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 taught prenatal classes and facilitated the weekly breastfeeding group for Maine Medical Center for 15 years. 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 serves on her local School Board.

BOARD PRESIDENT

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.

PAST 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 were a La Leche League Leader from 2018-2023, and served as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator for LLL USA. Petrichor has been serving on the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) board since 2023. 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

Katie is a business development and communications specialist. She had a thirteen-year career in education before taking the opportunity to co-found a company that launched her direction in the entrepreneurial world. Katie’s experience since then spans a wide range of marketing and operations projects, as well as executive leadership. Her work has won several New England Society of Healthcare Communications Lamplighter awards and the Women’s Distinguished Business Award from WomensNet.

Her mother is a retired IBCLC and childbirth educator, also a former member of the MSBC, who greatly influenced Katie's desire to support maternal and infant care from a young age. After having her own two children and recognizing first-hand how much support is needed for parents and infants, Katie looked for ways she could help support and educate new parents with their journey. 

Katie lives in Portland with her partner, two teenagers, three dogs, two cats, a turtle, and a plethora of houseplants. She's both a bookworm and a social butterfly who loves to travel and eat delicious food.on goes here

TREASURER

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.

SECRETARY

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.

Karina Napier is a mom, businesswoman, painter, volunteer, gardener, explorer, and traveler—among other roles—who has been deeply captivated by the experience of breastfeeding her child. Her breastfeeding story began with her daughter and was shaped early on by lactation consultants, supportive community-led breastfeeding groups, breastfeeding literature & nutrition, advocacy, science, and the varied history of how we feed our children.

These themes, ideas, and forms of knowledge have left an indelible mark on her mind and heart. She strongly believes in the mission of the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition and joined the board to support communications, fundraising, and advocacy throughout her term.

Karina runs Seamless Studio, a business growth and development marketing firm, from Portland, Maine, where she lives with her partner, two stepchildren, and her 3-year-old daughter.

While her first-hand breastfeeding experience began in 2022, she has long followed the narratives surrounding breastfeeding. She understands that it is the empowered voices of mothers and caregivers that shape the autonomy, health, and future of our children—and ourselves.

With over a decade of experience as a Labor and Delivery nurse at Maine Medical Center Portland, Holly brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to her work supporting families through pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to meeting patients where they are, offering personalized, empathetic care, and supporting the unique journeys of each family. Throughout her time as an L&D nurse and an out-of-hospital birth attendant before that, Holly has had the honor of bearing witness to over 1000 births, holding space for the emotional, medical, and spiritual needs of each patient for whom she cares.

Holly’s passion for breastfeeding advocacy is rooted in her own experiences as a mother. Having breastfed both of her children, she understands firsthand the challenges and rewards of breastfeeding and is committed to helping parents navigate their feeding journeys. Over the years, Holly has helped hundreds of families with breastfeeding, chestfeeding, hand expression, pumping, and bottle feeding, guiding them to find a balance that aligns with their values and lifestyle.

As a board member of MSBC, Holly is excited to continue her advocacy for infant and maternal health and to contribute to the organization's mission of providing accessible, evidence-based support for families. She is eager to remain a source of support and strength for families as they navigate their parenting and feeding journeys, and to broaden that passion and energy to community education and empowerment.

Gina VanDeusen, MA,CCC-SLP is an experienced speech-language pathologist who specializes in infant and toddler feeding and swallowing therapy, speech and language, voice, and myofunctional therapy. She is the owner of her private practice, Sip Swallow Speech, and really prioritizes looking at the whole picture for the individual to help them along with their families get to the root cause of their challenges, while also ensuring they feel supported every step of the way. She has a particular interest in supporting families with therapy pre and post tongue and/or lip tie release, infant bottle refusal, optimizing oral motor feeding skills, improving confidence for transitioning to solid foods, eliminating thumb sucking or mouth breathing, and navigating feeding and swallowing challenges from an early age throughout childhood. She provides in person services, as well as virtual services, parent coaching, and workshops across Maine and Massachusetts.

Gina is thrilled to be a part of the MSBC board, as she knows firsthand how essential it is for families to have support, resources, and a sense of community during the early days of breastfeeding and beyond, especially while balancing work and family life. She deeply values collaboration and the mission of helping parents feel confident, connected, and cared for throughout their feeding journey.

When she’s not in the therapy room, you’ll find her with her husband and young son exploring the outdoors, on their next travel adventure, or discovering new favorite restaurants and coffee shops.

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.