Conference Speakers - More to come!
FEATURED SPEAKER: Diane Wiessinger, LLL Leader, MS, IBCLC, is a frequent speaker, in the US and abroad, on the mechanics and mammalian behaviors involved in breastfeeding, and the language and support systems that help make it successful. She is a co-author of the La Leche League International books The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 8th edition, and Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family. She is author or contributing author of numerous breastfeeding resources, including textbooks, journal articles and essays, and more than 75 breastfeeding handouts for mothers and their helpers.
Dr. Darcy J Rindelaub, DDS, MS, received her Doctor of Dental Surgery and Master of Science degree from the University of Minnesota. Following completion of her pediatric residency, she served as a Captain in the United States Air Force in Okinawa, Japan as a pediatric dentist. At the end of her service, she returned to Minnesota and has been in private practice since. Riverdale Pediatric Dentistry in Coon Rapids, Minnesota and St. Croix Kidds Pediatric Dentistry in Hudson, Wisconsin are her two practices that she has established with partners and associates, providing a dental home for thousands of children. Lasers have been incorporated into her practices over the last six years. Dr. Darcy Rindelaub continues to advance her knowledge and practice in several areas, attending continuing education that included attending the first IATP: International Affiliation of Tongue-tie Professionals in 2013 and numerous advanced laser training seminars. She has performed countless hard and soft tissue procedures with lasers on children of all ages, including infant frenectomies. Dr. Rindelaub is board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She is a member of American Dental Association, Minnesota Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, Minnesota Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Minnesota and American Associations of Pediatric Dentists. She is laser certified by the Academy of Laser Dentistry and the Academy of Clinical Technology. She has been named Top Dentist 2014 in Minnesota and by The International Association of Health Care Professionals as one of the leading Pediatric Dentist of the world. She has two of her own children and has been a strong proponent of breastfeeding. Dr. Darcy Rindelaub is passionate about providing a service that is helping mothers and babies to successfully breastfeed.
Chris Clark, IBCLC, has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1999. She has spent almost three decades counseling nursing women- with involvement in La Leche League, mother support groups, high risk birthing centers, rural hospitals, and as a WIC peer counselor. She has worked as a doula, respiratory therapist, and cardiac rehab specialist. Chris is credited with bringing Kangaroo Care to this country, after her last child was born prematurely at United Hospital in St. Paul. After her successful piloting and advocacy of this treatment, the hospital began a program to encourage other parents to try skin-to-skin to improve outcomes for preemies. As the founder and director of BlessingWay Family Services, she has developed and implemented numerous initiatives including mother-to-mother mentoring programs, promotion of kangaroo care, and mentoring aspiring Lactation Consultants.
Emme Corbeil, CPM, LM, is a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife practicing home birth in the Twin Cities. She has been lovingly assisting families through the transition to parenthood for 15 years in hospitals, birth centers and at home. Successful breastfeeding is a critical part of her work with home birth families and the importance of birth practices is of special interest to her. Emme is a proud co owner of Trillium Midwifery Care with Clare Welter, CNM. Together they have caught approximately 350 little people who almost exclusively breastfeed. Emme has three kids born into midwives' hands. She nursed those now grown kids for 11 straight years!
Liz Abbene, CD(DONA), LCCE, BDT(DONA), IBCLC, is a certified birth doula and doula trainer with DONA (Doulas of North America), a Lamaze®-Certified Childbirth Educator, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, trained through University of California, San Diego. She is also the founder of Enlightened Mama, an education, wellness, and support center designed to offer a safe space for families to get quality education, connect with others, and feel confident throughout their journey of parenting. Enlightened Mama is designed to help women and their families have positive birth and breastfeeding experiences, as they define them, and to begin parenthood with confidence. As a doula, educator, and lactation consultant, Liz is not here to dictate the “best” way to give birth and care for babies, but rather to give families the opportunity to make truly informed decisions that feel right for them.
Tiffany Gallagher, BA, CLC, CLEC, is a lactation counselor and educator, editor, mother of four (including a set of twins), and all-around nerd about a whole lot of things. As a student of the University of California – San Diego Extension lactation consultant certificate program and lactation consultant intern at HCMC, she is finally able to say she's an IBLCE exam candidate for 2015. Tiffany is a member of the Best for Babes Foundation social media team and a member of the Childbirth Collective. When she has time, she writes about breastfeeding at www.theboobgeek.com.
Jen Mason, LLL Leader, IBCLC, RLC, provides support for families as an IBCLC, offering in-home lactation visits and breastfeeding education through Twin Cities Lactation LLC. She is also an active volunteer with the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition and is a member of USLCA, ILCA, and the Childbirth Collective. Jen has been involved with LLL since 2006 and counseling families as a LLL Leader since 2011. She enjoys spending time with her family, keeping up-to-date on lactation research, organic vegetable gardening, knitting, and book club with friends.
Vickie Albright, LLL Leader, IBCLC, RLC, has been a Leader with La Leche League since 2008. She is the Area Coordinator of Leaders and a District Advisor as well as the Area Database Administrator. Her private practice, MamaWise Lactation, provides in-home lactation support. She is a proud mama to two daughters and a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association.
Maureen Campion, MS, LP, is a licensed psychologist and relationship expert. She specializes in the early years of parenting and building families. She writes a free weekly newsletter Notes from a Marriage Geek and teaches inclusive, research-based parenting and marriage classes at her Richfield office. www.marriagegeek.com
Deb Roberts, M.Ed. is a Licensed Parent Educator employed with the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs of the Edina Public Schools. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a master's degree in Family Education in 2009. Deb was an LLL Leader for twenty years, ten years each with the NE Mpls. & Suburbs and Eden Prairie Groups, retiring in 2012. She also served as Area Coordinator of Leader Accreditation, Regional Administrator of Leader Accreditation, and Contributing Editor for LEAVEN. She and her husband of 29 years, Mike Kruger, live in Chanhassen and have four sons, Joe (25), Zak (23), Chris (21), and Jackson (16).
Angie Sonrode is a self described "lactivist" who is mildly obsessed with birth and breastfeeding. Luckily as an LLL Leader, birth and postpartum doula and new mama teacher she gets to talk about these things all the time. She also teaches parent and infant yoga and movement. She has been lactating or pregnant (or both!) for the last decade and has four breastfed children and an uber supportive partner who listens to all of her birth and breastfeeding talk patiently.
Deb Pladsen is the Coordinator of Leader Accreditation for Minnesota and the Dakotas. She has been a La Leche League Leader since 2009 and also works part-time for an investment firm. Deb has worked with many Leader Applicants in the preparation for leadership and enjoys helping them to support other breastfeeding moms. Deb keeps busy enjoying downtime with her husband and two children as well as reading, running, and (sort-of) knitting.
Anne Ferguson has been an LLL Leader since 2008. She is the Area Coordinator of Events and the Area Finance Coordintor for LLL of Minnesota/Dakotas. She is also a birth doula and childbirth educator who is passionate about couples being informed and educated about birth choices. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and two new kittens.
Anne Casey has been a La Leche League Leader since 2009 and the Area Communications Coordinator since 2012. She currently edits Northern LLLights, La Leche League of Minnesota and Dakotas’ newsletter for Leaders and has contributed to New Beginnings, the magazine of LLL USA. She holds degrees in sociology and history from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Pennsylvania and has a strong interest in history as a way of understanding and impacting the present. Anne lives in St. Louis Park, MN with her husband and two children.
Sarah Schwabel became a La Leche League Leader in 2014 and leads meetings with two Twin Cities Groups. She is also the Area Librarian. Sarah is a full-time stay at home mom, kid and grown-up craft enthusiast, and a cook-in-training. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.
We are currently accepting submissions from local presenters who would like to participate in our conference. If you have knowledge and expertise to share related to breastfeeding, birth, babies, families, or parenting, please email Anne Ferguson.