The GOLD Conference Team

Meet the team of enthusiastic individuals who work all year round to bring you an exciting online conference!

Education Developers:

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  FLEUR BICKFORD, BSc, RN, IBCLC

  Director of Educational Programming

  Fleur Bickford is a Registered Nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with a Bachelor of Science from Queen's University. As an RN, she worked in Maternal and Child Health, gaining experience in labour and delivery, postpartum care and pediatrics. After the birth of her two children, Fleur became involved with La Leche League, eventually becoming a leader and serving as a member of both the Professional Liaison Department and the Social Media Advisory Committee, while working towards her IBCLC certification. Fleur then made the move to private practice as an RN and IBCLC and spent years working with challenging breastfeeding cases before focusing on health education with GOLD. Fleur has been very active in her local lactation community as past president of Ottawa Valley Lactation Consultants and one of the leaders of the group that established the regional breastfeeding website ottawabreastfeeds.ca. She is also a professional speaker whose presentations and articles have been shared internationally. Fleur's clinical experience in perinatal care combined with her professional and volunteer experiences with educating both families and health care professionals, lend themselves well to her role as Program Director for GOLD.
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  Leigh Ann Cates-McGlinn, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC, RRT-NPS, CHSE

  Program Chair

  Dr. Leigh Ann Cates-McGlinn, has over 27 years of total bedside experience as a registered nurse and respiratory therapist in home health, general and adult, pediatric, and neonatal critical care nursing with greater than 14 years in practice as a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP). Academically, she was Assistant Professor with Baylor College of Medicine in Department of Pediatrics in the section of Neonatology. She has also been faculty as an Associate Professor University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), East Carolina University and Old Dominion University in in their NNP Programs. Currently, Dr. Cates-McGlinn is the owner and director of McGlinn Institute which specializes in neonatal education, skills, and simulation. Dr. Cates-McGlinn's research interests include healthcare competency evaluation, hi-fidelity simulation training, and legal case review. She is recently published and serves as reviewer for multiple healthcare journals. Finally, Dr. Cates-McGlinn has also presented on multiple levels from local to international.
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  Christine Staricka, BS, IBCLC, RLC, CE

  Education Coordinator

  Christine Staricka is a Registered, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and trained childbirth educator. As the host of The Lactation Training Lab Podcast, her current role focuses on training, supporting, and coaching current and aspiring lactation care providers through a membership community, social media, and her blog on Substack. Christine created and developed The First 100 Hours© concept, an early lactation framework designed to support lactation care providers with the knowledge and mindset they need to help families optimize early lactation. Christine worked as a hospital-based IBCLC for 10 years and has over 21 years experience providing clinical lactation care and support. She provides clinical lactation care to families at Baby Café Bakersfield and serves as its Director. Christine recently completed 6 years of service on the Board of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA.) She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Phoenix. She has been married for 28 years, lives in California, and is the proud mother of 3 amazing daughters.

Education Delivery:

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  FIONA LANG-SHARPE, NAMCW, IBCLC, RLC, CLD, CLE, LCCE, CLSP

  Director of Communication & Master of Ceremonies

  Fiona Lang-Sharpe is a Birth Doula and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in Edmonton, AB, Canada. Fiona has over 20 years of experience attending births, supporting mothers post partum, and offering lactation case management services. Having studied in England under the National Association of Maternal and Child Welfare, Fiona moved to Canada in 1989 and after having her first born son was accredited through La Leche League Canada as a Leader and went onto obtain her certification as an IBCLC. Fiona's experience in perinatal health along with her interest in technology and social media and passion for quality education makes her an excellent fit for GOLD Conferences International. Fiona is one of the first voices you'll hear as one of GOLD's online Master of Ceremonies, and is also often one of the first faces you'll see, online and in person, as she represents GOLD at industry events and via social media. Fiona is highly anticipating an expanding role with GOLD, as GOLD increases it online offerings.
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  KRISTIN SCHWARZ, LM

  Master of Ceremonies

  Kristin Schwarz is a licensed midwife, maternal fitness educator, childbirth educator and bereavement doula. Kristin moved to the United States from Europe in 1997 where she worked in marketing and online education. After a peaceful home-water birth of her 2nd daughter, Kristin decided to help other women feel empowered in their birth choices. She trained to become a childbirth educator, received a degree in midwifery and holds a Florida midwifery license. Kristin's experience in perinatal and postpartum health and her background in online education make her a good fit for Gold Conferences International, and she is excited to contribute to GOLD and assist in its online growth. Kristin lives with her family in South Florida where she enjoys snorkeling and yoga on the beach.

Logistics & Management:

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  ANDREW DERGOUSOFF - Managing Partner

  With a background in technology start-ups, Andrew has been working within the educational meetings industry for more than ten years now. He was involved in bringing the GOLD brand from her original owners in Australia to Canada and building a new team of professionals to further nurture the company into the online education leader it is today. Andrew is focused on seeing new education and continual technological improvements added to GOLD in order to bring our unique style of accessible and affordable education to an ever-widening health care audience. His favourite part of the job is hearing from Delegates who were able to utilize education they learned through GOLD into their daily practices.
  
  If he is not busy working on his latest pie chart or drumming up a great deal for your group to come to a conference, he's likely travelling far-flung lands to extol the virtues of online learning or training to be a ninja.
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  DAVID VENUS - Sr. Director of Growth

  Originally from Vancouver Island, David moved to Vancouver in 1998 to attended The University of British Columbia, Majoring in Biology. He successfully operated an online marketing & web development company, catering to over 100 Clients internationally. David managed the technical operations of the GOLD Lactation Conference in 2012 and in 2013, joined the GOLD Learning Team.

  David is very passionate about customer service and ensuring that conference Participants are able to navigate the websites without a hitch. If you ever are experiencing a technical problem, He'll be there to rescue you!

  Apart from being the go-to guy for Technical Support, he has been responsible for managing the GOLD Brand, as well as re-developing the GOLD Conference Websites. He strives to further develop the GOLD Learning format into an interactive and globally accessible system, helping the valuable education reach all parts of our planet

  During his off time, you will catch him back on the beautiful Vancouver Island where he squeezes into wetsuit to surf the icy waves of the Pacific North West.
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  ISABEL DA COSTA - Senior Projects Manager

  Isabel's background revolves around Event Production, Management, and Marketing. She has experience running a variety of events from webinars to outdoor festivals which gives her a particular insight into what quality customer service looks like. Her most recent work has been in the web development/B2B SaaS sphere which lends itself to her current role with GOLD Learning as their Virtual Events Manager. She considers the GOLD Learning platform to be an innovative vehicle to ensure maternal and infant healthcare professionals of all walks of life have the ability to learn and grow to better support their community.

  Isabel was born and raised in Vancouver and holds a BA from the University of Victoria. In her spare time you can find her checking out concerts at local venues, flexing her retention of useless facts at a trivia night or catching up on her endlessly backlogged reading list.
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  NINA ADRIANNA - Speaker Manager

  Nina's educational background is in International Affairs. She worked in the public sector for five years, promoting innovation in government. After that, she was self-employed for three years; involved with various inspiring projects. Now, Nina is excited to be part of developing a niche for online conferences, as they are an efficient, green and accessible means for people to connect globally. She enjoys her bicycle commute to work and fuels herself with vibrant foods and lovely friends.
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  KAVYA BABU HEGDE - Projects Manager

  Driven by determination, innovation, and technology, Kavya is extremely passionate to contribute her skills and experiences as a Digital Projects coordinator here at GOLD Learning and Online Education. She has spent most of her career in the events industry gaining experience in areas such as event curation, execution, and management. Her interest in technology further led her to advance her career in Virtual Events. Kavya is inspired by GOLD and is grateful for the opportunity to be able to make a difference in women's healthcare and development.
  
  Born in India and moved to Canada to pursue her further education, Kavya has a Master's in Global Management from Royal Roads University. During her free time, you would find Kavya traveling around the world exploring different cultures and places.
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  JOAN UMEH - Junior Events Manager

  Joan Umeh is the Junior Digital Events Manager at GOLD Learning. She has spent most of her career in the events industry, her goals include delivering well-coordinated memorable events, meeting clients' expectations and ensuring optimal communication and organization. While planning and organization of events is her primary responsibility, Joan Umeh also excels in decision making, creative thinking and time management. In her spare time, Joan likes fine dining, music concerts and loves to travel to scenic destinations.
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  MEENA RAJANALA - Marketing Manager

  Meena Rajanala joined the GOLD family after completing her Bachelor's Degree in Communication at Simon Fraser University in 2018. Moving to Vancouver to pursue higher education and career opportunities, she has interned in the field of marketing and communications with valuable experience in event, project and marketing coordination.

  Seeking new challenges, Meena is thrilled to contribute to making maternal health education globally accessible to this unique group of healthcare professionals. She is enthusiastic about forwarding her experiences and exploring possibilities for GOLD Conferences with communications and marketing initiatives in the years to come.
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  SARAH WONG - Digital Marketing Specialist

  Sarah is a marketing and project management professional originally from Hong Kong. Her professional background as a brand executive for global brands and labels has given her extensive exposure to the world of branding, omnichannel marketing and e-commerce. While career took her to the project management field earning her PMP certificate, life led her to Canada and later to her current role here with GOLD Learning. She is thrilled to leverage her expertise and insights to contribute to the positive impact that GOLD Learning has always been creating.
  
  Outside of work, you may find her enjoying quality moments with friends, biking through the city, or hiking exploring the beauty of nature with a film camera in hand.
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  MANJIT SANDHU - Education Product Manager

  Manjit's background involves Customer Service, Project and Training Management served with a side of Administration. Her work experiences incorporate a variety of business sectors including, FortisBC (natural gas), City of Surrey - Fire Services (municipal government & emergency services), TransLink (transportation), Golden Ears Bridge tolls (electronic tolling), and eBay/PayPal (e-commerce & financial processing). By joining the GOLD Learning team, she is excited to add health and education services to that list!
  
  Manjit was born in Squamish, BC and settled down her roots in Surrey, BC – she will always be a BC girl at heart! Manjit holds a BA from KPU and has an Award of Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion from UBC. In her spare time, you can find Manjit playing tennis and shooting hoops with her kids, playing field hockey for the Surrey Sharks, or enjoying some quality family time playing Uno, Monopoly, and watching Netflix.
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  JESSICA WONG - Education Administrator

  Jessica grew up in the Okanagan and moved to Vancouver in 2011. Her professional background as a Community Support Worker with mothers in Vancouver's DTES has given her a great appreciation for the positive impact maternal healthcare workers and consultants have on individuals and their parenting experience. Jessica holds an Advanced Diploma in Business Management from BCIT and an Associate's Degree in Women's Studies from Langara College. Jessica is passionate about women's health issues and she loves that the GOLD online learning platform delivers innovative, world-class continued education options made easily accessible for maternal healthcare professionals around the globe. Jessica is a hobby naturalist and spends her free time hiking, bird watching and organizing around environmental justice.
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  NICOLE SCHNEIDER - Education Administrator

  Nicole has worked passionately and intentionally in customer facing positions for 15 years. Her background includes many different industries: alarm operations and emergency dispatch, office administration, health care billing, and food services, but GOLD is by far the most purposeful and fulfilling. In 2014, Nicole's oldest son, Tucker, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Undergoing many surgeries and procedures at BC Children's Hospital and lots of follow up care from Tucker's amazing team at Victoria General Hospital, he is now doing incredible! Working with the amazing speakers and staff here at GOLD feels like a full circle moment of sorts and a way to stay involved with the medical community that so heavily plays a part in her and her family's life. Since coming on board with GOLD, Nicole has really enjoyed working with our speakers to facilitate their incredibly engaging presentations and connecting with attendees from around the world.
  
  Originally from the small town of Sooke, BC, Nicole is now raising her 3 kids in Calgary, Alberta with her husband. In her spare time (who has that with 3 kids?), Nicole enjoys spending days at the lake with her family, discovering new restaurants, attending wine tastings with friends, going to the zoo, exploring Calgary in general and just relaxing in her sunny backyard with a cup of tea or an iced coffee.
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  JESSICA THIRLWELL - Group Sales Manager

  Jessica is the Group Sales Manager. She graduated from York University with a degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has a passion for health and wellness and believes in empowering women to prioritize their well-being through education, access to resources, and supportive communities. Since earning her degree, she has been dedicated to the health and wellness industry, specifically in sales.
  
  Jessica resides in Toronto with her husband and young son. In her spare time, she is an avid sports enthusiast. Whether it's playing soccer or engaging in kickboxing, Jessica finds joy and fulfillment in staying active.
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  Marivic Miguel - Group Education Specialist

  Marivic's extensive experience in B2B Event Services and SaaS/Technology, spanning over a decade, has equipped her for the E-Learning industry, which is the focus of GOLD Learning Online Education. Her expertise includes sales strategy development, team leadership, sales process optimization, market analysis, and forecasting and reporting. Her focus on providing value and driving mutual growth has enabled her to excel in her role and contribute to the growth of both emerging and established brands.
  
  Marivic holds an Executive MBA (Regis Program) and a Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate (CSSBB). She is dedicated to continuous personal and professional development, driven by a strong sense of purpose. Her involvement with GOLD reflects this commitment, as the focus on maternal-child healthcare resonates with her passion for empowering and supporting women's healthcare. Outside of work, she loves traveling and exploring new places and cultures. These experiences expose her to new perspectives and help her become more open-minded, enhancing her personal growth.
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  PRINCESS LUCIA LABRADOR - Group Education Coordinator

  Princess comes from the health and wellness industry focusing on active and post rehabilitation, medical exercise training and lifestyle modification. With her Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy and personal training background she has helped many clients recover from their injuries and leveled them up to their normal functional living. She prides her proven excellence in sales management, client services and leadership roles. Princess also enjoys teaching group fitness classes such as HIIT, spinning and Pilates. With her passion for travel and wellness, Princess also creates and facilitates destination retreats both locally and internationally. She recently facilitated and hosted a couple's retreat in Sayulita, Mexico where she also has a temporary residency. In her spare time, Princess loves to go for morning runs with her dog, working out, practicing yoga and meditation, cooking and energy healing with crystals and sound healing.
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  BOLA GBADAMOSI - Customer Service Associate

  Bola is a a Customer Service Associate at GOLD and has worked in customer service roles for 5 years in other fields such as Hospitality. She is passionate about helping others. In her spare time, Bola loves travelling and taking photos. Aside from travelling and photography she also enjoys being a homebody.
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  TABETHA STRACHURA - Customer Service Associate

  Tabetha is a Customer Service Associate at GOLD and loves helping people. She is passionate about leading all interactions with empathy. She has worked in customer service for 20 years spending the majority of her career in the retail industry. Tabetha has 2 boys that keep her busy when not working. She loves crafting and watching documentaries in her spare time.
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  KIM JOHNSTONE, IBCLC, LLL Leader, HHP

  Social Media

  Kim Johnstone has been working in the health field since 2000 and has a passion for supporting educated and empowered wellness. She first graduated from the British Columbia College of Equine Therapy then went on to continue her education at Grant MacEwan University with the Holistic Health Practitioner program. She focused her career on families, and furthered her attention to breastfeeding support through her work as a La Leche League Leader and then through certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Kim currently works in private practice in the area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada where she assists families through their breastfeeding relationships. She has participated in the GOLD conferences for several years and is happy to have joined the team as Social Media Personnel.

GABRIELLE NG - Web & Graphic Designer
Gabrielle Ng is a Vancouver-based designer specializing in graphic design, front-end web development, and 2D animation. Her artistic journey began during her early childhood, when her love of storytelling led her to illustrate and bind her own comic books. Her naturally inquisitive personality, passion for design, and need to express herself is what drives her to pursue her career in new media.

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

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  Annette Leary - RN, BSN, IBCLC

  Nurse Planner

  Annette Leary is a registered nurse with over 35 years of experience working in Maternal Child Health (pediatrics, postpartum, home health care and level 2 nicu). She became an IBCLC in 1995. Annette owns a private practice providing home,office, and virtual visits: Orlando Lactation and Wellness Services. She formed a collaboration company Baby B.L.I.S.S. Central Florida Feeding Collaborative, with an occupational therapist and IBCLC. They help families prenatally, antepartum and post partum navigate the growth, development and feeding journey of their children.
  
  Annette began her Upledger Craniosacral therapy training in 2015, taking advanced maternal and pediatric specialty classes. She finds great improvement incorporating craniosacral therapy techniques with lactation consulting. Helping Families Latch onto Parenting has always been Annette's mantra.
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  Anne Eglash - MD, IBCLC, FABM
  

  Physician Reviewer

  Dr. Eglash is a clinical professor with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in the Department of Family Medicine. In addition to practicing family medicine, she has been a board certified lactation consultant since 1994.
  
  In 2013 she developed the Outpatient Breastfeeding Champion training program to teach breastfeeding knowledge and support to the primary care medical offices in the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation System in Madison, Wisconsin. Anne is a cofounder of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and is the co-medical director and cofounder of the Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.
  
  She is the medical director of the outpatient lactation program at Meriter Hospital, and the medical director of the University of Wisconsin Lactation Services. She has published many peer-reviewed articles on breastfeeding medicine and sits on the editorial board for Breastfeeding Medicine Journal. She co-hosts and produces a free breastfeeding medicine podcast series, The Breastfeeding Medicine Podcast, which can also be found on iTunes.
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  Amber Dawn Valentine Forston - MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, IBCLC, CNT

  Amber Valentine is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated from the University of Kentucky with her MS in Communication Disorders. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She recently received her credentials to become a Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT). She worked for Baptist Health Systems, Inc for 8 years before moving to Florida where she worked for Wolfsons Children's Hospital and Mayo Florida. She is now back in Kentucky working for Baptist Health Lexington. She has experience in adults and pediatrics with feeding and swallowing difficulties including: bedside swallow evaluations, Modified Barium Swallow studies, FEES, and pediatric feeding evaluations including NICU. She has experience with head and neck cancer patient including evaluation and treatment of swallowing difficulties, PMV use, and voice after total laryngectomy including TEP. She has provided guest lectures for the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville on feeding and swallowing topics. She has presented at the hospital level, local, state, national, and international levels on pediatric feeding/swallowing and breastfeeding.
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  Annie Aloysius - BSc(Hons) MRCSLT HCPC IBCLC

  Annie is a Speech and Language Therapist and lactation consultant working for over 25 years in the field of paediatric feeding and swallowing difficulties, specialising in Neonatology. She currently works on the neonatal units at St Marys and Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospitals Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London UK alongside the multidisciplinary team to support families and their babies. She has worked with a number of charities and organisations on projects and initiatives to support feeding and neonatal care including chair of the RCSLT Neonatal CEN, Bliss the preterm baby charity, Best Beginnings – Small Wonders www.bestbeginnings.org.uk Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative and Birthlink UK in Rwanda, the DRC and Myanmar www.birthlinkuk.org . Publications and research include chapters and papers on feeding. She was involved in implementing the Integrated Family Delivered Care Project at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. https://www.imperial-familyintegratedcare.com
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  Carolyn Reynolds - RN, DNP-NNP

  Carolyn has been a nurse for 14 years and in the NICU for close to nine. She is grateful to have found her purpose in caring for fragile neonates and their families. With her DNP-NNP degree, she will transition her career to a different role. She has a passion for providing the best possible care to her patients, and she loves helping others do the same. Her philosophy is excellence, positivity, and grace. Never stop improving, maintain a good attitude, and cut everyone some slack.
  In her personal life, Carolyn's joy is her family (especially her darling nephews), dogs, and nature. When she can no longer care for neonates, her house will be overrun with little dogs to care for. She was born to love tiny things.
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  Ellen S. Lechtenberg - MPH, RD, IBCLC

  Ellen is the lactation services manager at Primary Children's Hospital. She has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1996 and is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters Degree in Public Health. Ellen has a passion for providing human milk for patients with nutritional challenges such as chylothorax and colitis. Her work on fat-free human milk is published and has received national review becoming a national standard of care. Ellen has worked with the hospitalized breastfeeding dyad for over 20 years. One of her career goals is to increase knowledge of nurses and healthcare providers regarding human milk immunology and breastfeeding thus improving lactation duration. Ellen designed, implemented the protocols, and manages the centralized milk center at Primary Children's Hospital. She also has experience working at the corporate level developing breastfeeding policies, protocols, patient education as well as lactation education and conferences for nurses and healthcare professionals. She has contributed to book chapters in Nutrition through the Lifecycle and was a reviewer for the Infant and Pediatric Feedings: Guidelines for Preparation of Human Milk and Formula in Health Care Facilities 3rd Edition. She has presented at local, state and national conferences.
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  Fayrouz Essawy - MD, M.Sc, IBCLC

  Dr. Fayrouz Essawy's qualifications include:

  • Graduate of Cairo Faculty of Medicine (2004)
  • Master's of Pediatrics (2012)
  • Egyptian Neonatology Fellowship (2015)
  • Devoted to breastfeeding promotion since certification as IBCLC in 2015
  • Lecturer and director of the educational programs of the Egyptian Lactation Consultants' Association (ELCA)
  • Member of the Egyptian Society of Pediatrics since 2006
  • Member of International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) since 2015
  • Member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) since 2017
  • Harvard Graduate of Training of trainee program 2020
  • Harvard Graduate of Egypt Clinical Scholars Research Training (CSRT) program 2021
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  Mariana Colmenares Castaño - MD, IBCLC

  Mariana was born in Mexico City, and from early age was fascinated by animals and nature. She studied medicine at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), and found her passion as a pediatrician doing my residency at the National Pediatric Institute. With the birth of her first child, she witnessed a lack of knowledge and commitment with breastfeeding and nutrition within the medical profession. This was her impetus to specialize in breastfeeding medicine. She certified as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011 by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE), she is currently a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association ILCA, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine ABM and a proud founding member of the National Lactation Consultant Association of Mexico (ACCLAM), where she served on the Board of Directors as Education Coordinator (2014-2019). She is regional coordinator for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine for the Región of Latinamerica (2018 to date) and board director for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine for 3 year period (2019-2022). As part of my continuing professional training, she did an observership and advanced courses in lactation at the International Breastfeeding Clinic, in Toronto CA.
  
  Mariana is a member of the team for Breastfeeding Country Index BFCI, a project from Yale University and Universidad Iberoamericana and a member of the The International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML). She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, published and co-authored a chapter for the National Academy of Medicine. To contribute to a medical profession, she coordinates a 280 hour online course, Breastfeeding Counselor. She is an associated professor and teaches medical students at the National University of México. She collaborates in National and International studies with the National Institute of Health and serves as a consultant with UNICEF.
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  Noriko Woods - RN, IBCLC

  Noriko Woods was born in Japan 1976. She graduated Kitasato University in Kanagawa, Japan in 1998. She worked at Kitasato university hospital from 1998 to 2003 and at Foothills Medical Centre from 2007 to 2011. She obtained her IBCLC in 2011. She worked at Alberta Chidren's hospital from 2011 to 2014. She works currently works at Postpartum Community Services/Neonatal Transition Team since 2014. She has special interest in breastfeeding support for the preterm population, postpartum depression, client centered-care for diverse and vulnerable population.
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  Sarah Coutts - RN, IBCLC

  Sarah is a registered nurse with experience in the NICU and as well as a Lactation Consultant. She currently works as a Developmental Care Specialist in the BC Women's Hospital NICU. Sarah completed her Masters in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her dissertation on Kangaroo Mother Care and identifying preterm infants in low- and middle-income countries led her to continue her passion for Kangaroo Care in BC NICUs. Recently, Sarah was the Provincial Kangaroo Care Coordinator at Perinatal Services BC. She is part of a team of implementation science researchers working to improve uptake of Kangaroo Care and promote zero-separation of infants and families. Sarah is currently spending her time promoting and supporting family-centered developmental care activities and lactation and breastfeeding in the NICU.
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  Shereen Abdelghani Soliman - IBCLC. Pediatrician, Neonatology Consultant and Clinical Nutrition Physician

  Shereen is a pediatrician, neonatology & Clinical Nutrition physician with 19 years' experience, and IBCLC since 2008. She is a board member @MILCC, an Associate Alumni, Harvard Medical School & affiliate member @WABA. She is also a volunteer @ILCA (conference committee, study, research and publications and webinar task modules) since 2018 and a trainer at the Egyptian Board of Pediatrics and a member committee of the Egyptian Board.
  
  In July 2022, she was nominated for USLCA award winner reward, assigned for excellency in breastfeeding medicine. An "IBCLC & ILCA Award Winner" 2021, awarded to the most effective lactation consultant worldwide.
  
  In December 2021, she was selected as one of four leaders responsible for the Technical Assistance @ United States Breastfeeding Committee, responsible for training and technical assistance to the breastfeeding network of the state. She has been selected on 2018 as an expert on the IBLCE® Practice Analysis Task Force. She was nominated as a fellow of ILCA the year 2021.
  
  Her current book "The Ultimate Breastfeeding Study Guide" was released in January 2021, a reference book for healthcare professionals interested in Breastfeeding medicine.
  
  Shereen is an international speaker at organizations supporting breastfeeding medicine; TalkTools, ABM, ILCA, iLactation, USLCA, Breastfeeding conferences, Australian Live Events and Appalachian Breastfeeding Network webinar series.
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  Tinisha Lambeth - DNP, RN, NNP-BC

  Tinisha Lambeth is an Assistant Professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Academic Nursing and the Neonatal Quality Improvement Coordinator at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) and received her MSN (2004) & DNP (2014) from Duke University School of Nursing. She completed formal quality improvement (QI) training, Intermediate Improvement Science Series and Advanced Improvement Methodology and Advanced Improvement Methods, with James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Over the past 9 years, she has presented QI work on the topics of neonatal central line blood stream infection prevention, improving care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), improving neonatal care during the golden hour, intraventricular hemorrhage prevention, increasing skin-to-skin mother care, antibiotic stewardship in very low birth weight infants, hypoglycemia prevention, and improved provider-to-parent communication after delivery. She has mentored neonatology fellows' and NNP students' scholarly work on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), cardiopulmonary events in infants close to discharge, handwashing QI in Armenia, NAS with the use of Buprenorphine for treatment, neonatal golden hour and two neonatal antibiotic stewardship projects-the sepsis risk calculator and late onset sepsis. She has co-authored four publications on the topics of cytomegalovirus, admission golden hour of premature infants, the association of different feeding types with NEC and growth in premature infants and using buprenorphine to treat NAS. She is currently working on a publication about COVID 19 positive mothers and their infants.