Board of Directors The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization Board of Directors
Debra Pascali-Bonaro, IMBCO Chair, is an inspirational speaker, author, filmmaker, and podcaster, and serves as Chair of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization and Co-Chair of the International Childbirth Initiative (ICI). With decades of experience as a Lamaze International childbirth educator and DONA International birth and postpartum doula trainer, she has worked with midwives, doulas, physicians, nurses, and parents in over 50 countries to advance safe, respectful, and compassionate maternity care. A globally recognized expert on the physiology of birth and the science of pleasure, Debra is a frequent featured voice in international media, conferences, and professional forums—pioneering a vision of birth that honors respect, dignity, and pleasure.
Jake Marshall, MBA, MSBA, IMBCO Treasurer, has expertise in financial management, compliance, analytics, and organizational governance. He brings a disciplined, systems-oriented perspective shaped by both private-sector financial operations and senior leadership experience in the United States Marine Corps. His background combines advanced analytical training with hands-on experience in budgeting, compliance, internal controls, and organizational performance.
Jake is a former U.S. Marine Corps Captain, where he served as a Manpower and Legal Officer with the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group. In this role, he was administratively responsible for more than 2,200 Marines worldwide across nine geographic regions, overseeing personnel readiness, legal administration, budgeting, and policy coordination with the U.S. Department of State. His service included managing multimillion-dollar operating budgets, conducting audits, streamlining travel and payroll systems, advising commanding officers on legal and personnel matters, and training senior administrative leaders internationally. He completed his service honorably and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal.
Through his work with IMBCO, Jake supports strong financial stewardship, transparency, and risk-aware decision-making, helping ensure that the organization’s financial practices sustainably advance its mission to promote respectful, evidence-based, and human-rights-centered maternity care for mothers, babies, and families worldwide.
Soo Downe, BA(Hons), RM, MSc, PhD, OBE, University of Central Lancashire, UK
Soo is a member of IMBCO, and of the ICI Board. She spent 15 years working as a clinical and research midwife. In 2001 she joined UCLan where she is now the Professor of Midwifery Studies. Her main research focus is the nature of, and cultures around, normal birth. She has been a member of the Technical Working Group of the World Health Organization antenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and optimising caesarean section guidelines. She has published over 160 peer reviewed papers, and has undertaken research using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods. She is a member of the NHS England Better Births national Stakeholder group. She was the founder of the International Normal Birth Research Conference Series.
Dr. Vijaya Krishnan is the founder of The Sanctum Natural Birth Center, in Hyderabad, India. She is a Certified Professional Midwife, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, an Advanced Certified Lactation Professional, & also has Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
In 2008, she pioneered a unique Collaborative Model of Care – Women receive Autonomous Midwife Led Care, through the childbearing year from preconception to postpartum, with Consultant OBGyns, Pediatricians, and emergency infrastructure on site, in case of emergency & complex needs. This has become a model of care which can be replicated throughout the world, where women can have both safe and satisfying birth outcomes, and The Sanctum is a designated ICI implementing facility.
In addition to this, she is the Program Director of the Healthy Mother Lamaze Accredited Childbirth Educator Program since 2009. 95% of India's Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators today, have been mentored by her program.
Dr. Vijaya's articles have been published in International Journals, & recently, she has also co-authored a chapter on Breech Birth in the book “Sustainable Birth in Disruptive Times”.
She is an invited speaker both nationally & internationally, and has led workshops at FIGO conferences. She has also been invited by the State Government of Telangana, to teach Respectful Maternity Care and evidence-based practices to doctors and other stakeholders, to improve maternal and newborn outcomes, and reduce use of unnecessary interventions.
Dr. Vijaya has been awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to MotherBaby” by Midwifery Today. She recently received her second Lifetime Achievement Award at the IBC Conference in July 2023.
Debrah Lewis RN, CNM, MSc has practiced, as a clinician and consultant, over the past 39 years in the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and India. She has presented extensively regionally and internationally at workshops and conferences on midwifery and sexual reproductive health related topics.
She is a founder and current Executive Director of Mamatoto Resource & Birth Centre, the only freestanding, midwifery-led birth centre in the Caribbean, where she remains in active midwifery practice. She is a founder of, and remains active in, the Trinidad & Tobago Association of Midwives (1995), and the Caribbean Regional Midwives Association (2012).
Debrah is a UNFPA LACRO, and a Jhpiego International, Midwifery Consultant; a member of the World Health Organization Strategic and Advisory Technical Group of Experts (STAGE) Subgroup; the Steering Committee Re-establishing Confederation of African Midwives’ Associations; and has served as Vice President and a Board Member of the International Confederation of Midwives for 9 years and on their Scientific Program Planning Committee.
Her recent recognition includes receiving a National Award for The Development of Women – Gold – for her work in Community Service and Midwifery in Trinidad & Tobago; and selection by Women in Global Health in 2020 as one of the 100 Outstanding Nurse and Midwife Global Leaders.
Debrah's most recent publications are: 2025 Elsevier SSM – Health Sciences Volume 5 Experiences of maternity care (MC): Perspectives among women, partners and service providers in Trinidad; 2022 UNFPA Good Practices in Midwifery – LACRO & Caribbean Region 2020-2021.
Dr Amali Lokugamage (MBChB, BSc, MSc, MD, FRCOG, SFHEA) is a consultant obstetrician(non-clinical) and gynaecologist(clinical) and an honorary associate professor, Institute of Women’s Health, UCL, London, UK. She had a homebirth in 2008. Her experience of homebirth and the decision-making process surrounding it are captured in her book, The Heart in the Womb: An Exploration into the Roots of Human Love and Social Cohesion. She authored a second book, Within the Pregnant Pause. In addition, she has more than 81 publications in peer-reviewed journals/book chapters). She is a Board Director of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organisation (IMBCO). respectf human rights and kindness She is currently on the maternal and neonatal advisory group for the NHS Race and Health Observatory. She has been a long-standing advocate in respectful maternity care, human rights in healthcare, equality/diversity and decolonisation with particular interest in power imbalances. She is a senior medical educator.
Daphne Rattner, is an Associate Professor at the Graduate Program on Public Health at the School of Health Sciences of the University of Brasilia. Besides her PhD in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, Daphne studied Public Health and Tropical Diseases at the University of Sao Paulo; Hospital and Health Services Administration at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas; Community-oriented Primary Health Care at Hebrew University, Israel; and Primary Health Care: Policy, Planning and Politics of Health in Development at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Daphne organized the book Humanizando Nascimentos e Partos (2005), and in 2009 A medicina tradicional e os sistemas municipais de saúde: Humanização do parto sob o enfoque do Patrimônio Cultural / La medicina tradicional y los sistemas municipales de Salud: Humanización del parto sobre el enfoque del Patrimonio Cultural (Traditional medicine and local healthcare systems: Humanization of Childbirth under the perspective of Cultural Heritage). Also, she organized the publication "Childbirth care: an agenda for the 21st century", in partnersgip with the Brazilian Office of UNICEF. Before taking on the position at the University, Daphne worked for five years ()2004 - 2009) in the Women’s Health Program for the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Since 2012 she is the President of the The Brazilian Network for the Humanization of Childbirth (Rede pela Humanização do Parto e Nascimento - ReHuNa), that has partnered with many Brazilian and international organizations and has already organized five International Conferences for the Humanization of Childbirth. Since March 2025 she represents ReHuNa in the WHO Women’s Representative Panel to contribute to the development of upcoming guidelines/recommendations on surgical and medical interventions to optimize caesarean section outcomes. She is also a member of the Advisory Counselor of organizations such as Relacahupan - Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe por la Humanización del Parto y Nacimiento, Ibfan-Brasil and others.
Rae Davies, BSH, AdvBDT(DONA), LCCE, IBCLC Rae’s professional career began when the birth of her first baby was featured in the film Childbirth for the Joy of It. Guest appearances on talk shows with Maria Cole (wife of the late Nat King Cole), and Regis Philbin inspired her to continue to educate women and men about natural childbirth and husbands in the delivery room. Rae became the first certified Bradley Method childbirth educator, which led her to following her students through labor, birth and breastfeeding as a doula and lactation consultant. With solid roots in the grassroots childbirth movement, Rae became the first Executive Director for the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) where she represented CIMS nationally, internationally, and on the US Breastfeeding Committee. She is also a past Health Care Practices Task Force co-coordinator for the World Alliance of Breastfeeding Action (WABA). Rae continues her passion by serving with the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization (IMBCO). She still dedicates most of her time to providing training programs globally for doulas, childbirth educators, and midwives.
Jake Marshall, MBA, MSBA, IMBCO Treasurer, has expertise in financial management, compliance, analytics, and organizational governance. He brings a disciplined, systems-oriented perspective shaped by both private-sector financial operations and senior leadership experience in the United States Marine Corps. His background combines advanced analytical training with hands-on experience in budgeting, compliance, internal controls, and organizational performance.
Jake is a former U.S. Marine Corps Captain, where he served as a Manpower and Legal Officer with the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group. In this role, he was administratively responsible for more than 2,200 Marines worldwide across nine geographic regions, overseeing personnel readiness, legal administration, budgeting, and policy coordination with the U.S. Department of State. His service included managing multimillion-dollar operating budgets, conducting audits, streamlining travel and payroll systems, advising commanding officers on legal and personnel matters, and training senior administrative leaders internationally. He completed his service honorably and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal.
Through his work with IMBCO, Jake supports strong financial stewardship, transparency, and risk-aware decision-making, helping ensure that the organization’s financial practices sustainably advance its mission to promote respectful, evidence-based, and human-rights-centered maternity care for mothers, babies, and families worldwide.
Soo Downe, BA(Hons), RM, MSc, PhD, OBE, University of Central Lancashire, UK
Soo is a member of IMBCO, and of the ICI Board. She spent 15 years working as a clinical and research midwife. In 2001 she joined UCLan where she is now the Professor of Midwifery Studies. Her main research focus is the nature of, and cultures around, normal birth. She has been a member of the Technical Working Group of the World Health Organization antenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and optimising caesarean section guidelines. She has published over 160 peer reviewed papers, and has undertaken research using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods. She is a member of the NHS England Better Births national Stakeholder group. She was the founder of the International Normal Birth Research Conference Series.
Dr. Vijaya Krishnan is the founder of The Sanctum Natural Birth Center, in Hyderabad, India. She is a Certified Professional Midwife, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, an Advanced Certified Lactation Professional, & also has Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
In 2008, she pioneered a unique Collaborative Model of Care – Women receive Autonomous Midwife Led Care, through the childbearing year from preconception to postpartum, with Consultant OBGyns, Pediatricians, and emergency infrastructure on site, in case of emergency & complex needs. This has become a model of care which can be replicated throughout the world, where women can have both safe and satisfying birth outcomes, and The Sanctum is a designated ICI implementing facility.
In addition to this, she is the Program Director of the Healthy Mother Lamaze Accredited Childbirth Educator Program since 2009. 95% of India's Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators today, have been mentored by her program.
Dr. Vijaya's articles have been published in International Journals, & recently, she has also co-authored a chapter on Breech Birth in the book “Sustainable Birth in Disruptive Times”.
She is an invited speaker both nationally & internationally, and has led workshops at FIGO conferences. She has also been invited by the State Government of Telangana, to teach Respectful Maternity Care and evidence-based practices to doctors and other stakeholders, to improve maternal and newborn outcomes, and reduce use of unnecessary interventions.
Dr. Vijaya has been awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to MotherBaby” by Midwifery Today. She recently received her second Lifetime Achievement Award at the IBC Conference in July 2023.
Debrah Lewis RN, CNM, MSc has practiced, as a clinician and consultant, over the past 39 years in the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and India. She has presented extensively regionally and internationally at workshops and conferences on midwifery and sexual reproductive health related topics.
She is a founder and current Executive Director of Mamatoto Resource & Birth Centre, the only freestanding, midwifery-led birth centre in the Caribbean, where she remains in active midwifery practice. She is a founder of, and remains active in, the Trinidad & Tobago Association of Midwives (1995), and the Caribbean Regional Midwives Association (2012).
Debrah is a UNFPA LACRO, and a Jhpiego International, Midwifery Consultant; a member of the World Health Organization Strategic and Advisory Technical Group of Experts (STAGE) Subgroup; the Steering Committee Re-establishing Confederation of African Midwives’ Associations; and has served as Vice President and a Board Member of the International Confederation of Midwives for 9 years and on their Scientific Program Planning Committee.
Her recent recognition includes receiving a National Award for The Development of Women – Gold – for her work in Community Service and Midwifery in Trinidad & Tobago; and selection by Women in Global Health in 2020 as one of the 100 Outstanding Nurse and Midwife Global Leaders.
Debrah's most recent publications are: 2025 Elsevier SSM – Health Sciences Volume 5 Experiences of maternity care (MC): Perspectives among women, partners and service providers in Trinidad; 2022 UNFPA Good Practices in Midwifery – LACRO & Caribbean Region 2020-2021.
Dr Amali Lokugamage (MBChB, BSc, MSc, MD, FRCOG, SFHEA) is a consultant obstetrician(non-clinical) and gynaecologist(clinical) and an honorary associate professor, Institute of Women’s Health, UCL, London, UK. She had a homebirth in 2008. Her experience of homebirth and the decision-making process surrounding it are captured in her book, The Heart in the Womb: An Exploration into the Roots of Human Love and Social Cohesion. She authored a second book, Within the Pregnant Pause. In addition, she has more than 81 publications in peer-reviewed journals/book chapters). She is a Board Director of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organisation (IMBCO). respectf human rights and kindness She is currently on the maternal and neonatal advisory group for the NHS Race and Health Observatory. She has been a long-standing advocate in respectful maternity care, human rights in healthcare, equality/diversity and decolonisation with particular interest in power imbalances. She is a senior medical educator.
Daphne Rattner, is an Associate Professor at the Graduate Program on Public Health at the School of Health Sciences of the University of Brasilia. Besides her PhD in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, Daphne studied Public Health and Tropical Diseases at the University of Sao Paulo; Hospital and Health Services Administration at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas; Community-oriented Primary Health Care at Hebrew University, Israel; and Primary Health Care: Policy, Planning and Politics of Health in Development at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Daphne organized the book Humanizando Nascimentos e Partos (2005), and in 2009 A medicina tradicional e os sistemas municipais de saúde: Humanização do parto sob o enfoque do Patrimônio Cultural / La medicina tradicional y los sistemas municipales de Salud: Humanización del parto sobre el enfoque del Patrimonio Cultural (Traditional medicine and local healthcare systems: Humanization of Childbirth under the perspective of Cultural Heritage). Also, she organized the publication "Childbirth care: an agenda for the 21st century", in partnersgip with the Brazilian Office of UNICEF. Before taking on the position at the University, Daphne worked for five years ()2004 - 2009) in the Women’s Health Program for the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Since 2012 she is the President of the The Brazilian Network for the Humanization of Childbirth (Rede pela Humanização do Parto e Nascimento - ReHuNa), that has partnered with many Brazilian and international organizations and has already organized five International Conferences for the Humanization of Childbirth. Since March 2025 she represents ReHuNa in the WHO Women’s Representative Panel to contribute to the development of upcoming guidelines/recommendations on surgical and medical interventions to optimize caesarean section outcomes. She is also a member of the Advisory Counselor of organizations such as Relacahupan - Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe por la Humanización del Parto y Nacimiento, Ibfan-Brasil and others.
Rae Davies, BSH, AdvBDT(DONA), LCCE, IBCLC Rae’s professional career began when the birth of her first baby was featured in the film Childbirth for the Joy of It. Guest appearances on talk shows with Maria Cole (wife of the late Nat King Cole), and Regis Philbin inspired her to continue to educate women and men about natural childbirth and husbands in the delivery room. Rae became the first certified Bradley Method childbirth educator, which led her to following her students through labor, birth and breastfeeding as a doula and lactation consultant. With solid roots in the grassroots childbirth movement, Rae became the first Executive Director for the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) where she represented CIMS nationally, internationally, and on the US Breastfeeding Committee. She is also a past Health Care Practices Task Force co-coordinator for the World Alliance of Breastfeeding Action (WABA). Rae continues her passion by serving with the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization (IMBCO). She still dedicates most of her time to providing training programs globally for doulas, childbirth educators, and midwives.