Community Conversations: Gaps and Progress in Maternal Health

Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD, is division chief of Neonatology at Children’s Nebraska and executive director at the Child Health Research Institute. She is the Department of Pediatrics vice chair of Research and the Dr. John and Patti Sparks Chair of Pediatric Research at UNMC. She is also the vice president of research at Children’s.

State Sen. Ashlei Spivey (she) is a bold visionary that works to create just communities. Ashlei’s impact is evident in the movements she launched including I Be Black Girl (IBBG). IBBG, where she serves as founder and Executive Director, is a collective that supports Black women, femmes and girls to live wholly, has had outsized impact since inception like investing over $3M back into community. In 2025, she was sworn into the Nebraska State Legislature as the representative for District 13, and the 4th Black woman to serve in the history of the legislature. Most importantly she is a mother, friend, daughter and neighbor. 

Kelly Nielsen is a dedicated public health leader with over 20 years of experience translating research and evidence-based programs into real-world practice. Ms. Nielsen currently serves as Director of the Omaha Pathways Community HUB, an innovative fostering cross-sector collaboration to better connect individuals and families with the resources they need to live healthy, thriving lives. Throughout her career, Ms. Nielsen has been driven by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life-and that achieving that required collaboration, innovation, and a relentless focus on equity.