Molly Pessl, BSN, IBCLC
Molly has spent most of her career with a focus on family-centered maternity care. She worked at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center from 1985 - 2003, following 5 years as a health educator, clinician and lactation consultant for a hospital based nurse-midwifery service. During her years at Evergreen Hospital, Molly developed comprehensive parent and professional education programs, the regional breastfeeding center, a postpartum follow-up clinic and Baby-Parent Groups. These programs led to the first US designation of “Baby Friendly” by UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Molly is currently the director of Evergreen Perinatal Education, a consulting and education program for professionals. Molly served on the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and is a past president of that board. She is a registered nurse, childbirth educator and Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Ginna Wall, RN, MN, IBCLC
Ginna is on the adjunct faculty of the University of Washington, Bastyr University, and Evergreen Perinatal Education.
She has been an IBCLC since 1987. She led the University of Washington Medical Center to Baby Friendly recognition in
2009. She founded their lactation program 25 years ago and continues there as coordinator of Lactation Services bringing
evidence-based, family-friendly care to the hospital setting where she helps all families, especially those who need
high-risk care, to feel nurtured and safe in their birth place.
Ginna has served on the editorial board of the Journal
of Human Lactation and on the IBLCE exam committee. She was a finalist in the Nurse Excellence Award for Teaching,
NurseWeek, August 2005, received the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Distinguished Career Award in December 2006 and
the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington Spirit of Service Award in May 2007. Ginna wrote the first Breastfeeding
Nursing Diagnoses that were accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association in 1990, and has contributed
chapters to nursing textbooks and the book, Newborn Intensive Care. Her articles have been published in the JHL, JOGNN,
and Birth.
Merilee Brigham, RN, BSN, IBCLC, RLC
Merilee is a lactation consultant working at Group Health, a Level II acuity birthing facility with a large nurse-midwifery program
and an outpatient lactation service. Previously, Merilee spent 16 years working at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in the Breastfeeding
Center and was present in 1996 when they were designated as the first Baby-Friendly Hospital in the United States. This experience
has served her well as she coordinates efforts at Group Health to achieve the same goal.
Merilee has been a volunteer lecturer for a postpartum doula training course from 1997-2010, authored an article
published in the Journal of Human Lactation, created Freexpressions TM (a hands-free breast pumping device), has given
numerous presentations on topics related to breastfeeding, and continues to develop professional and educational materials.
Merilee graduated from Seattle University School of Nursing. She received her IBCLC designation in 1991 but has been
involved in promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding since 1983.
Sue Cox AM, BMid, IBCLC, FILCA
Sue has been a breastfeeding counselor with the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) since 1976. In 1978 she became the breastfeeding
specialist (from 1985, the Lactation Consultant) at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. In 1985, Sue was the first ABA
representative to the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and was grand-parented as a lactation consultant. In 1989,
she began in private practice offering consultation and professional education. Sue has presented seminars, workshops and conference papers
at many conferences locally, nationally and internationally.
As well as her consultancy, Sue is an author and since her first book 'Breastfeeding I Can Do That' written in 1997, she has written
'Breastfeeding with Confidence' (2004), 'Baby Magic' (2009), and 'Altering Hospital Maternity Culture: Current Evidence for the Ten Steps
to Successful Breastfeeding' (2010). She is also the writer and presenter on the ABA (Tasmanian Branch) DVDs 'Mother and Baby - getting
it right' (1996) and 'Mother and Baby - the first week' (2002), 'Mother and Baby - baby can breastfeed easily when well positioned' (2011),
and the Hale Publishing DVD 'Breastfeeding: Mom and I Can Do That. The First Latch'(2006).
Sue's work was recognized in the national 2004 Australia Day Honours list for "Service to community health, particularly as a lactation
consultant, educator and counselor for the care of breastfeeding mothers and their babies."
Sue is a previous president of the Board of Directors of the International Lactation Consultant Association.
Marie McCarter Witherell, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Marie's experience with new families began in 1968 as a new nurse working in labor and delivery. Since then she has been
involved with families in the childbearing years in diverse settings and with a variety of roles. She was a childbirth
educator for over 30 years, and has worked at the Spokane Family Birth Center, Sacred Heart Medical Center and Group
Health Northwest, while raising a large family in Spokane.
Since 1999, she has worked as an RN, IBCLC at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, the first Baby-Friendly Hospital in
the United States, in Kirkland, Washington. Marie facilitates the in-hospital, lactation education for staff at Evergreen,
and is a guest lecturer at the University of Washington. She adjunct faculty for Evergreen Perinatal Education, which
allows her to teach basic and advanced lactation courses around the United States for health care professionals.
Marie has developed unique skills over the years, working with beginning families of all ages and settings. Her community
commitments include working in schools, universities, worksites, the media, and advocacy organizations, as a passionate and
involved speaker and writer. She is an ardent spokeswoman and supporter of breastfeeding and breastfeeding women.
Christine Muenz, MA, CLE, CCE
Christine transitioned from lecturing at the university level to designing curriculum and teaching in a healthcare setting more than 15 years ago as a new mother herself. Her courses at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center (now Evergreen Health), North America's first "Baby Friendly Hospital," blend compassionate care with research-based education. Christine has been teaching some of the most popular courses at EHMC since in 1996. Her expertise includes childbirth, lactation and parenting education. She writes curriculum for prenatal and postpartum classes, and teaches best practices for feeding at all stages of infant development, including starting solids and breastfeeding the older child. Christine also facilitates support groups for new mothers, and particularly enjoys helping mothers learn from the amazing stories and experiences of the women around them. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Puget Sound, and a Master's degree from San Francisco State University.
Donnianne Noble, RN, IBCLC
Donnianne has worked in the nursing profession with babies, children and parents for more than 14 years. She received her RN degree in 2004 from Shoreline Community College, deciding at that time to dedicate her education, skills and expertise working with new families in their transition to parenthood. Donnianne's passion is supporting breastfeeding mothers and in 2007 she became an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She is also the mother of 2 children.