The Pennsylvania Midwifery Relations Coalition (PMRC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting traditional midwifery, maternal health freedom, and family-centered birth across the Commonwealth.
Our mission is to strengthen and maintain relationships between out-of-hospital midwives, birthing families, institutions, and governing bodies—to advance birth safety, defend parental autonomy, and protect the right to midwifery care in all its forms.
We do this through policy work, legal advocacy, community documentation, and grassroots coordination. Our board reflects the diverse stakeholders we serve—licensed and unlicensed midwives, faith-based providers, public health experts, attorneys, and birth-impacted families.
The PMRC includes midwives of many titles and traditions, as well as physicians, nurses, lawyers, pastors, educators, parents, and freedom-loving citizens across Pennsylvania. You do not need to be a midwife to join us—just someone who believes women have the right to birth with who they trust.
If you would like to inquire about working with us, please fill out the form below
Executive Leadership
Executive Director – Abigail Iovine
Founder, Strategy & Legal Oversight
Leads all PMRC operations, legal coordination, national partnerships, and long-range planning.
Board President – FILLED
Governance & Board Leadership
Chairs board meetings, supports organizational growth, and ensures mission alignment.
Vice President – Open
Internal Coordination & Committee Support
Oversees strategic flow between committees, internal ops, and executive team.
Treasurer – Open
Finance & Budget Oversight
Handles fiscal policy, nonprofit accounting, and state/federal reporting.
Secretary – Open
Organizational Records & Compliance
Maintains board minutes, governance filings, and internal documentation.
Standing Committee Chairs
Legislative Strategy Chair – Roberta Devers
Leads outreach to lawmakers, crafts bill language, and coordinates with policy allies.
Legal Affairs Chair – Open
Coordinates attorney input, constitutional reviews, and response to regulatory threats.
Federal Affairs & National Policy Liaison – Open
Builds relationships beyond PA to support federal protections and cross-state learning.
Religious & Cultural Rights Chair – Open
Ensures constitutional protections for religious and traditional midwifery are front and center.
Amish/Mennonite/Anabaptist Community Relations Chair – Open
Serves as liaison to plain communities, ensuring their birth practices, faith values, and legal needs are represented and protected within PMRC initiatives.
Clinical Liaison Chair – Kathy Hindle CNM
Serves as a liaison between traditional
birth advocates and clinical stakeholders.
Supports efforts to defend traditional birth
without imposing licensure frameworks. Provides insight on clinical language,
documentation support, and strategic testimony where medicalized systems intersect with traditional midwifery.
Membership & Outreach Chair – Open
Grows coalition engagement, leads outreach to families and local groups.
State Coalition Coordinator – Open
Supports replication of the PMRC model in other PA counties and regions.
Persecution Documentation Chair – Open
Collects and curates records of birth-related harassment, criminalization, and rights violations.
Media & Public Relations Chair – Open
Manages press, statements, and public-facing narratives that reflect PMRC values.
Fundraising & Events Chair – Open
Organizes donor campaigns, benefit events, and fund development strategy.
Technology & Data Chair – Open
Oversees digital security, member data, and internal systems for information flow.
Grassroots Mobilization Chair – Open
Coordinates protests, petitions, calls-to-action, and community response campaigns.
Diversity & Equity Liaison – Open
Ensures all voices—rural, Black, Indigenous, immigrant—are heard and represented.
Maternal Health Data Chair – Open
Compiles evidence to support safe, autonomous care models in and out of hospital.
