2025 CHAMPS National Virtual Conference

Dr. Shaeequa Dasnadi is an accomplished neonatologist, educator, and clinical leader with over a decade of experience in neonatal-perinatal medicine. Currently serving as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Medical Director of Neonatal and Newborn Services at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, she has been instrumental in expanding neonatal care, developing quality improvement initiatives, and mentoring the next generation of physicians.

"Dr. Julie Ware is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She is an experienced board-certified pediatrician who specializes in Breastfeeding Medicine within the Center for Breastfeeding Medicine. Dr. Ware received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and completed her M.D. degree and Pediatric Residency training at Baylor College of Medicine. After years of general practice with a focus on Breastfeeding Medicine, she completed an MPH degree at the University of Memphis. Julie is also an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and certified by the North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. 

Dr. Ware has served on the Executive Committee of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding and on the Board of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM), now serving as the President-Elect of ABM. Dr. Ware is currently on the leadership team of the Southwest Ohio Breastfeeding Coalition. She co-founded the All Moms Empowered to Nurse (AMEN) Peer-to-Peer Breastfeeding Support group serving African American moms in Cincinnati. Dr. Ware’s particular interest is improving maternal and child health through the promotion and support of breastfeeding, especially in those populations least likely to breastfeed. Her research and community efforts are focused on the elimination of disparities in breastfeeding and infant mortality."

Dr. Lorimar Ortiz, MD, DABFM, IBCLC, NABBLM-C works to improve access to and the quality of healthcare for families in her home, Puerto Rico. She is a family physician and board certified breastfeeding and lactation medicine specialist, dedicated to providing comprehensive primary care, postpartum care, and lactation support to families on the island. 

Dr. Ortiz was born and raised in Puerto Rico and completed her studies in general medicine at the University of Puerto Rico – Medical Sciences Campus (UPR RCM). Recognizing a need for quality, affordable postpartum care services, Dr. Ortiz founded The Way Family Clinic, the first fourth-trimester medical care clinic in Puerto Rico. Through a value-based membership model known as ‘Direct Primary Care,’ the clinic offers comprehensive and compassionate service for its patients. 

Dr. Ortiz is also passionate about training future doctors in Puerto Rico. She is a mentor for medical and nursing students from the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Caguas and an Assistant Professor of the Family & Community Medicine Department at Ponce Health Sciences University (Ponce, PR). She is a frequent speaker for the medical and healthcare community on the island in topics related to lactation and postpartum care. Additionally, Dr. Ortiz is a Member of the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education, the Center for the 4th Trimester Care, and current Vice President of the Coalición para la Lactancia Materna de Puerto Rico (In English, Puerto Rico Coalition for Maternal Lactation).

Danilea Carmona Matos is a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and Technical Assistance Guide for the CHAMPS National Program at CHEER. She specializes in maternal and infant health, breastfeeding support, health equity, and culturally responsive Spanish-language training. Based in Puerto Rico, she also works at Blooming Families Clinic providing direct breastfeeding education and support. Danilea has led Spanish-language trainings on Quality Improvement and breastfeeding and contributed to national clinical research and publications focused on underrepresented communities in medical education. Her background also includes a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) research fellowship and over five years of experience in medical and legal translation.

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA, is a CHAMPS National hospital coach and consultant, a national breastfeeding promotion and support expert, and Co-Director of Every Mother, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing counseling and lactation training for health professionals across the United States. Cathy is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1996; past president and Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association; and past chair of the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She currently serves as the North American representative to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Steering Committee. She has provided more than a thousand training events in the field of lactation in every US state and territory and many countries. She was honored in 2014 with the National Leadership Award in the “Friend of WIC” category from the National WIC Association.

In addition, Cathy serves as the national project director for numerous USDA Women, Infants, and Children curriculum development projects, including project director for the new WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum, a comprehensive breastfeeding staff training curriculum for all levels of WIC staff. She also developed the national WIC peer counseling program training curricula and management materials. Cathy previously worked with the HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to develop national resources for supporting breastfeeding employees and their employers, including the MCHB Business Case for Breastfeeding, and the OWH Supporting Nursing Moms at Work national initiative. She has provided state-level workshops for employers and community advocates on worksite lactation support in 37 US states.

Kristin Thayer, MSN, RN, IBCLC, is committed to promoting equitable access to human milk and improving infant feeding outcomes. As the Lactation Support Program Coordinator at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York, Kristin leads a growing team of lactation consultants committed to evidence-based practice and inclusive care. Since joining the hospital in 2020, she has focused on building a comprehensive program that ensures “more milk for more babies for more time.

I have been working with pregnant women and babies since 1991. I have done L&D, post-partum, Nursery, and Public Health and Home health care. Currently working as an IBCLC providing Lactation Services in a small hospital- inpatient and outpatient. Develop policies and procedures, education materials, and promotional materials for Women’s Health Services. Teach Childbirth and Breastfeeding classes online and in person. 

Became the Depot Director for the Mother’s Milk Bank of Tennessee after opening the first drop off depot, we now have 26. This includes supervising depots across the state who are receiving and shipping donated breastmilk, promoting the Milk Bank, and supporting families who are looking to donate.

Dr. Sharla Smith is a leading expert and dedicated advocate for maternal and infant health. She serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health, Director of Birth Equity in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Associate Director of Policy in the Center for African American Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Kansas City. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management, and a Ph.D. in Health Services and Systems Research from the University of Arkanrsas for Medical Sciences. With a distinguished public health career spanning since 2006, Dr. Smith's expertise is centered on Black maternal and infant health. Her approach is distinguished by a strong emphasis on community-driven solutions and strategic policy development. 

Dr. Smith's leadership extends beyond the university. She is the visionary founder and executive director of the Kansas Birth Equity Network. She also established the innovative Birth Equity Clinical Scholars Program, a two-year fellowship empowering Obstetrics and Gynecology and Family Medicine residents with the essential tools for delivering inclusive, accessible, and equitable maternal care. Driven by a profound commitment to justice, Dr. Smith is unwavering in her pursuit of birth equity through cutting-edge research, transformative curriculum development, and powerful community partnerships.

Michelle Owens, MD, is a clinical professor of maternal and fetal medicine at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, lead for maternal health in the state of Mississippi, and consultant physician on CHAMPS National. She is currently the National Assistant Secretary for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and President of the MS State Board of Medical Licensure. Dr. Owens is a passionate advocate for women’s health and health equity both locally and nationally. 

Dr. Owens’ research and clinical interests are in hypertensive and substance use disorders in pregnancy, maternal and infant mortality, sickle cell disease, and health disparities. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters, and is the inaugural host of Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s “Southern Remedy for Women,” a talk-radio show focused on health issues for women and the people who love them.

Diana Johnston has been a registered nurse caring for mothers and babies for twenty-two years. She has been the lead for the Baby Friendly USA task force since 2018 and focuses on providing evidence based care for maternity patients. Diana currently staffs the mother-baby unit at her facility, teaches childbirth, newborn care, and breastfeeding classes, and is very focused on data collection regarding patient outcomes. Her goal is to educate women and their partners on the best possible outcomes for themselves and the family unit they are building.

 When she is not working, Diana loves spending time with her husband and their two daughters. She is an avid Disney adult and reads far too many romance novels.

Jacqueline Mincy is an accomplished nursing leader with over a decade of experience driving clinical strategy, operational excellence, and quality improvement in women’s health and acute care settings. Currently serving as Director of Nursing for Maternity Services at WVU Princeton Community Hospital, she leads system-level maternal health initiatives, strengthens provider partnerships, and implements evidence-based practices that improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the patient experience. Her leadership has yielded measurable results, including a 20% reduction in cesarean section rates, and double-digit gains in exclusive breastfeeding and skin-to-skin care. Jacqueline has successfully guided teams through regulatory readiness, program development, and Baby-Friendly designation efforts while mentoring staff to reduce turnover and build high-performing clinical teams. 

A recipient of the Daisy Award for compassionate care, Jacqueline is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the American Nurses Association (ANA). She is recognized for her ability to build trust with providers, translate data into action, and lead multidisciplinary teams in advancing quality, safety, and patient-centered care.

Danilea Carmona Matos is a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and Technical Assistance Guide for the CHAMPS National Program at CHEER. She specializes in maternal and infant health, breastfeeding support, health equity, and culturally responsive Spanish-language training. Based in Puerto Rico, she also works at Blooming Families Clinic providing direct breastfeeding education and support. Danilea has led Spanish-language trainings on Quality Improvement and breastfeeding and contributed to national clinical research and publications focused on underrepresented communities in medical education. Her background also includes a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) research fellowship and over five years of experience in medical and legal translation.

I am a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and member of the Pediatric Newborn Medicine Team. Originally from San Salvador, El Salvador where I studied nutrition and dietetics. I had received a scholarship from the Organization of American States to study for my master’s degree in nutrition and public health, specializing in food safety and microbiology. 

My background includes working as a nutritionist teaching multiracial pregnant moms about nutrition during pregnancy. After years of seeing a lack of breastfeeding education in this population in both the community as well as the hospital setting, I decided to complete my CLC training and Certification. Teaching breastfeeding has become my passion. I am now happy to be part of the BWH community, and to work with our Spanish speaking families to provide much needed lactation support in the inpatient and ambulatory settings.

Pennie Bumrungsiri, MSc, LM, CPM, Clinical Services Director at Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, began her midwifery journey in South Africa, where she supported rural health efforts among intergenerational communities. There, she came to understand that a midwife is more than a birth attendant — she is a confidant, a keeper of stories, and a steady presence through every stage of life. 

Since 2012, Pennie has provided maternity and breastfeeding support across six international and cultural settings, honoring the distinct traditions and wisdom of each community she serves. Now based in Hawai‘i, she continues this work by meeting families where they are—through home visits, mobile clinic vans, and community spaces. Her approach is deeply person-centered, affirming each client’s story, challenges, and triumphs with compassion and care.