Ann M. Starrs, President
 Ann Starrs co-founded FCI in 1987, helping to launch the first organization devoted to safe motherhood. FCI’s founding mission was to mobilize action to reduce the half a million maternal deaths that occur every year.
Ann initiated FCI’s in-country programs in Eastern and Southern Africa while based in Uganda from 1989-1992. From 1992-1996 she directed FCI’s Africa program, before stepping into the role of Vice President. She was integrally involved in FCI’s work as the secretariat for the Safe Motherhood Inter-Agency Group, a role the organization fulfilled from 1987 to 2004. She currently serves as co-chair of the Board of the global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, serves on the Technical Advisory Group for Saving Newborn Lives, and has authored numerous publications and scholarly articles on maternal health. She assumed the Presidence of FCI in January 2008.
Jill W. Sheffield, President Emeritus, 1987 - 2007
 Jill Sheffield founded FCI in 1987, in response to a challenge articulated by the World Health Organization in 1985: one woman dies every minute from pregnancy. In the last 20 years, Jill and FCI have been a guiding force that has galvanized international attention and commitment to safe motherhood, and have pointed the way toward effective solutions. The first action undertaken by FCI upon its founding was to coordinate the newly formed Safe Motherhood Initiative. FCI served as the Secretariat of this inter-agency group until 2005.
With FCI, Jill played a central role in several key world conferences, including the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994, the Hague Forum, and the UN General Assembly Special Session for ICPD +5. In 2003, she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbia University Teachers College.
Prior to founding FCI, Jill served as an Executive Officer for the International Program of Carnegie Corporation of New York. She obtained her MA in Comparative and International Education from Columbia University Teacher’s College and graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Education from Glassboro State College.
The Lancet, a pre-eminent medical journal, released a special “Women Deliver” issue in October 2007, featuring a profile of Jill Sheffield. Click here to read it.
Debra A. Jones, Director Global Advocacy
In coordination with a range of global, regional, and national partners, Debra implements a global advocacy strategy aimed at generating high-level awareness of and commitment to SRHR issues among governments, both donor and developing country; and supports FCI’s regional programs in designing and implementing national and/or regional advocacy strategies in support of key SRHR issues. Debra received her training in population and family health from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, the Division for Population and Family Health and in economic and political development from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Previously with FCI in the Dominican Republic, the Rockefeller Foundation, Columbia University, and the Presbyterian United Nations Office, Debra has served as a research, evaluation, and writing consultant with numerous organizations on gender issues, SRHR issues, emergency contraception, youth leadership, male involvement in reproductive health, and HIV and AIDS. Debra is a co-founder of the International Organization for Adolescents in Brooklyn, NY and the Paraiso Assistance Program in the Dominican Republic.
Ellen K. Brazier, Program Director, Anglophone Africa
 Ellen Brazier has served as the Director of FCI’s Anglophone Africa Program since 2002, and has been with FCI since 1996, working on our programmatic activities in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. She has extensive experience in the development of training, behavior change, advocacy, and programmatic resources in areas such maternal health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and unsafe abortion. Since 2001, she has played a leadership role in designing, implementing, and evaluating the Skilled Care Initiative. Ellen holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and spent a year at the University of Dar-es-Salaam doing graduate-level course work in Development Studies. Professional experience in research, proposal writing and fundraising includes consultancies to the World Bank and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL). Proficient in Swahili and French.
Angela Mutunga, Program Coordinator, FCI Kenya
 Angela Mutunga has been with FCI Kenya since 1998. Hired as a part-time accountant, Angela has been a full-time employee for the past seven years, taking on increased responsibilities for program coordination and overall office management. She has extensive knowledge about maternal and adolescent sexual and reproductive health issues and in-depth experience in staffing, finance, and program implementation and reporting. Angela also has coordinated research at health facilities and at the household levels, developed training materials for adult learners and facilitated participatory training sessions on community advocacy, community outreach, and mobilization. Angela is a qualified accountant with ten years' experience in accounting, auditing, drafting and revising financial statements, and budgeting.
Tuntufye Mwakajonga, Program Coordinator, FCI Tanzania
 Prior to joining FCI, Tuntufye served as program officer at the Foundation for Civil Society where he worked with community-based organizations addressing poverty. Prior to the Foundation for Civil Society, he completed his Master’s in Demography at the University of Dar es Salaam. His thesis focused on maternal nutrition and maternal and child health outcomes. Tuntufye has participated in a range of other qualitative and quantitative research studies, including studies on youth behavior change and HIV infection, community adaptation to climate change, natural resource management, and rural energy consumption.
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