Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA, is author of the new book for breastfeeding specialists from Hale Publishing, Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple: A Guide for Helping Mothers, which debuts in July 2010.  She is also co-author (with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett) of the book for parents, Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers (2005).  She is co-author (with Julie Stock) of all three editions (1991, 1996, 2003) of  The Breastfeeding Answer Book, a research-based counseling guide for lactation professionals, which has sold more than 130,000 copies worldwide, and author of The Breastfeeding Answer Book Pocket Guide Edition (2005).  Nancy has written for many publications and spoken at breastfeeding conferences around the world. Nancy fell in love with breastfeeding when she breastfed her own three sons, Carl, Peter, and Ben, who are now grown.  She began helping breastfeeding families in 1982 as a volunteer.  She became board-certified in 1991 and from 1993 to 2003 she founded and maintained a large private lactation practice in the Chicago area, where she worked with thousands of breastfeeding families.  She still lives in the Chicago area, where she currently works as Lactation Consultant for Ameda Breastfeeding Products and served for seven years as Chair of the Chicago Area Breastfeeding Coalition. She still leads a monthly breastfeeding group for families, Baby & Me, which meets in Mundelein, IL.  In 2008 the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) officially recognized Nancy’s contributions to the field of breastfeeding by awarding her the designation FILCA, which stands for Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association.  Nancy was one of the first group of 16 to be recognized for their lifetime achievements in breastfeeding.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC has a private lactation consultant practice in Ithaca, NY. She self-publishes a collection of breastfeeding handouts on CD, most of which are also on her website, www.normalfed.com. Other publications include chapters in Smith's The ABC's of Private Practice and Genna's Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants, and assorted published articles and essays. She is best-known for her article, Watch Your Language!, and for eating hamburgers and sucking on water balloons to demonstrate latch. "Wiessingerizing," also know as normalizing breastfeeding, has become a verb in some circles. She is the mother of two breastfed sons, mother-in-law of two wonderful women and a new grandmother.  She is co-author, with Diana West and Teresa Pitman, of the 8th edition of La Leche League International's Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, available this summer.

Julie Mennella, PhD is Director of Education Outreach at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the development of food and flavor preferences in humans and the effects of alcohol consumption on women's health and infant development. Julie is the author of numerous research papers. Julie directs a program that encourages under-represented minority high school and undergraduate students to pursue careers in science & medicine

Deborah McCarter-Spaulding, PhD, WHNP-BC, RN, IBCLC teaches childbearing in classroom and clinical to undergraduates at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. In addition, she teaches research and evidence-based practice concepts. She has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 20 years, and uses her breastfeeding knowledge both for teaching, research and in her clinical practice as a per diem nurse at Catholic Medical Center. Her most current research addresses breastfeeding self-efficacy in black women, a population more at risk for not initiating or early discontinuation of breastfeeding. Deborah received her B.S. from Simmons College in Boston, her M.S. from Boston College and her PhD from University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Bonnie Harris, MSEd is the director of Connective Parenting. Bonnie has designed and taught parenting workshops and counseled parents for twenty years. She received her master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College in New York City. She founded The Parent Guidance Center in Peterborough, NH in 1990, now The Family Center, which is dedicated to parent education and support. Her book When Your Kids Push Your Buttons (Warner Books, 2003) led to her appearance on The Today Show, Asia News broadcast from Singapore, ABC broadcast in Australia as well as radio and TV programs across the United States. "Buttons" made the NY Post's top ten list of best parenting books and has been published in six additional countries. Bonnie teaches her "Buttons" workshops and professional trainings and speaks internationally on a variety of parenting topics as well as across the internet. Bonnie is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in Peterborough, NH. Her second book, Confident Parents, Remarkable Kids: 8 Principles for Raising Kids You'll Love to Live With was published in 2008.  For more information visit www.bonnieharris.com

Naomi Aldort, PhD is a parenting/family counselor and author who works with parents and educators internationally by phone, in family intensive retreats, and in parenting workshops. She is an inspiring public speaker and an internationally published writer of Raising Our Children Raising Ourselves. Naomi does not teach parents how to "get kids to be/do..." but rather how to be with children so that they are free to be their own magnificent selves. Parents say that what they get out of Naomi's work is much more than help in parenting - they get self-realization, which frees them to see the child with clarity and wisdom. Naomi's articles can be found in Mothering magazine, Byron Child magazine (Australia), The Journal for Family Living, Taking Children Seriously (UK), Life Learning magazine (Canada), The Nurturing Parent magazine, Mother Tongue, Growing Without Schooling, Gentle Spirit, Hand in Hand, the magazine of Attachment Parenting International. Her writing is also included in McGraw Hill University text book "A Child's World," and some of her articles have been translations to Japanese, Dutch, German and Spanish. Naomi is married and the mother of three young people who have never been to school and are flourishing.  Visit her website: www.naomialdort.com

Patty Wipfler, Founding Dir of Hand In Hand was born, raised and educated in California, graduating from Occidental College in 1968, and is the mother of two sons. The focus of her work since 1974 has been teaching basic listening, parenting, and leadership skills to parents. She directed The School, a non-profit parent co-operative preschool in Palo Alto, and later directed Neighborhood Infant Toddler Center for Palo Alto Community Child Care. She has led over 370 residential weekend workshops for families and for leaders of parents in every part of the U.S. and in 23 other countries. In 1989, she founded the Parents Leadership Institute (Hand in Hand), a non-profit organization that she now directs. She has written 12 booklets, produced 2 videotapes and several audiotapes, and has written numerous articles for Hand in Hand on the principles and benefits of listening parent-to-parent and parent-to-child, and on leading Parent Resource Groups. To date, Hand in Hand has sold over 360,000 of these booklets in both English and Spanish. The Parents Leadership Institute approach to parenting, Parenting by Connection, is also presented in information and articles posted at www.handinhandparenting.org, and in an e-newsletter, Connecting!, which is published every 6 weeks.

MaryAnn O'Hara, MD, MPH, MSt, FABM is a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at Seattle Breastfeeding Medicine. She specializes in medical problems of breastfeeding dyads, e.g. breast infections & infant ankyloglossia. Dr. O'Hara earned a medical degree from Johns Hopkins University, a Masters in Social Anthropology from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and a Master of Public Health degree at the UW. She served on state and national body's focused on improving maternal-child health, e.g. on the board of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the US Breastfeeding Committee, WA Perinatal Advisory Committee.

Isabella Knox, MD, EdM is the Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Co-Director of Fellows' College, Pediatrics. Dr. Knox's academic focus is in medical education, in particular how to help learners develop effective approaches to learning. She also assists faculty (including residents and fellows) in becoming more effective teachers. New to UW, she is establishing a scholarly program around this focus. Her clinical interests include: ethics in the NICU; breastfeeding support for NICU families; tongue-tie and frenotomy; individualized developmental care for NICU babies and families; jaundice and phototherapy.

Sheila Kingsbury, ND, RH (AHG) received a teaching fellowship in 2003 and has lectured in a variety of settings on pediatrics, lactation and botanical medicine. Dr. Kingsbury has been a lactation consultant for nine years, a certified doula for 10 years and has received the designation of registered professional herbalist from the American Herbalist Guild. She was also recently given the MaryAnn O'Hara Physician Leadership Award by the Breastfeeding Coalition of WA. Dr. Kingsbury is currently the chair of the Department of Botanical Medicine at Bastyr University and teaches pediatrics courses for Bastyr's School of Naturopathic Medicine. She also has a private practice in Kirkland and has served as secretary and president of the Seattle-King County Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington.

Thomas Hawn, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. After completing his MD-PhD studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he moved to the University of Washington where he completed a residency in Internal Medicine followed by an Infectious Diseases fellowship. Tom's research interests include studies of the functional and clinical significance of human variation in the innate immune system and its affect on susceptibility to tuberculosis and other infections. He is currently an Attending on the Infectious Diseases services at UW and Harborview.

Jay Fathi, MD is a Seattle native, and received both his history and medical degrees from the University of Washington. He completed residency right here at Swedish Family Medicine in 1996, and worked as a faculty physician at the 45th Street Community Clinic for the next 12 years. Dr. Fathi's clinical interests include mental health/substance abuse issues and hepatology. In 2008, he was named Medical Director for the Program for Primary Care Outreach and Community Health at Swedish, which will help Swedish continue as a leader and innovative force in primary care and community/public health issues in the region. His wife Joelle is a nurse practitioner; and they have 2 young boys, Peter and Thomas, and a very cute black dog named Marica.

Kristina Chamberlain CNM, IBCLC is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She has worked with women and their families for 15 years as a doula, educator, nurse, and midwife. She strives to give women the knowledge to empower themselves during pregnancy, labor, birth and parenting. Currently, her practice focuses on the gynecological issues of women of all ages, and she teaches a childbirth and breastfeeding class. Through her work with, she truly believes she is saving the world one birth and two breasts at a time!

Emily Fontes, ICCE, IAT-CE, CD (DONA), Certified HypnoBabies Instructor, Gottman Certified Educator is a childbirth educator, birth doula and breastfeeding mentor, specializing in assisting young and single women make the transition to motherhood. Emily feels blessed to work with pregnant women; helping them understand how their babies develop in the womb, what to expect during birth and how to survive the first months of postpartum. This is her true passion in life!

Leslie Butterfield, PhD Coming from a family shaped by reproductive loss, Leslie pursued a specialty in healthy birth and joyful transition to parenthood early in her career. Since receiving her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, Dr. Butterfield has focused on providing psychotherapy and professional consultation/training services in: healthy parent-infant attachment, prevention and treatment of postpartum mood disorders, recovery from pregnancy or infant loss, resolution of traumatic birth experiences, preparing survivors of sexual abuse for birth, and supporting families with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

James Taylor, MD, MPH graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in 1980. After completing a pediatric residency at the University of Colorado and a fellowship in General Pediatrics at the University of Washington, he joined the faculty in 1991. Dr. Taylor is medical director of the Newborn Nursery at the University of Washington Medical Center and director of the Pediatric Residency Continuity Clinic Program. He is also the director of the Puget Sound Pediatric Research Network, a collaborative effort of practicing pediatricians in the community, the division of General Pediatrics at the University of Washington and Children's Hospital. Dr. Taylor's research interests are focused on improving the outcomes of interactions between children and primary care providers.

Karen Santos, MPT graduated in 1992 with a Master's of Physical Therapy degree. Work experience includes acute care and rehabilitation at UCLA Medical Center, and outpatient orthopedic care at Kaiser Permanente (Los Angeles, CA) and Olympic Physical Therapy (Kirkland, WA). For the past 13 years, Karen has studied with the URSA Foundation in Edmonds, WA, which is taught by an osteopathic physician, and is based on embryology, anatomy, physiology, and pathology. This has included craniosacral training. For the past 10 years, she has had an outpatient private practice in Seattle, WA. Ms. Santos met Dr. O'Hara several years ago and began working with newborns with breast-feeding dysfunctions. Outside of work, Karen enjoys playing with her husband and two daughters (ages 10 and 7) and practicing yoga.

Penny Simkin , Author, Doula, Childbirth Educator, Birth Counselor and PT Penny is a physical therapist who has specialized in childbirth education since 1968. She estimates she has prepared over 9,500 women, couples, and siblings for childbirth. She has assisted hundreds of women or couples through childbirth as a doula. She is the author of many books on birth for both parents and professionals. Her latest products for birth educators and doulas are The Road Map of Labor a birth video, titled The 3Rs: Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual, and a Birth Sling--an aid to the dangle position for second stage labor.  For more information visit www.pennysimkin.com.

Heidi Koss, MA, LMHCA is a psychotherapist in private practice in Redmond, WA specializing in pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders (PPMD), birth trauma, and parent adjustment issues. She is also the Executive Director of Postpartum Support International of Washington (PSI of WA) as well as co-founder of the Northwest Association for Postpartum Support (NAPS). For more information on PSI of WA, please visit www.ppmdsupport.com.  Additionally, she serves on the WA state leadership advisory committee for the “Speak Up When You’re Down” postpartum depression awareness campaign. She offers consultant services with PPMD training curriculums such as with the University of WA School of Nursing Infant Mental Health and Development Program, Washington State Department of Health First Steps Division, The Relationship Research Institute and the perinatal resources offered on the “This Emotional Life” website affiliated with the PBS programming aired in January 2010. Heidi has also been a Postpartum Doula and Certified Lactation Educator for over 13 years, and the recipient of the prestigious DONA International Penny Simkin Award in 2006.  Heidi is also the proud mother of 2 beautiful daughters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bernie Dorsey, Founder of Conscious Fathering is the founder of the Conscious Fathering Program, the largest class for the new and expectant father in Washington State and second largest in the Nation. Bernie developed the program out of a need for classes devoted to dads and the knowledge that it is impossible to be a competent partner in caring for a new baby if you know little or nothing about infants. Among his many accolades, Bernie was the recipient of the Governor's Award for Advocacy of Child Abuse Prevention in 2002 and in 2004 received official commendation from the National Center for Fathering for his work to strengthen fathers and families. Bernie is the father of one son and the uncle of many children in his immediate family and to those in his community. He is now in his second year as PTSA president.

Ami Karnosh, MS, CN  is a certified nutritionist, author of the children's book, Let's Eat: A Book About Food, and co-founder of Yummy Mummy Cookies making nutrient-dense snacks for moms to support lactation and nourish the postpartum body.  While Ami has spent years working with many people to establish healthy eating habits, Ami has a passion for working with families and specializes in nutrition for fertility through the first years of life. Ami loves cooking and encouraging people to take control of their own health though good food. You can find her at YummyMummyCookies.com and KarmaNutrition.com.
 

Michelle Babb, MS, RD, CD is a faculty practitioner at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in the nutrition department. She gained extensive experience as a clinical nutritionist and research investigator at the Functional Medicine Research Center, where she provided nutrition counseling and education for patients with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, diabetes and other conditions. Ms. Babb recently completed a self-directed dietetic internship through the University of Northern Colorado. Her special areas of interest are working with families and children with weight-related issues and attention deficit disorders. She has extensive experience with food allergies and sensitivities, as well as elimination diets. Ms. Babb is currently developing research to explore the long-term effects of family-focused, therapeutic, lifestyle changes on childhood obesity.

Steven Curtis, Ph.D, NCSP specializes in the assessment and treatment of children presenting with emotional, behavioral, developmental, and learning difficulties throughout his training and work experience. He is both a Licensed Child Clinical Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Dr. Curtis has worked in a variety of medical, school, and university settings for the past 25+ years. In his private practice, he provides psychotherapy and assessment services to children and families. His specialty is in working with elementary-aged children who are struggling with behavioral and learning difficulties at home or school. Dr. Curtis completed his doctoral training in 1992 in Professional-Scientific Psychology at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. This program is approved by the American Psychological Association in Clinical Psychology, as well as Counseling and School Psychology. Recently, Dr. Curtis was appointed as an advisory board member of SENG. SENG is a non-profit national organization dedicated to the social and emotional needs of gifted children (www.sengifted.org). Dr. Curtis is also the author of Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior.

Sarah Huntington, MPH, IBCLC, CD(DONA) graduated from the Seattle Midwifery School in 1992, and practiced for eight years as a home birth Licensed Midwife in Olympia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and a Master of Public Health degree in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Washington. Sarah has taught courses in labor support, postpartum and newborn care, professional issues, and epidemiology at the Seattle Midwifery School, as well as having taught prenatal yoga and childbirth education. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and a Certified Doula through DONA International. Sarah loves working with families from many backgrounds, and relish both the universality of birth and the individuality of each woman's experience.

Kathleen Janel, ND is a board qualified, licensed physician providing comprehensive primary health care and the treatment of gastrointestinal disease. Dr. Janel earned her medical degree at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington and her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at the University of British Columbia. She successfully completed a four-year residency in Family Medicine with Dr Mary Bove, then specialized in Gastrointestinal Medicine while completing an Associate position in New England. She has been in practice for over a decade with adults and children of all ages.

Amy Lang, MA Through her business, Birds + Bees + Kids, LLC, Amy Lang, MA teaches parents how to talk to their children of any age about sex, love and relationships. She has a 16-year history as a Sexual Health Educator, a Masters in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University's Leadership Institute of Seattle and loves to help people learn about this vital part of parenting.  Please visit her website www.birdsandbeesandkids.com.

Harley Youngblood, RN, DC, FICPA began his career as a Navy Corpsman in 1967 where he specialized in Aerospace Medicine. He achieved a baccalaureate in Nursing in 1979 and specialized in Occupational Health, and Workers Compensation Risk Management. Dr. Youngblood graduated form Western States Chiropractic College in 1994. He keeps up on the latest professional developments through attending many workshops and seminars so that he can provide the best in patient care. Dr. Youngblood is certified in Chiropractic Pediatrics and Webster Technique. He also is proficient in Diversified, Thompson, Koren Specific Technique, and Cranial adjusting. Dr. Youngblood is an officer of the Clark County Chiropractic Society and a member of the Washington State Chiropractic Society. He is also a fellow of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.  For more information visit www.salmoncreekchiro.com.

Meagan Farrell is the owner of Clear the Clutter, has a degree from California State University, Long Beach in Organizational Communications. She also taught organization classes to professionals with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Her experience includes private organizing in homes and corporate environments for over ten years. Meagan is also an expert author featured on http://ezinearticles.com/. Clear the Clutter offers a variety of organizational solutions designed to match your time and budget. We'll help you clean out and organize a space, develop organizational processes to streamline your work or home life, or teach you how to accomplish these tasks on your own.

Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald is a children's librarian and professional storyteller. Margaret Read MacDonald is best known for her books associated with folktales and the art of storytelling. While some of MacDonald's works focus on individual tales, such as her picture books, others collect tales that are centered around a particular theme or country. In many cases the author adds detailed notes for beginning storytellers on how to tell the folktale to an audience. Appreciated for her thorough research and vast knowledge of folklore, MacDonald is also credited for her "gift of making stories easy to tell without sacrificing quality," noted School Library Journal reviewer Donna L. Scanlon. Cris Riedel, writing in School Library Journal, also had praise for the author, dubbing her a "grande dame of storytelling.

Mara Applebaum, PhD, LMHC, is a psychotherapist in private practice in Seattle. Her research on the mother-daughter relationship recognizes the
social and psychological pressures faced by mothers and the difficulties girls and women encounter in establishing their own identity. In her practice, she helps clients recognize their unique personalities and needs, benefiting parents and children alike. Dr. Applebaum regularly lectures on mother-daughter issues for such organizations as Swedish Hospital, Postpartum Support International, La Leche League and Seattle University. For more information, visit www.maraapplebaum.com.

Teri Adolfo, MTCM, LAc,  holds a four-year Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NIAOM), and is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. She has worked in clinics specializing in women's health, detoxification, drug rehabilitation, mental health, and chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia. Teri's approach to achieving wellness is to help each individual with his or her unique health needs and concerns by striving to treat the underlying cause of clients' complaints, not just their symptoms. She utilizes both traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine principles in all of her treatments. This process is always interactive. Her goal is to have her clients better understand their body and provide them with the tools necessary to assist and participate in their own healing process. www.ayurvedaonline.com

 

 

Christine Roberts, BFA, Founder of Nurturing Pathways  is a sought-after teacher and trainer who founded Nurturing Pathways®, a creative dance program providing comprehensive development for children from birth to four years. Her work has been endorsed by Seattle-based pediatrician, Dr. Naomi Katz, Vaughnetta J. Barton, Executive Director, Foundation for Early Learning, and biologist and educator, Dr. Carla Hannaford.  Christine’s message that movement is the gateway for learning during the earliest years reaches over 1,000 people annually at early childhood conferences and parent education workshops. She is a featured speaker with National Association for the Education of Young Children and Early Childhood Music and Movement Association.  Christine’s Nurturing Pathways® Products, Presentations, Dance Classes and Certification Program for Instructors have made her in demand with early childhood parenting and educational circles.  Meet Christine at: www.nurturingpathways.com

 

 

 

Holly Michelle Eckert  in 1999, first felt the power of Nonviolent Communication as a way to increase the effectiveness and enjoyment of her parenting. Within an hour of beginning to read Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, she was clear that sharing NVC would be her primary gift to the world.  By 2001, Holly was teaching these skills to other parents as Director of Northwest Attachment Parenting. However, her passion for NVC extended far beyond its usefulness in parenting. She knew that NVC transforms all types of relationships, and over the next few years, crafted a sequence of Nonviolent Communication courses into her Radiant Relationships Seminar Series, now available both as live seminars and online self-study classes.  Holly has a keen interest in the spiritual realm, having studied energy medicine and shamanism. Various teachings from these fields wind their way into the courses as well.  Formerly a teacher of music pedagogy and faculty member at Alfred University and Hamilton College, Holly displays a deep understanding of the artistry of teaching. Her teaching is described as perfectly balanced between structured and spontaneous, deep yet light-hearted. Her focus is to make NVC universally accessible, fool-proof and uplifting.  Holly loves to create beauty in many forms. Over the course of a day, she may experience an exquisite moment of intimacy with one of her children, cook a gourmet meal, and knit a few rows on a mohair shawl. Holding a Doctorate in Music from the Eastman School of Music, Holly also delights audiences with jazz and classical performances on both violin and piano.  Holly’s first book, Graduating from Guilt, is scheduled for release in Spring, 2010, by PuddleDancer Press, the premier publisher of the Nonviolent Communication materials. www.hollyeckert.com

 

 

Cheri Soraparu, MS, CCN Growing up in the Northwest gave Cheri a great appreciation for the beauty of nature and physical activity.  Wanting to know more about behavior and how our system functions she studied psychology at the University of Washington. Intrigued by how the mind and body are intricately connected she began to see how lifestyle choices affected our health.  As nature knows best and having studied the power of the environment, the body, and the mind's ability to heal most “dis-ease" Cheri wanted to pursue a career in helping others use this power of nature to heal themselves.  She obtained her Masters Degree in Nutrition at the University of Bridgeport while working as a Personal Fitness Trainer, Yoga Instructor, and Nutrition Consultant for a health club.  Cheri is also, Certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as a Personal Trainer and through the Clinical Nutrition Board as a Clinical Nutritionist and holds a Yoga Certificate with SCW fitness.  She educates her clients to help them develop a comprehensive health program which encompasses the entire person. Feeling and looking good is a combination of providing our mind with nourishing thoughts, fueling our body with healing foods, and moving our muscles. All must be in balance for optimum health, Cheri invites you to take control of your lifestyle and become Well Balanced!

 

Erika Schreder, Staff Scientist, has worked on the Washington Toxics Coalition staff since 1997. Currently, she is leading the Coalition’s research on toxic chemicals in children’s products. In 2005 and 2006, she led the research for the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition’s Pollution in People study. In the past, she has led WTC’s efforts to secure protections for salmon from pesticides and to advocate for greater support for organic and sustainable agriculture. She obtained a Masters in Resource Ecology and Management from the University of Michigan and a B.S. in molecular biology from MIT. Prior to joining the Toxics Coalition staff, she worked as a stream and wetland ecologist.

 

The Peterka Family has strived to practice simplicity and intentionality since the beginning; from natural childbirth, breastfeeding, and cloth diapers, to homeschooling, waste reduction, and community service; from starting their own family band, to living a full family life without TV, cell phones, or even an internet connection in the house. When suburban life no longer fulfilled them, the family moved to rural King County, traded in the environmental consulting career for two farm internship jobs (reducing their income by 80%), and followed their interests in organic farming and sustainability.  Now back in Shoreline with a new sense of purpose, they have used their experiences to help start a local community gardens program and an urban farming cooperative, and have helped to inspire others.  Together, they are also developing the family’s own urban farmstead.

 

 

 

 

Alma Feldpausch is a new mother, resident of Seattle, and environmental health scientist. At her day job, she leads investigations of the human health effects of environmental contamination resulting from industrial activities. At home, she tries to ensure she provides a safe environment for her son. This includes reducing the use of hazardous chemicals indoors and outdoors, consuming organic foods, and minimizing the purchase of products containing hazardous substances. She participated in Washington Toxics Coalition’s Earliest Exposures Study to learn more about our exposures to chemicals in the environment simply through everyday activities.