Jennise Dawkins, CNM (she/her) – Senior Midwife
Jennise is a Certified Nurse Midwife with a passion for women's health and family-centered care. Jennise brings a wealth of knowledge, including over five years of focused midwifery experience and 18 years as a nurse. Her education at Stony Brook University laid the foundation for her commitment to truly partnering with clients and their families—a personal mission that makes her love working at the BBC. Outside of work, Jennise stays centered through exercising and reading.
Nicole Aljoe, CNM (she/her) – Senior Midwife, Director of Midwifery
Nicole is a Certified Nurse Midwife. A dedicated healthcare professional with 10+ years of experience, Nicole is a graduate of SUNY Downstate University. Her extensive background as a Labor and Delivery Nurse led her to a deeper calling: providing holistic, compassionate care. Nicole transitioned to the birth center to move beyond the hospital environment and ensure patients receive full attention—caring for the body, as well as the emotional and spiritual journey of birth. When away from the BBC, she enjoys gardening, bird-watching, traveling, and dancing.
Umaimah Mahmud, LM, CM, MS (she/her) – Senior Midwife, Director of Operations
Inspired by the experience of her first homebirth and the care she received from her midwife, Umaimah set out to become a midwife. She earned her Master of Science in Midwifery degree at SUNY Downstate University in 2004. Having practiced full-scope midwifery in multiple settings since 2004 – in-hospital, birth center, home, private medical offices, and community health clinics – Umaimah has had the honor and privilege of attending the births of nearly 1000 families! Umaimah joined Brooklyn Birthing Center in April 2025. She is happy to continue holding space for families choosing a holistic experience in birth.
In her free time, Umaimah enjoys spending time with family, social dancing, and walking in nature.
Margaret Cole
Bio coming soon!
Raquel Haynes
Bio coming soon!
Caroline Rei, RN (she/her) – Birth Assistant
Caroline Rei has 27 years of labor and delivery nurse experience. She is one of our birth assistants, and she attended Long Island College School of Nursing. She had two home births of her own before she became a nurse. She has been at the birthing center for 3 years. She believes in the power of women and ability to give birth safely. She loves that the Brooklyn Birth Center serves as an intermediary between home birth and hospital birth.
Latifah Williams, RNC-MNN (she/her) – Birth Assistant
Latifah Williams has been a nurse for 8 years; 7 of those have been in maternal child health. In 2021, Latifah pursued her desire to expand her knowledge in human lactation and became an IBCLC, and she followed that up with obtaining her RNC-MNN in 2024. She chose to become a part of the Brooklyn Birthing Center because the experience of a natural birth is what every woman deserves if they desire it. As a mother of 7 beautiful souls, she personally understands the importance of having a positive Birthing experience. She believes with all her heart that being part of the team enables her to assist the women served at the BBC to achieve the Birthing experience they desire.
Bankes Haden, RN (she/her) – Birth Assistant
Bankes Haden is an experienced birthing assistant who attended Columbia Nursing School and University of Virginia for undergrad majoring in Visual Arts. She has been working at the Birthing Center for the past 4 months. She likes to paint in her free time. She joined the birthing center because after her nursing school rotations she realized she never saw unmedicated births free of pitocin. She wanted to be at a place like the birthing center where people have choice and freedom.
Anjanette (AJ) Silas (she/her)
Position/Years: Registered Nurse, Full Spectrum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Birth Assistant. 25 years in healthcare.
School: Long Island University, School of Nursing
License/Cert:
● Registered Nurse (RN)
● BADT Full Spectrum Doula
● Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator
● Spinning Babies® Parent Educator
● Babywearing Consultant, Center for Babywearing Studies (CBWS)
Hobbies: Quiet mornings, scuba diving in the Caribbean, finding her wings in aerial silks class.
AJ is a registered nurse and birthworker who brings over two decades of healthcare experience into the birthing space. As a mother herself, she understands the quieter parts of birth that stay with families long after the moment has passed.
She blends her clinical knowledge with holistic support. Her presence is grounded in a steady knowing that, even in uncertainty, things are often working in our favor. She guides expectant families in finding that same sense of trust within themselves.
Chanille Campbell (she/her) – Office Manager
Chanille is our Office Manager whose organizational skills keep our center running smoothly. Beyond her title, she loves cooking and shopping in her free time. Chanille is passionate about making a real difference in people's lives and ensures every patient has a seamless, supportive experience from the moment they walk in. She aims to combine her organizational skills with people-first communication to maintain a positive, caring environment for our community.
Michaela Tero (she/her) – Patient Coordinator
Michaela joined the Brooklyn Birthing Center in January of 2025 as the Patient Coordinator after completing her BA in Neuroscience & Behavior with a Minor in Women’s Studies at Barnard College. At the BBC, she loves meeting all the people excited about pregnancy, birth, and parenthood, from first-timers to those who have had multiple deliveries with us. Her passion for birth work has been growing since 2023, when she attended a doula training workshop facilitated by Ancient Song. With a handful of births under her belt, she aspires to pursue midwifery in the coming years and is currently working on her prerequisites. In her free time, you can find her playing volleyball, knitting, or trying a new recipe with her roommates.
Tova Ovits (she/her) – IBCLC
Tova graduated from Pace University with a BA in English. While nursing her youngest child, she read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and discovered how much she didn’t know while nursing her older kids. Tova has been dedicated to providing lactation support ever since. She became a La Leche League Leader and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant to help even more families enjoy a healthy, happy beginning.
Katherine Illastron (she/her) – Medical Assistant, Certified Phlebotomist Technician
I began my studies at Long Island University before transferring to Staten Island, where I completed my science program in 2016. After a brief period of uncertainty following graduating, I found my path in 2017 as a phlebotomist. Phlebotomy quickly became my passion, a welcome challenge, allowing me to provide a gentle, reassuring experience for patients while helping physicians obtain the accurate results they need for effective care. Outside of work, I enjoy baking, hiking and I am currently training for my biggest athletic challenge yet - the NYC Marathon.
Norma Veridiano, MD, FACOG, SM
As co-founder of the Brooklyn Birthing Center in 1999, Norma Veridiano, MD. has guided and supported the birth center in delivering over 1500 babies. In the last 10 years, she has taken active executive positions in the leadership and oversight of the Brooklyn Midwifery Group and Brooklyn Birthing Center. She is a board certified OB/GYN, recently retired from performing gyn surgery right up to the time of Covid-19 and from her position as founding partner of a large private practice for over 40 years in Brooklyn. She has been awarded numerous awards in recognition of her care to women over decades, and her yearly mission work globally. The award, however, that she is most proud of receiving is the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Professional Achievement Award in 2018, Texas, for her active contribution to the advancement of birth centers.
James Ducey, MD, FACOG
James Ducey, MD is a board certified OB/GYN and Perinatologist (high risk specialist). He is Director of both the Division of Maternal / Fetal Medicine and the Center for Women’s Health at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) North Shore LIJ. Dr. Ducey is available 24/7 for consultation on any question regarding our clients. He reviews all new OB charts, and reviews all client charts at 36 weeks to ensure that clients are eligible to birth at BBC in compliance with our Policies and Procedures.