Mississippi CHAMPS 2026 Conference: Together for Better Births

Laura Burnham, MPH, is the Associate Director at the Center for Health Equity, Education, & Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. Her work focuses on quality improvement and program implementation in the field of maternal and child health, with a particular focus on breastfeeding and maternity care practices. Laura manages CHEER’s CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Care Practices) programs, which assist birthing hospitals to safely implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. 

Jennie Joseph is a British-trained midwife who fights to ensure every person has their healthiest possible pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience with dignity and support. Jennie created The JJ Way® which is an evidence-based, maternity care model delivering readily-accessible, patient-centered, culturally-congruent care to women in areas that she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. Her focus and drive is to ensure that Black women and other marginalized people remain safe and empowered inside broken and inequitable maternity health systems that are dangerous and all too often, lethal.

She is the Founder and President of her own non-profit corporation Commonsense Childbirth Inc. whose mission is the elimination of racial disparities in maternal child health in the USA. Commonsense Childbirth operates a national training institute, health clinics and a birthing center in Orlando, Florida, and the National Perinatal Task Force, the grassroots organizing and movement-building arm of her non-profit. She is also the owner of the first and only Black-owned, nationally- accredited, private midwifery school in the United States.

Jennie is the founder and a proud member of The Council of Midwifery Elders, is a Fellow of The Aspen Institute, a Salzburg Global Fellow, and serves on the Advisory Council for the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus Momnibus. Jennie was commended by the Georgia Assembly in 2023 with an honorary House Resolution HR561 after being recognized as a TIME Woman of The Year in 2022 for her work in promoting perinatal equity.

A proud honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Jennie has most recently re-released her book - Beautiful! Images of Health, Joy and Vitality in Pregnancy and Birth. She has launched a new podcast, The Perinatal Pause, because she is determined that more Americans understand the word ‘perinatal’ and why it impacts all of us so deeply - and as Jennie often says, “...it literally is a matter of life and death!”

Andrea Serano, MPH, CLC, IBCLC, CHES, is the Executive Director of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), a national nonprofit organization advancing breastfeeding equity and maternal-infant health justice through culturally grounded, community-led solutions. A clinician and public health advocate, Andrea brings extensive lactation experience and systems-level leadership to building sustainable pathways for families – particularly Black families and other communities historically underserved by maternity and lactation care. At ROSE, Andrea helps lead strategy, partnerships, and program implementation, including coordination of trainings, events, and program-related activities that strengthen the national lactation workforce and expand mother-to-mother and peer support models. She is also a key driver of ROSE’s annual summit planning and fundraising efforts, ensuring convenings remain mission-aligned, community-centered, and action-oriented.   

Andrea holds a Master of Public Health from Georgia Southern University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health with a concentration in Human Lactation from Union Institute and University. In addition, Andrea is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree with a concentration in Diverse Populations and Health Equity from Mercer University. Her professional pathway reflects a rare blend of bedside lactation expertise and public health leadership –supporting families directly while also shaping the systems, policies, and partnerships that determine whether families can access respectful, evidence-based breastfeeding support. 

In addition to her leadership at ROSE, she serves as Vice-Chair of the Maternal Child Health Section of the Georgia Public Health Association. She has also held board positions with both the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition and the United States Breastfeeding Committee.

Complementing her policy and advocacy work, Ms. Serano has provided direct clinical support as a bedside lactation consultant in two Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in the Metro Atlanta area.

Mariah DeBow, MPH, is the Senior Project Management Specialist at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. She manages national maternal and child health initiatives focused on helping hospitals implement evidence-based maternity care practices, improve breastfeeding outcomes, and reduce health disparities through quality improvement, education, and collaboration.

Mariah earned her Master of Public Health from Boston University, where she concentrated on maternal and child health with a special interest in refugee and immigrant health. Her background includes program implementation, evaluation, and health communications.

Before joining CHEER, Mariah worked at Boston Medical Center's Immigrant & Refugee Health Center as the Social Media and Communications Specialist and Patient Advisory Council Coordinator, supporting patient engagement and outreach for immigrant and refugee communities. She also served as a communications specialist for Nature and Culture International, promoting environmental and community health initiatives in Mexico and South America. As CHEER International Group's (CHEERing) first fellow, she helped coordinate a preventive health program serving refugee communities in Greece.

Dr. Michelle Owens is a Maternal Fetal Medicine subspecialist who completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and her fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Owens is MFM faculty at Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital and is the Perinatal Medical Director for Magnolia Health. She is a consultant for the MS State Department of Health where she chairs the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Her research and clinical interests are in hypertensive and substance use disorders in pregnancy, cancer in pregnancy, sickle cell disease, and health disparities. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters and serves as the Vice 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. She has served as a District and National officer of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and member of its Board of Directors.

Stephanie Patton serves as the Executive Director of Health System Development for Delta Health System, where she leads the organization's strategic grant development and external funding initiatives. In this role, she researches, develops, and secures federal, state, foundation, and private grant funding that strengthens hospital operations, expands access to care, and supports innovative programs that improve health outcomes across the Mississippi Delta.

A key focus of Stephanie's work is identifying barriers that prevent patients from accessing timely, high-quality healthcare—including transportation challenges, financial hardship, workforce shortages, and other social determinants of health. She actively seeks and secures funding to develop sustainable solutions that reduce these barriers and improve access for the predominantly rural, medically underserved populations served by Delta Health System. Her work is driven by a commitment to addressing the unique healthcare needs of the Mississippi Delta, a region with high rates of chronic disease, persistent poverty, and significant health disparities.

Mechelle Chane is a community development leader, maternal health advocate, and environmental steward based in Alligator, Mississippi. She holds a Master of Science in Community Development and serves as Chief Operating Manager of Healthy Community Development, LLC, sponsor of the Delta Doula & Maternal Health Network. A certified prison, birth, postpartum, and end-of-life doula, Mechelle is dedicated to improving health outcomes in underserved communities.

She served for 16 years as a Community Coach with Excel By 5, helping build early childhood education coalitions across Mississippi. Mechelle is the founder of Friends of the Environment, a nonprofit promoting environmental awareness and cultural preservation in the Mississippi Delta. A retired Alderwoman, she served the Town of Alligator for 12 years and currently serves on the boards of the Mississippi Early Childhood Association and Mississippi Health Professionals for Climate and Health Equity. She is also a Civil Rights Era Fellow with the National Parks Conservation Association.

Patricia “Patti” Hemphill, MSN, FNP-C, is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 30 years of experience caring for patients across the lifespan. She has served as a Family Nurse Practitioner with Delta Regional Health Clinic since 2004, providing comprehensive care in family medicine, women’s health, pediatrics, emergency care, preventive health, and chronic disease management.

A graduate of Delta State University, Patti earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Nursing degrees and has maintained her Family Nurse Practitioner certification since 1996. She is also a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional and holds certifications in BLS, ACLS, PALS, and Neonatal Advanced Life Support.

Throughout her career, Patti has contributed well beyond direct patient care. She has helped develop and implement clinical policies and procedures, participated in quality improvement and risk management initiatives, supported grant-funded programs serving underserved populations, provided telehealth services, and served as a clinical preceptor for graduate and undergraduate healthcare providers. Her broad clinical background also includes emergency medicine, orthopedics and sports medicine, and six years of experience as a surgical First Assistant.

Adiliah (Uh-dee-luh) Smith serves as ROSE's Community Transformer Coordinator, helping to oversee the organization's signature training program. Adiliah is a proud alumna of Alabama State University, where she earned degrees in biology & secondary education, with a minor in mathematics. She began her career in secondary education as a classroom teacher, and shifted to maternal health a decade later. She is the owner of Village Maternal Services in Montgomery, Alabama, where she serves as a maternal health consultant, doula, and lactation specialist.

Her work is noted across many local organizations. She is also the creator of the support group Mama’s Village MGM, a space centering the maternal experiences of Black women across Alabama’s river region and black belt, over 500 women strong. Among her efforts she has organized Montgomery’s “Community Mommy Shower” to connect new and expectant mothers to resources and providers to improve maternal health outcomes.

In 2022, Adiliah was inducted into Alabama State University's “50 under 50,” an honor given to alumni making impacts in their careers and community. She has also been named as one of Montgomery Advertisers “People to Watch” for doing exceptional work in the community. She has served as a member of the Breastfeeding Task Force at Baptist Medical Center South, the Governor’s Initiative Breastfeeding Work Group with the Alabama Department of Public Health and The Wellness Coalition’s REACH Advisory Committee.

Adiliah also serves with the Gift of Life Foundation’s Community Action Network, and is a member of the Doula Organization of North America International (DONA) and Childbirth & Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA).

Brittany Isler is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, DONA Certified Birth Doula, childbirth educator, and maternal-child health advocate dedicated to improving birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum outcomes across the Mississippi Delta. She is the owner of Delicate Moments Lactation & Doula Services and serves families through hospital, community, and private-practice settings, providing lactation, birth, and postpartum support.

Brittany’s work extends beyond direct patient care to community education, provider and staff training, maternal health initiatives, and advocacy. Her experience in postpartum care includes supporting families during the transition after birth, providing breastfeeding and infant-feeding support, postpartum education, and connecting mothers with resources to promote a safe and supported recovery. She also contributes to maternal health research efforts through her work with the Mississippi Delta Center of Excellence in Maternal Health.

A native of Shaw, Mississippi, Brittany is especially passionate about expanding access to high-quality, culturally responsive maternal and infant health services in rural and underserved communities. Her work centers on ensuring that mothers and families are educated, empowered, supported, and heard throughout pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and the postpartum period.

Maranda Nybo, IBCLC, RLC, CBE, Doula, has been a trusted advocate in the birth and breastfeeding community for over 25 years. She began her journey as a La Leche League Leader and later became a certified doula and lactation counselor for WIC.

Her dedication led her to become an IBCLC in 2011, making history as the first non-RN IBCLC hired at Gulfport Memorial. For eight years, she supported moms and babies, including those in the NICU, with personalized care.

In 2021, Maranda joined Gulf Coast Breastfeeding Center (GCBC) and became its proud owner in 2023 after Stephanie Gable’s retirement. She continues GCBC’s mission to provide compassionate, judgment-free support to mothers. Maranda offers childbirth, clinical breastfeeding, and parenting classes, helping moms achieve their goals with confidence. Her commitment is to empower every mother with tailored, evidence-based care.

Chelesa Presley co-founded and executive director the Coahoma County Diaper Bank in 2016, which later transitioned to the Diaper Bank of the Delta in 2018 which serve over 15,000 infants and toddlers annually in Mississippi and the Delta region of Arkansas and Louisiana; owner and operator of Early Dawn Birthing Services where is she provides birthing and lactation services; Baby Café facilitator of The Lactating Club, a free breastfeeding support group; and Director of Clarksdale Baby University, an 8 week intensive parenting program for expecting parents and parents with children under 3 year old. She attended Mississippi State University, majoring in Industrial Engineering.

Chelesa is on the leadership team of the National Diaper Bank Network Board of Directors. She has been providing community-based support to women and children since 2000. She was a Certified Parents as Teacher Parent Educator from 2000 to 2004. She is currently a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) since 2012 and became a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) in 2018. She also has served as the lead Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician- Instructor (CPST-I) in Northwest Mississippi since 2012. Mrs. Presley became a Certified Madriella Doula in 2016 and started Early Dawn Birthing Services in 2020. 

Chelesa is a member of several professional organizations such as National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color (NAPPLSC), Young Professionals of Panola (YPP), Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce, Sisters in Unity, Delta Breastfeeding Coalition, and Mississippi Birth Coalition. She and her team won the 2018 Make the Breast Pump not Suck Hackathon Transformation Award for a project to initiate a homeless shelter for pregnant and postpartum women experiencing housing insecurities in the Mississippi Delta. She was a 2018-2019 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy Fellow a program of the Delta Regional Authority, a 2019/2020 Higher Purpose Co. Black Entrepreneur Fellow, the 2020 GIVE Awards Outstanding COVID-19 Crisis Response by an Individual, Reaching Our Sister Everywhere 2020 Concrete ROSE Award, the 2021/2022 Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi Maddox Woman of the Year, and the 2022 Mom. ME Iron Woman of the Year.

Chelesa’s life goals are to help women in the Mississippi Delta and the State of Mississippi make informed choices about maternal practices and encourage young parents along their parenting journey while helping address the growing needs of pregnant and postpartum women experiencing housing and basic needs insecurities.

Mariah DeBow, MPH, is the Senior Project Management Specialist at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. She manages national maternal and child health initiatives focused on helping hospitals implement evidence-based maternity care practices, improve breastfeeding outcomes, and reduce health disparities through quality improvement, education, and collaboration.

Mariah earned her Master of Public Health from Boston University, where she concentrated on maternal and child health with a special interest in refugee and immigrant health. Her background includes program implementation, evaluation, and health communications.

Before joining CHEER, Mariah worked at Boston Medical Center's Immigrant & Refugee Health Center as the Social Media and Communications Specialist and Patient Advisory Council Coordinator, supporting patient engagement and outreach for immigrant and refugee communities. She also served as a communications specialist for Nature and Culture International, promoting environmental and community health initiatives in Mexico and South America. As CHEER International Group's (CHEERing) first fellow, she helped coordinate a preventive health program serving refugee communities in Greece.

Lakisha King-Windle serves as the Lactation Consultant for the Labor & Delivery Unit at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital. With 22 years of experience in nursing and maternal–infant health, pediatric health, and community health, she brings deep expertise to supporting families through evidence-based breastfeeding education and compassionate care. Her dedication to empowering mothers began with her own breastfeeding journey and continues through her work in public health and nursing, improving outcomes for families across her community.

Linda Tuggle, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, is a Transformational Nurse Leader with 34 years of clinical experience specializing in Labor and Delivery, including 20 years in nursing leadership. She is dedicated to delivering evidence-based obstetrical care and cultivating cultures of clinical excellence through active mentorship. Notably, Linda has successfully spearheaded the rigorous initiative to attain Baby-Friendly designation for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare-Olive Branch Hospital, demonstrating a career-long commitment to safety, education, and optimal patient outcomes. 

Jala Marchbanks serves as the Assistant Nurse Manager of the Women's Center at NMMC Gilmore-Amory. With more than 10 years of experience in Women's Health Nursing, she is recognized for her charismatic leadership style, innovative thinking, and creative approach to problem-solving. Passionate about excellence in patient care, Jala is committed to fostering a culture of teamwork, growth, and high-quality outcomes for the women and families her team serves.

Throughout her career, Jala has played an integral role in supporting the stability and continued growth of the Women's Center. She successfully co-organized the facility's first-ever Baby Fair and helped coordinate the first NICU Reunion held in more than two decades, creating meaningful opportunities for community engagement and connection. These efforts, combined with the dedication of the Women's Center team, have contributed to remarkable achievements, including recognition among the nation's Top 75 hospitals for maternal healthcare and redesignation through the prestigious Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. In recognition of her leadership, dedication, and positive impact on both staff and patients, Jala was nominated by her peers and team members for the 2026 Manager of the Year award.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Jala enjoys spending quality time with her husband of five years, her teenage daughter, and her energetic two-year-old son. In her free time, she loves photography, shopping, and binge-watching reality television. Her passion for both family and healthcare reflects the same warmth, dedication, and enthusiasm that have made her a respected leader within her organization and community.

Diana Johnston has been a postpartum/well-baby nurse and childbirth educator at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi for 23 years.  Her nursing passion is focused on providing evidence-based care to mother's and newborns while encouraging families and staff to do the same.

Dr. Burse has received several awards for her work and dedication to the maternal health crisis. Most recent recognition includes:

· MS Public Health Association President’s Award (2024)

· MS Rural Health Association Shining Star Award (2024)

· Corinth High School Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award (2024)

· Top 50 under 50 recognition MS Urban Elite Professionals (2024)

· The Iron Woman Award from Mom. Me (2023)

· Dr. Myrlie Evers-Williams Activist Award from for Brown Girls, Inc. (2022)

· Candace Award for Health from National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (2020)

· MS 50 Leading Business Women (2019)

Outside of her professional work, Dr. Burse is involved in community activities and organizations. She has served in multiple leadership roles with the Madison County (MS) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc; she also serves as one of the youth leaders at St. Peter M.B. Church in Jackson, MS. Additionally, she is a proud member of the Jackson, MS Chapter of Jack and Jill of America. Dr. Burse’s most rewarding work is raising her two boys, Chandler and Cooper, alongside her husband, Dr. Creston Burse. She enjoys traveling, attending sporting events with her family, and being a sports mom.

Paula Bugg-Wrenn, MD, is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc. (ROSE). Dr. Bugg-Wrenn has been integral to ROSE since its beginnings, bringing both institutional memory and visionary leadership to the organization. Her commitment to maternal and infant health equity is matched by her dedication to fostering a collaborative, supportive workplace, balancing the demands of her burgeoning career with her roles as wife and mother.

Dr. Bugg-Wrenn oversees the day-to-day operations of ROSE and ROBE, works to strengthen the internal, employee-centered systems, and leads ROSE's research agenda. She also serves as their medical evaluator, ensuring that their programs remain grounded in the latest evidence and clinical best practices.

Calandra Davis is a student midwife and community birth assistant serving families in rural Mississippi and West Jackson. She is a three time birth, 2x unmedicated home birth mama that was inspired by her midwives and birth team to start her own journey into the field of birth work. Her path into birth work is rooted in community, ancestral knowledge, and the belief that birth belongs to the people. She sits under and learns from traditional midwives, carrying forward practices of care that have sustained Black families across generations.

As a Black queer feminist organizer and certified Authentic Consent practitioner, Calandra approaches birth through a pleasure-centered lens that honors bodily autonomy, informed choice, and the full humanity of birthing people. She is especially committed to making affirming, community-rooted care accessible to Black, rural, queer, polyamorous, and other families whose experiences are often overlooked within traditional systems of care.

Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Tressimee Thompson relocated to Jackson, Mississippi, in 2013, bringing with her a deep connection to community, family, and the experiences that shape maternal and child health. She is a proud mother of five children, four of whom she carried and gave birth to, ranging in age from 1 to 16. Her experiences as a mother have further shaped her passion for supporting families and advocating for improved maternal and child health outcomes.

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 Chair of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Steering Committee and has served as the North American representative to WABA since 2023. 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 with the CHEER Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 and received the National Leadership Award in the “Friend of WIC” category from the National WIC Association in 2014.

In addition, Cathy has served 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. 

A native of Pontotoc, Mississippi, Shelley Long is a registered nurse with 10 years of experience in maternal and newborn care. After beginning her nursing career in an ICU step-down unit and later serving in a women's hospital resource pool, Shelley found a passion for lactation support and has spent the past five years helping families achieve their infant feeding goals. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for the past four years, she currently serves as Lactation Supervisor, a leadership role held for nearly three years, while pursuing a master's degree in leadership.

Driven by a deep sense of purpose, Shelley believes this work is a calling. Although a career in lactation was never part of the original plan, it has become a meaningful opportunity to support families during one of the most vulnerable and transformative times of their lives. As a leader, Shelley is passionate about empowering the lactation team to provide compassionate, evidence-based care and creating an environment where both patients and staff experience success, confidence, and meaningful moments of connection.

Alice Chaney Herndon, MSN, RNC-NIC, serves as the Nursing Director of Wiser Women’s Hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), where she has dedicated more than 20 years to the nursing profession. A lifelong UMMC nurse and leader, Alice Chaney earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing and Health Care Administration from the UMMC School of Nursing.

In 2017, Alice Chaney successfully led the UMMC team to achieve Baby-Friendly USA designation, making Wiser Women’s Hospital the first hospital in the Jackson metropolitan area and the second hospital in Mississippi to receive this prestigious designation. Under her leadership, the Mother Baby Unit was recognized as Nursing Team of the Year in 2018 and was represented at the Nursing Nightingale Awards that same year. Her commitment to nursing leadership was further recognized when she received the DAISY Nurse Leader of the Year Award in 2021 and was inducted into the UMMC Nursing Hall of Fame in 2023.

Alice Chaney is passionate about academic medicine and thrives in its fast-paced, continuously evolving environment. She is committed to advancing evidence-based practice and ensuring that mothers and babies across Mississippi receive the highest quality of care. She values innovation, lifelong learning, and the opportunity to develop nursing practice and leadership in support of better outcomes for patients and families.

Outside of work, Alice Chaney has been married to her husband, Drew, for 20 years. They are the proud parents of two sons, Parker, 18, and Anderson, 14. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and being actively involved in her community and local church.

Becky Knapp, MPH, RN, IBCLC, has been a maternal-child health nurse for 18 years. Since the start of her career, she has been driven to support moms, babies, and their families during the prenatal and postpartum period. Becky’s passion quickly became promoting and protecting breastfeeding, in particular addressing socioeconomic and racial inequities that can so often complicate the breastfeeding journey. This has guided her work across the country as a postpartum, nursery, and antepartum nurse and lactation consultant in hospitals and the community. Additionally, Becky has worked on research teams looking at best practices to address inequities in maternity care.

Vanessa Lovejoy-Guron serves as the BirthKeeper Department Director at Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services, where she leads and supports a team of perinatal health professionals providing compassionate, community-centered support to Native and Pacific Islander families. Strong advocacy and culturally-rooted care are at the heart of Vanessa’s (Karayan/Kumintáng) work. For nearly 10 years, she has served these communities as an Indigenous full-spectrum doula, lactation counselor, and perinatal health educator. 

Vanessa approaches her work by creating space for non-judgmental, unbiased information-sharing, believing this openness helps families feel supported during some of their most vulnerable moments. She’s also passionate about data, using quantitative and qualitative evidence to make the case for policy change at the local and state level. Through this work, she has helped dismantle systemic barriers to more accessible, equitable maternal-child health care for Indigenous families. 

Vanessa’s work is guided by a core belief: “Healthy communities begin and end with how we care for birthing people—by honoring body sovereignty and centering Indigenous wisdom.” For her, that care is inseparable from culture and connection. She also believes, “Growing our babies, birthing our babies, nursing our babies and caring for our families in community is ceremony!” 

Althea Marshall Brooks currently serves as the Executive Director of Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS) Partnership, Incorporated in Waterbury, Connecticut. A native of Waterbury, Althea is guided by an ardent commitment to holistic excellence and service. Since her appointment in the Fall of 2017, Althea has led Waterbury Bridge to Success's overall strategic approach. Under her leadership, BTS has intentionally shifted power to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), youth, and caregivers to increase community-based engagement. Althea's ability to streamline collaborative action supports BTS's mission of ensuring the city’s youth and families have access to quality education and support for their social, emotional, academic and economic development and success. Her prioritization of shifting power to those with lived experience and increasing intentional community engagement has propelled the systems transformation work of the organization.

Since joining in 2017, BTS partnerships, strategic investments and community level organizing has expanded to include a robust health equity agenda that addresses the disparate outcomes experienced by black and Latine residents in Waterbury including maternal and fetal morbidity/mortality in addition the increased depression and anxiety adversely and disproportionately affecting the aforementioned populations. The result was an award-winning documentary – When the Water Breaks: A Conversation about Black Maternal Health in Waterbury, a five-year multimillion dollar investment in educational equity in six city schools and a four-year initiative with Trinity Health of New England to address health disparities in Waterbury.

Althea's commitment to servitude is evident. She is a member of the Gathering Place Community Church. She sits on various boards and committees locally and statewide including the Gateway Community College Foundation Board; HealthBridge Foundation; Waterbury Black Giving Circle, Governor’s Blue-Ribbon Panel for Child Care, CT OEC Commissioner’s External Review Committee, The Governor’s Workforce Council, Emerge Connecticut, Inc., City of Waterbury Diversity Committee, City of New Haven Homeless Advisory Commission, State of Connecticut Department of Public Health Maternal Health Taskforce and the CT Health Foundation Maternal Health Advisory Committee.

Althea obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree from the School of Family Studies at The University of Connecticut, a Master of Science Degree in Sociology from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School. She is the proud wife of Darrell and mother/bonus mom to DJ/Paige, and Chelsea and GiGi to Isaiah Michael.

Laura Burnham, MPH, is the Associate Director at the Center for Health Equity, Education, & Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. Her work focuses on quality improvement and program implementation in the field of maternal and child health, with a particular focus on breastfeeding and maternity care practices. Laura manages CHEER’s CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Care Practices) programs, which assist birthing hospitals to safely implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.