EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kara has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2009. She has worked as a home visitor, postpartum doula, childbirth educator, Childbirth Education and Lactation Services Program Manager and currently teaches prenatal classes and facilitates the weekly breastfeeding group for Maine Medical Center. She was the Lactation Specialist for Maine CDC's Maternal Child Health Program/Perinatal Outreach & Education Consultant Program from 2016 - 2022 and is a member of the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of Maine (PQC4ME) Steering Committee and Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Committee.

Kara is passionate about providing education, support, and advocacy for new parents, and greatly appreciates the opportunity to work with the amazing MSBC leadership team! Kara lives in Freeport with her husband and two energetic boys and also serves on the RSU5 School Board.

BOARD PRESIDENT

Petrichor is a queer, transgender, and disabled La Leche League Leader in Bangor, ME. They are an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging, and strive to make the world of birthing, human milk feeding, and parenting a more inclusive space. In addition to being a Board member with MSBC, they also serve as the DEIJB Committee Chair. They have been a La Leche League Leader since 2018, and serve as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator for LLL USA. In these roles, Petrichor has helped develop policies and trainings to bring DEIJB into the First Food Field.

Petrichor holds a BA in Psychology, and has completed work towards a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies. Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, they worked with disabled children. When Petrichor is not advocating for diversity and inclusion in human milk feeding spaces, they can be found running their custom clothing business, reading cozy graphic novels, doing art, swimming, and gaming with their spouse and five kids.

VICE PRESIDENT

Since the birth of her first son almost 10 years ago Nina has been passionately committed to supporting new and expecting parents as a writer, podcaster, support group facilitator, childbirth educator, doula, and CLC. Through serving so many families, as well as raising two very different children of her own, she has learned the value of unbiased, evidence-based, individualized support and would love to see every family in Maine get access to this kind of care.

She also works as a project manager at pumpspotting, and in her free time enjoys reading, playing the ukulele, listening to podcasts, and spending time with the people she loves.

Amy Marchessault currently works as the Managing Partner of the Flatbread Company, a restaurant in Portland. Amy has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Maine, which makes her especially interested in helping families from all cultural backgrounds receive equal access to quality care and information.

Amy is known to be a passionate advocate for families throughout all stages of parenthood. She believes it’s important to meet people where they’re at, judgment free, to best serve them on their journey.

Amy resides in Topsham with her husband and two children. She loves anything regarding nature, making food and creating art. One of her favorite parenting moments was breastfeeding her two-month-old while marching in the 2017 Women’s March.

Amy has a unique perspective for the MSBC, as she has seen firsthand how challenging it can be for a breastfeeding parent in the service industry. She is excited to help others work through these challenges regardless of their background or occupation.

Emily is proud to say she has spent her career thus far learning every day at L.L.Bean. She is a leader in Customer Analytics and Marketing and never met a math problem she didn't like. She first came to Maine for her Bachelor's degree at Colby College and since then has put down roots.

Emily is a mother to two children and owes so much of her parenting skills and sanity to the doulas, doctors, lactation consultants, physical therapists and beyond whose support make parenting wonderful. She is fortunate to have family and in-laws nearby and a supportive work environment for parents. She lives in Portland with husband Will and their kids, enjoying the restaurant, music, and performing arts scene, games of all sorts, and the outdoors.

Kim was an active duty Marine over 18 years ago when she had her first child. The parenting support she received then started her on the path toward her career today in the family visitor field. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Maternal and Infant Health, an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a passion for showing families their hidden strengths through lactation education. Kim has been a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) for over twelve years and has worked for WIC, domestic violence shelters, crisis units and freelanced as a photo editor. Kim has also volunteered as a birth trauma counselor, La Leche League, and various IBCLCs.

Supporting parents as they prepare for birth and feeding their baby human milk continues to be a driving force in Kim's work. She enjoys the field of preventative health and supporting many causes that promote equity and evidence-based healthcare. Outside of work, Kim is an avid reader, board gamer, and video game enthusiast. She has 3 teenagers and 3 large dogs, all of whom require daily treats and hugs.

Lindsey is currently working in Central Maine as a Certified Medical Assistant. She specializes in pediatrics and geriatrics and initially started her career working in an all pediatric practice.

Lindsey is a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and provides services to her provider office currently. She also recently became a Certified Passenger Safety Technician (CPST), and with her local hospital supplies car seat safety checks. Lindsey has a bachelor's degree in Applied Science and is enrolled in the Masters of HealthCare Administration program at UNE.

“My drive to become a CLC and be more involved in the breastfeeding community came from my own failed experience with breastfeeding. I have made it my passion and goal to not allow anyone else to have the same experience.”

In her free time Lindsey enjoys reading and going on day trips. She currently lives in Skowhegan with her husband (Ron), and 3 year old son.

Lucy is a certified birth and postpartum doula. She works with the Community Doula Birth Program, providing sliding-scale doula services for Maine families, and as a hospital-based doula at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. She also teaches prenatal and postpartum yoga and Mindful Birth & Comfort Measures classes.

Before the birth of her oldest son, Lucy worked as a nurse but shifted gears after realizing how important it is for new parents to have support.

Lucy is a mom of 3. She homeschools her youngest 2 children and enjoys cooking, knitting, and spending time with her family outdoors.

Sara is an Accountant with a versatile skill set that includes expertise in grant writing, process re-engineering, and team management. She attained an MBA from the University of Maine and continually seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge and expertise. Prior to her career in accounting, Sara pursued her interest in biology, earning a B.S. in the field and gaining experience in education, bench research, and BioBanking.

Sara's firsthand experience as a working parent, juggling the responsibilities of her career and breastfeeding her two children, has given her deep insights into the challenges that feeding parents commonly encounter in the workplace. Her personal journey fuels her passion for the cause, and she eagerly looks forward to utilizing her skills and experiences to empower others on their unique breastfeeding journeys.

Outside of her professional life, Sara resides in Scarborough with her husband and two children, frequently enjoying trips to the beach. Alongside these beach outings, she finds joy in photography and crafting.

Shauna Goulet BSN, RNC, CLC, CBE, lives in Aroostook County, the Crown of Maine. Shauna earned her ADN in 1992 and then after 8 years of exploring various nursing avenues she began work as a staff nurse in an LDRP unit in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. It was here that she discovered her passion: helping families during pregnancy, delivery, postpartum care, and lactation support. Shauna returned to Maine as an OB traveling nurse after her husband retired from the US Navy. She earned her BSN at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in 2020. She has continuously given back to the region by teaching various classes including American Heart CPR, Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics through Maine’s Perinatal Outreach Program and working with the various critical access hospitals to provide trainings to meet their staffing needs. After 21 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse, she established her own business: Mainely Perinatal Education LLC, to teach providers AWHONN Fetal Monitoring and Obstetric Emergency Classes.

Shauna also provides classes in Childbirth Education as well as the Spinning Babies© Parent Education Program for expectant families, all the while working part time as a clinical staff nurse in a regional teaching hospital on the Labor and Delivery unit.

Tristian is a naturopathic doctor, advocate and innovator. Located in Midcoast Maine, he works consistently to support individuals and families in root cause solutions to their health. He attended the National University of Natural Medicine for naturopathic medical school and completed clinical rotations in integrative medical clinics throughout the Pacific Northwest.

He has previous experience in startups, nonprofits, and communications. More recently he has supported the Maine Prevention Network in their breastfeeding initiatives across Maine. Along with his passion for healthcare, Tristian has a deep connection to the environment and being outdoors. This has led to a specialization in ecopsychology and ecological systems thinking. Tristian is often out adventuring with his amazing wife and son, truly enjoying this place they call home.