Meeting the ICM Board: new and re-elected members form a dynamic group: June 2008 saw the establishment of an enhanced governance structure for the ICM: here some of the new Board members introduce themselves.

When ICM Council voted for its present constitution, the Board took on a new look. It is now led by a President, Vice-President and member with financial portfolio (who form a smaller Executive Committee) with support from other members elected from each region.

Frances Day-Stirk, Vice-President

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Frances holds the post of Director Learning Research and Practice Development at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) of the UK.

As RCM Director of Learning Research and Practice Development International Office, a UK resource, her role is multi-faceted in leading the development of the department and its activities. She is a member of the Strategic Management Team and represents the College on national and international forums.

The other major part of her remit is to co-ordinate the College's international affairs in close collaboration with the RCM General Secretary who is also the Director of the only WHO Collaborating Centre for Midwifery.

She represents the RCM at the European Midwives Association, the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations and the WHO (having been elected Vice-chair in 2007) as well as the International Confederation of Midwives. She was elected Vice-President in 2008.

Her professional interests include: organisation of maternity services, homebirth, promoting normality, newborn care and safe motherhood. She has published widely and presented at conferences at home and abroad.

Originally from Jamaica, she initially trained as a nurse in Devon, in south-west England, before moving to North London.

A midwife with 30 years experience, she has practised as a community midwife, and worked both as a tutor and a community midwifery manager, before becoming a Head of Midwifery in 1992. During this period Frances was awarded an Alan Booking NHS Travel Fellowship, which enabled her to visit a Childbearing Centre in the USA.

On a personal note, Frances is mother to three children who were all born at home.

Marian van Huis, Board Member with Financial Portfolio

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Marian writes: Dear Colleagues, It was a great privilege when you elected me to the executive committee of ICM as board member with financial portfolio.

To introduce myself again: my name is Marian van Huis, 61 years of age, married to Wim a politician of the labour party. We live in a small village in the middle of the Netherlands at the river Vecht. We share our house with three Siamese cats.

I was trained as a...