Meet Our Faculty
CAPPA is proud to have some of the best and most qualified faculty members in the world. Click on each state to see a picture and short biography of each faculty member from that state.
Alabama
April Howton
Programs trained: Labor Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Lactation Educator
I have been a member of CAPPA for 6 years and a director for 5. I enjoy training and travel so I can expand my knowledge of new people and places. I have four children and live in Florence, AL with my husband. I also run Joy N' Birth Pregnancy Services, my childbirth business, and teach classes at two neighboring hospitals and birth centers.
Arkansas
Angie Whatley
Programs trained: Labor Doula
I have been working in childbirth since 1994. I teach childbirth classes and my passion lead me to be a labor doula. A member of CAPPA since March 2008, I received CAPPA certification as childbirth educator and labor doula in May 2008. My passion is teaching. I have been a nurse educator since May 2005 through the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences. I have been fortunate to be able to work as a nurse in the field I love and help moms have the birth experience they want. I am an advocate for mothers and love being a doula. My goal is to train others to be doulas and start a hospital-based doula program at our local hospital. I've been married 25 years and am a mother of 3.
California
Darla Burns
Programs trained: Postpartum Doula
Darla has been supporting women and families as a birth doula since 1990 and was certified by DONA in 2003. Finding that she also loved working with the families after they delivered, she then became a CAPPA certified postpartum doula in 2004. Soon thereafter, she became a certified childbirth educator and lactation educator. Her love of working with families and sharing her knowledge with others led her to her position as a faculty member for CAPPA. When she's not doing doula work, she spends her time with her husband and two great kids.
Rena Koerner
Programs trained: Labor Doula
I am CAPPA's Southwest regional representative, a certified birth doula for over 7 years, a certified childbirth educator, a certified Happiest Baby instructor, Reiki practitioner, and CAPPA approved faculty member. As a mother myself, family is most important and how they arrive into this world is equally important. Providing safety from the beginning is key to a wonderful life start. My goal is to bring knowledge and compassion to the birthing place.
Yvonne Novak
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator and Lactation Educator
I received my birth doula training from DONA and CAPPA and have been involved with childbirth since the birth of my first child in 1976. I had the privilege of being a La Leche League leader, leading monthly meetings and attending conferences in the 1970's and 1980's. I successfully breastfed all three of my sons. During that same time, I became a certified childbirth educator with AAHCC (American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth), The Bradley Method. I taught for 11 years. I am also certified with CAPPA as a postpartum doula and lactation educator. In 2005 I became the CAPPA Childbirth Educator trainer for California. I enjoy teaching others the joys of natural birthing. Additional I teach individual and group classes in my home. In 2007 I became the CAPPA Lactation Educator Trainer for California. After helping women and their partners achieve their birthing goals and attending many of the births as a support person, it was only a natural progression to become a Doula. I am a practicing doula and attend about 4 births a month. I married my very loving and supportive husband Randy in 1993. We have 5 children between us. (I think he would be a great doula and childbirth educator with the skills he has learned.) I became a grandmother for the first time in the winter of 2004 to an adorable little boy. Since then there has been a second one. She was born at home on Easter Sunday (2007) into her Daddy's arms after only 45 minutes of labor! My third grand baby was born in September 2009.
Colorado
Desirre Andrews
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator
Desirre has been professionaly teaching childbirth classes and actively working with birthing families since 2004 as a doula. Her experience dates back to 1987 when she attended her first birth as support. She is a dual-certified childbirth educator, certified labor doula, certified lactation educator, vice president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network, public speaker, and blogger. She teaches her own thriving independent childbirth class, volunteer teaches at her local pregnancy center, and is a busy working labor doula. She has been married to her amazing and supportive husband since 1994 and has four growing boys.
Ana Hill
Programs trained: Labor Doula
Ana has attended births in the Denver Metro area since 1998. As a doula trainer, she combines over nine years of experience as a doula and seventeen years of experience as an instructor. She brings to her trainings a passion for serving new families and a strong commitment to excellence in the doula profession. Ana is happily married and has six children.
Tricia Licata
Programs trained: Postpartum Doula
For over 20 years Tricia Eaves Licata has been providing postpartum care for growing families all over the United States. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services with a Certificate in High Risk Youth Studies, and a specific focus on providing services and support for parenting and pregnant teens. Trish is a certified postpartum doula (CAPPA), Partner in Parenting Education (PIPE) certified, lactation educator (CAPPA), antepartum doula, parent educator, Infant Massage Instructor (IAIM), the former director of postpartum doula programs with CAPPA, and the founder and former owner of a nanny agency that specialized in newborn care, primarily multiples. Trish is married and a proud mother of two amazing children.
Laurel Wilson
Programs trained: Lactation Educator
Laurel is a certified lactation counselor, childbirth educator, labor doula, lactation educator, Prenatal Parenting instructor, and pre- and postpartum fitness educator. She believes that the journey towards and into motherhood is a life changing rite of passage that should be deeply honored and celebrated. Laurel has been married to her husband for over 16 years and has two beautiful boys, whose difficult births led her on a path towards helping emerging families create positive experiences.
Chelsea Eardley
Programs trained: Teen Support ProgramsChelsea went to college with a plan to become a Spanish teacher. She left (after living in Chile for six months) with a degree in Spanish and no idea what to do with it. Through a series of interesting events, she came to work in the health care field and has now been working with pregnant women and mothers (and their families!) of all ages for over four years. She quickly discovered a special place in her heart for teen parents. She is a case manager for pregnant and parenting teens as well as a CAPPA-trained volunteer labor doula and lactation educator through a community health center in the Denver metro area of Colorado. Part of her work with teens also involves teaching a two-day sexual education curriculum in middle and high schools, facilitating support groups in high schools for teen parents, and staffing a teen clinic which provides confidential family planning services. As a Colorado native (and with a boyfriend who is also a Colorado native), Chelsea enjoys the beauty of her home state at any time of year, with hobbies like hiking, camping, snowboarding, snowshoeing with her two black labs, and wakeboarding. Despite her love for home, she loves to expand her cultural and linguistic horizons by traveling and has been to Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Germany, the Czech Republic, Ireland, England, Spain and all over the U.S. Next stops: more of Europe and (hopefully) Japan!
Florida
Janice Banther
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator and Labor Doula
Janice has been helping women during their birth since 1982 and has attended over 500 births. She is a certified childbirth educator, certified labor doula and an approved trained counselor and trainer with RTS Bereavement. She is also a postpartum doula and breastfeeding counselor. Janice is the founder and executive director of For The Love of Birth, Inc. which is a non-profit organization in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She teaches childbirth classes and is a doula for one of the county jails. Her greatest pride and joy is her husband Barry, her two sons, David and John, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. You can learn more about her by visiting her website, birthingwithlove.com.
Kym Dalton
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator and Labor Doula
Kym Dalton has been teaching and supporting women since 1994. She is the Executive Director of CAPPA's Childbirth Education Certification Programs. She travels around the USA and the world providing certification training workshops. She is the owner of Traditions of Love Childbirth Services, LLC where she provides private childbirth education, sex education and labor doula services. Kym lives in Gainesville, FL with her husband of more than 20 years and their two children, Kaley and Connor. Her hobbies are fun - anything that is relaxing or exciting. She loves working out and trains a Brazilian Material Arts called Capoeira which has truly brought about an awakening of mind, body, and spirit. She enjoys dancing and samba is at the top! She loves the outdoors so you might find her at the beach enjoying the cool ocean breezes, hiking or camping - all the while enjoying a great bottle of wine.
Debra Geymayr
Programs trained: Postpartum Doula
Debra Geymayr, E-RYT, HBCE, CD(DONA), CLD, CPD, CHBE, IMP is the directress of Prenatal Plus - Yoga, Inc., certified yoga
teacher with the National Yoga Alliance, childbirth educator, Hypnobirthing practioner/instructor, Happiest Baby on the Block educator, infant massage practitioner and professional labor, birth and postpartum companion (doula). She has been teaching fitness for over 20 years, specializing for the last ten years in pregnancy, birth and beyond. She is celebrating "motherhood" with her daughter everyday!
Debra also hosts Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification Trainings (CEUs are accredited by Yoga Alliance) and is creator of the nationally recognized video "Yoga for Pregnancy." Debra has dedicated her life's work to helping women and couples enjoy this amazing time together through education, connection and understanding. She has enjoyed assisting hundreds of couples embrace this "Celebration of Life" at homebirths, hospital births and birth center births throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.You can learn more about her by visiting her website, http://www.prenatalplusyoga.com
Barbara Harper
Programs trained: Labor Doula
Barbara started her career in maternity as an RN, but not your regular run-of-the mill-nurse. She was always passionate about mothers and babies, even in nursing school. Her maternal grandmother, Estella Ethel Harper Lemonyon, was a nurse and midwife and worked in rural Mercer Country, Ohio, where Barbara learned from an early age what service, sacrifice and hard work were all about. She founded Waterbirth International in 1987 after visiting Russia for the first time and sitting down with Igor Charkovsky, where she was influenced by his complete faith in birthing women and their babies. She also worked extensively with Binnie Dansby, in the early 1980's learning to respect the cognitive, but repressed, experiences and memories of birth in all our lives. Her research and experiences resulted in the publication of Gentle Birth Choices, book and DVD. She also produced Birth Into Being: The Russian Waterbirth Experience in cooperation with Alexi and Tatiana Sargunas in 2000, after traveling many times back to Russia. Midwives and parents alike have called her video programs "the most inspiring birth videos ever produced."
Esther March-Singleton
Programs trained: Lactation Educator
Esther has been dedicated to assisting and caring for families for over 20 years. She has extensive experience as a registered nurse working in OB labor and delivery, postpartum and neonatal intensive care, a labor assistant, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, certified lactation educator, trainer and basic certified life support instructor. She also has her Bachelors in Health Care Administration and Nursing Science and Masters in Business Administration. In 1992, she created A Mother's Choice, Inc., a company offering pregnancy and breastfeeding services to all socieoeconomic levels. Her vision when starting A Mother's Choice, Inc. was "to educate, train, guide, support and empower families to maintain health and wellness through prenatal and postnatal education awareness". As A Mother's Choice, Inc. continues to evolve, Esther's vision remains a constant focus. This vision has been achieved through a staff of trained and caring consultants along with Esther, that provide various types of support services such as breastfeeding and postnatal consults in the comfort of the mommies home or in office visits as well as prenatal and postnatal education workshops in private or group settings. Esther believes in the importance of community outreach to infuse her vision of empowering families with awareness and knowleadge. She works within many communities as an education program coordinator in hospitals, with the Healthy Start progam, WIC progam, and Babies 'R' Us, to name a few. A Mother's Choice, Inc. has touched hundreds of families that have been guided from conception and beyond. They have been a positive force within all of south Florida servicing Miami-Dade, Broward, and West Palm Beach counties.
In addition to Esther fulfilling her passion and vision of many years ago, she is a loving wife and proud mother of 3 sons as well as 3 spoiled dogs.
Marlo Robinson
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator and Postpartum Doula
Marlo founded her business dream, Mother's Care Doula Services, Inc., in 1998. Since that time, Mother's Care has been named the preferred doula provider by the South Broward Hospital District including the Memorial Healthcare System and by Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Additionally, Mother's Care has served over 1,000 birthing families to date and looks forward to the continued blessing of serving new families this year and for years to come. She also speaks frequently at the national and local levels regarding childbirth and postpartum related topics. Marlo is a hard core birth junkie and supporter of all things childbirth! She has six children, ages 15, 12, 8, 5, 13 months and 47 (her wonderful husband!) Marlo has been honored by the legal and maternity community for her small business efforts and she enjoys opportunities to facilitate doula trainings, teach, and to speak and present well-women issues, childbirth, and small-business related matters whenever possible! Visit Marlo's business MySpace at myspace.com/motherscare.
Georgia
Tracy Wilson Peters
Programs trained: Childbirth Education and Labor Doula
Tracy is a born communicator. She has been working with expectant mothers for more than 16 years, assisting over 200 women as a doula and educating more than 3,000 families about childbirth. She has been featured on Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC and in publications such as The Atlanta Journal, The Times, The Gwinnett Daily Post, Fit pregnancy magazine, Atlanta Parent Magazine, The Indiana Star, and Essence. She is the author of The Must Have Labor Doula Marketing Manual, as well as co-producer of the video Labor Support: A Comfort Guide. She co-founded CAPPA in 1997. You may view Tracy's media kit here.
Jennifer Pinholster
Programs trained: Childbirth Education and Labor Doula
I became interested in learning more about creating a better birth experience after the birth of my daughter Kayli in 1995. At that time I was a massage therapist, so naturally I started there. I earned a Pregnancy Postpartum Massage Certificate in September 1998 through Kate Jordan Seminars. After that I became a Certified Infant Massage Instructor from International Association of Infant Massage in 1998. Finally in January of 2000, I found out about CAPPA. I attended a Labor Doula and Childbirth Educator training. I became an LPN in December 2001 from Central GA Technical College. I have been passionate about the organization and the people since. I am the proud mother of four beautiful children, Kayli (13), Cody (11), Caden (3), and Clay (18 months). My first two births were medicated hospital births. After ten years and lots of support training, I had two beautiful homebirths with both a doula and nurse midwife. For the last four years I have assisted the midwife with most of her homebirths. I practice both on prenatal clients and standard massage clients. I teach both group and private classes and have attend many hospital births as a doula. As for activities I enjoy... my family and birth!
Hawaii
Kathryn Julia
Programs trained: Labor Doula
I have been a licensed massage therapist in Hawaii since 1978 and began to specialize in prenatal and postpartum massage in 1985. I became certified as a labor doula in 1999 and a labor doula trainer in 2003. I believe it is extremely important to share the wisdom and knowledge that has been passed down through the ages to enlighten and empower women to have confidence in their bodies through the childbearing year. It is with great joy I share in this mission.
Joan-e Rapine
Programs trained: Lactation Educator
Joan-e Rapine is a lactation educator, lactation counselor, childbirth educator, and doula. She is the Director of Education and faculty for Birth Works International(BWI), as well as the BWI Chair of the Trainee Review Committee. Joan-e believes that the knowledge of how to birth and parent already exists within each mother and dedicates her work to helping women tap into that knowledge. She brings together her creative teaching experience and her passion for empowering mothers and families to create a compassionate learning environment. Joan-e lives with her husband, Tom, and their daughters, Mia and Shani, at YMCA Camp Erdman on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. She has been helping pregnant and breastfeeding families since 1999. Visit her at wholebirthservices.com.
Iowa
Lisa Spain
Programs trained: Postpartum Doula
I have been a member of CAPPA for 4 years. Over 15 years ago, while in nursing school, I began taking care of pregnant women and their families. After receiving my nursing license, I worked as a postpartum nurse in the hospital setting and in private OB/family practice clinics. In 2006 I started my own business working as a private breastfeeding educator and postpartum doula. www.familiesfirststeps.com
I believe the early connections between mother/baby must be treated as sacred. Early postpartum care can play a significant role in the well-being of the mother/baby. I am passionate about empowering women to make confident choices about their needs and the needs of their babies. I offer support in ways that respect the family, together we can work to make the postpartum memory a positive one.
Massachusetts
Julie Brill
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator
Julie Brill, CCCE has been teaching perinatal classes, including natural childbirth, prepared childbirth, infant care, breastfeeding, prenatal exercise, and postpartum exercise since 1992. She has been training childbirth educators for CAPPA since 2003. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Sociology and Women's Studies and completed the Massachusetts Midwifery Alliance Apprenticeship Course. A certified childbirth educator with CAPPA and ALACE, Julie has attended births as a midwifery apprentice and labor doula. Julie is also the homeschooling mother of two daughters, and a perinatal writer whose work has appeared in many publications including: Midwifery Today, Hip Mama, ePregnancy, Spirit of Change, and Parenting from the Heart. Julie believes birth can be extremely empowering and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with birthing families and mentor childbirth educators.
Chana Luba
Programs trained: Labor Doula
Chana Luba has been a doula since 1998. She has been teaching childbirth education since 2000 and has trained over 100 women to be doulas through her CAPPA-certified doula training program. She is a CAPPA certified childbirth educator, a certified DONA and CAPPA labor doula, a trained Hypnobirthing instructor, A Safe Passage facilitator (trained in supporting survivors of sexual abuse through labor), and a CAPPA faculty member. She has recently completed The Farm Midwifery Assistant Program taught by Pamela Hunt and Ina May Gaskin, and is an apprentice homebirth midwife. Her published writings can be found on birthing and Jewish web sites as well as printed publications. Chana shares her life with her supportive and dear husband Rafael. Her three children are her most prized accomplishments.
Missouri
Louise DeLaney
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator and Labor Doula
Louise's fascination and passion for the pregnant woman started long ago. She has always found such beauty in the way a woman's body swells with life and how we, as women, are the ones who get to so intimately participate with God in His creative process as He creates yet another miracle. It seemed only logical then, that she would find a way to channel this passion into something productive and constructive. She started working with expectant moms and their partners in 2003 and has never looked back. She currently offers a variety of private childbirth education classes, doula services and trainings to the greater Kansas City area. She has been married to her best friend, Ed, since 2001 and together, they have two beautiful children. She holds both of her certifications as a childbirth educator and labor doula through CAPPA. Louise is currently working on becoming a Certified Lactation Educator with CAPPA as well. She writes the Member Spotlight for the CAPPA Quarterly. Suggestions may be emailed to enpzmom@gmail.com.
New Jersey
Crystal Sada
Programs trained: Labor Doula
Crystal Sada has been a childbirth educator for 27 years. She also ran a very busy labor and postpartum doula practice for twelve years, having attended over 500 births and worked with hundreds of families. In the past she was the Director of Postpartum Programs with CAPPA as well as a member of the Board of Directors. Her workshops are well attended and very popular. Crystal resides with her husband Jerry and their Cairn Terrier Roxy in Mount Laurel, New Jersey and is an Administrative Assistant at Princeton University. She and Jerry share 5 grandchildren. Crystal is very excited to return to CAPPA as a labor doula trainer and is willing to travel to areas other than New Jersey where there are no CAPPA trainers to provide workshops. Birth is her passion!
New York
Jeannine Jacobs
Programs trained: Lactation Educator
After receiving her degree from Syracuse University in Women's Studies, Jeannine started a family and was made aware of the gaps between maternity care and lactation support. This experience and her passion for helping other mothers has since grown into a career. Starting out volunteering as a breastfeeding peer-counselor with WIC, she went on to train with La Leche League to become an accredited leader. Her desire to teach and support breastfeeding mothers then lead her to CAPPA, where she studied and trained to become a certified lactation educator. She teaches private breastfeeding classes and volunteers with a national breastfeeding helpline. Jeannine has been working with breastfeeding mothers since 2003 as an advocate, educator and peer-counselor. Her professional interests include education's effect on breastfeeding success and duration, mother-to-mother support and the impact of mainstream marketing practices on breastfeeding.
North Carolina
Laura Nance
Programs trained: Labor Doula
Laura Nance has been involved in childbirth since 2001 as a childbirth educator and labor doula. She has been a CAPPA faculty member since 2005. She loves being involved in the empowerment of families during their childbearing year and feels very honored to participate in such a special time in people's lives. As a faculty member she tries to ignite passion and confidence in other doulas. She has a special place in her heart for breastfeeding, postpartum depression, and VBAC. She lives in the foothills of NC with her very supportive husband, Brent (married in 1992) and their 2 wonderful kids whom she loves more and more each day. They have a crazy cat and goofy mutt. They enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities together such as hiking, fishing, camping, boating, biking, and wildlife watching. She also enjoys reading, photography, and homeschooling her kids.
Oregon
Kimberly Bepler
Programs trained: Postpartum Doula
Kimberly is a certified postpartum doula (CAPPA and DONA), a certified postnatal educator (ICEA), and a certified postpartum doula trainer. She received her lactation specialist/educator training from Evergreen Hospital. She has been working with postpartum families for over 7 years, and has a passion for the newborn and the new family. Kimberly founded ABC Doula Service in 2001, and has seen the company grow to serving over 450 families in the Portland metro area. She is a member of CAPPA, DONA, ICEA, and LLLI. She has been quoted in several publications on topics covering the postpartum period. In addition to her postpartum work, Kimberly also teaches breastfeeding and newborn care classes within the Providence Health System, offers her trainings locally in Portland, Oregon, and travels to surrounding states offering several trainings each year. She is kept humble by her son, daughter, and husband, a 'stay at home dad' who helps keep her life full of learning and teaching!
Pennsylvania
Margee Hanford
Programs trained: Postpartum Doula
Margee Hanford M.Ed. C.P.P. has been a postpartum doula since 1998 and a CAPPA faculty member since 2001. She is the founder of Loving Beginnings, Inc., a highly successful doula agency which serves the greater Philadelphia and Wilmington areas. She is also a certified Infant Massage Instructor through IAIM (International Association of Infant Massage). Her goal is to give the new family the support and guidance they need to be confident, loving parents. Margee has taken extensive breastfeeding courses and specializes in assisting families with multiple births. She has published articles in various nursing mother's newsletters as well as in ‘Super Twins’ magazine. She greatly enjoys sharing her doula knowledge and is willing to offer CAPPA postpartum training courses in various locations throughout the US. Margee has her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Boston College. She is the mother of five children and has two grandchildren. Her family has lived in Swarthmore, PA for the past thirty four years.
South Carolina
Susan Smart
Programs trained: Labor Doula
Susan attended her first birth as labor support in 1987 as helper to a VBAC mother who successfully delivered a 10-pound baby boy. Since then, she has assisted women through natural childbirth education, labor support, midwifery, midwifery trainer, and doula training. Seeing women achieve their birthing goals is one of Susan's greatest joys. Susan has three grown children born in hospital, birth center, and at home. Her two grandchildren were born into her hands at home. Her husband, Bob, and her church are important parts of her life. She also enjoys mission trips, travel, reading and hiking.
Texas
Kimberly Hill
Programs trained: Lactation Educator
I am a CAPPA certified lactation educator and childbirth educator. I am also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and practice as a lactation consultant in central Texas. I really enjoy helping families reach their breastfeeding goals and one of the best ways to do that is to keep training new people to help those families! I have two breastfed girls of my own and, of course, all their baby dolls only get "momma milk"!
Utah
Julie Johnson
Programs trained: Lactation Educator
Julie has been a doula since 1998, a certified Lamaze childbirth educator since 2000, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2003. Her experiences entails starting and coordinating a grant-funded hospital doula program as well as employed in 3 hospital community-based breastfeeding clinics. She is currently providing private lactation consults and childbirth classes in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you want to know more about Julie and her lactation services/trainings, visit her website at birthandbreastfeedingsolutions.com
Virginia
Jacqueline Starkey
Programs trained: Childbirth Educator and Labor Doula
Jacqueline Starkey has been a childbirth educator, doula, and women's health educator since 1997. Now a birth center nurse, Jacqueline feels that by supporting and educating our childbearing families we are empowering them to strive for excellence in parenting. Jacqueline is a Trainer for both Childbirth Educators and Labor Doulas, you will find her workshops, face paced, interactive, and extremely practical.
Washington State
Michelle Kinne
Programs trained: Lactation Educator and Labor Doula
Michelle is an Internationally Certified Childbirth Educator, Internationally Certified Birth Doula, Internationally Certified Lactation Educator, and a faculty member for CAPPA. She has been educating and supporting expectant families for over a dozen years, having taught thousands of students. Michelle currently works as a lactation specialist in a busy city hospital in addition to serving as part time faculty for an accredited college where she trains childbirth and lactation educators and mentors birth doulas. To learn more about the CAPPA accredited trainings Michelle facilitates, visit DoulaDiva.org.
