sciences. She has worked to provide curricular and curricular exposure to maternal social health disparities and normalize midwifery as a practice and standard of care within fields that have typically excluded midwifery from its curriculum. This opportunity allows her to expand my commitment and passion for women’s health and professional work in education.
Education: Master of Arts, Health Arts and Sciences, Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont — 2003. Independent Study in Childbirth and Midwifery beginning in 1973. Apprenticeship in Midwifery, 1975 — 1976. Bachelor of Science, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York — 1968.
Professional Activities: Karen Ehrlich, MA, CPM, LM has been a childbirth educator, health educator, and midwife since 1975. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of MEAC and serves as chair of the Continuing Education Committee, having been a Continuing Education Unit reviewer since 2007. Additionally, she has worked as a midwifery educator at Sage Femme Midwifery School and the Institute of Feminine Arts, and has been a module preceptor for National College of Midwifery. She has been an active member of California Association of Midwives, and has been a supporting member of Midwives Alliance of North America, National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, Citizens for Midwifery, Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, Association for Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health, International Childbirth Education Association, and Citizens for Health.