Board and Staff

Stacy Davis has been inspired by her own lived experiences of being a Black woman and mother trying to navigate inequitable systems. She has dedicated her professional experiences to addressing inequities in infant nutrition and maternal child health. In the past 10 years, Stacy has assisted in the creation of programs and services aimed to address racial and health inequities, including instituting Pathway 2 lactation programs in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which seek to positively impact the maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates, improve maternal and child nutrition outcomes, and increase, strengthen, and diversity in birth and lactation supporters and providers. 

Stacy has received extensive training in racial equity, and cultural competence and humility through participating in cohorts such as Race Forward’s (formally known as Center for Social Inclusion) First Food Racial Equity Cohort and the Advancing Health Equity to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion AHEAD in WIC Health Equity Champion. 

She obtained her undergraduate degree from Davenport University and graduate degree in Public Health from Western Michigan University. Currently, Stacy is the Senior Manager of Health Equity and Community Partnerships for the National WIC Association. Stacy is a lifelong resident of Detroit, MI and mother to four sons. 

Francesca Donovan is a compassionate and dedicated International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) committed to supporting families through their infant feeding journeys. Her passion for lactation was sparked by the premature birth of her twins at 34 weeks, an experience that influenced her career path. Francesca holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from St. Joseph’s University, where she established a solid foundation for her career in the financial services sector, including various roles at a leading investment bank. She furthered her education with a Master of Arts in Human Lactation Studies from National Louis University, where her thesis examined how health education can significantly improve breastfeeding rates and reduce nutrition-related chronic diseases.

As treasurer of the board, Francesca is enthusiastic about leveraging her financial expertise and dedication to breastfeeding to support and advance USLCA’s mission.

Dawn Baltz has more than 30 years of experience in nursing with a primary focus on maternal child health.  Having experienced her own struggles with breastfeeding and through the support of two IBCLCs, she was able to realize that there was so much more to supporting mothers and their infants.  She continued to work with mothers and infants at a hospital that was on a path to Baby Friendly and then at a Children’s hospital (that had a Lactation team) while working on her education and clinical skills hours to sit for her IBCLC.  Since becoming an IBCLC, she has continued to work with mothers and infants in a Children’s hospital and currently at a Baby Friendly Initiative Hospital.  She is the lactation team leader, provides lactation care to the mothers and infants in an inpatient setting and also in the outpatient office.  Mrs. Baltz also triages breastfeeding issues for moms who call the Lactation warm line and provides on-going staff education and guidance on lactation.  She has served as the Recording Secretary for the Florida Lactation Consultant Association for 4 years and is currently serving as their treasurer.  She is also a participant and Board Member at large for the Tampa Bay Breastfeeding Taskforce. 

She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of South Florida, a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education from Walden University, is certified in Neonatal Intensive Care nursing and well as being an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant.

Jackee Haak of North Dakota is currently an RN Manager Lactation Services at Sanford Hospital. She is also the President-Elect for the North Dakota Breastfeeding Coalition.

The course of her career as a lactation consultant, mother, nurse and soldier and has not only honed her leadership skills, but has unearthed a passion for lactation care, policy, research and advocacy.

Lisa Brock of Wisconsin has grown professionally within her state chapter, the Wisconsin Association of Lactation Consultants (WALC) as an IBCLC and is currently a WALC member. She has been a Pediatric RN since 1988 and an IBCLC since 1998.

Her career has brought her the ability to work with diverse populations and deliver evidence based practices to the bedside of hospitalized critically ill neonates and their families, outpatient clinics as well as provide presentations to hospital staff, and continuing education conferences. She is passionate about the lactation profession and how increased scientific research has brought amplified knowledge and awareness regarding the mind blowing benefits of human milk.

Shirley Monge is a Los Angeles-based marketing strategist of Costa Rican heritage who has more than 20 years of volunteering + working with non-profits.  Part researcher, part strategist, part creator, I specialize in presenting data fused with storytelling. I’m currently enrolled in childbirth educator and doula training as well as breastfeeding studies. Pura Vida!

Debbie Sandberg joined USLCA in January of 2022.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The University of Central Florida in her hometown of Orlando, Florida.  She grew up at Disney World as the child of a parent who worked in corporate Disney for 40 years.  Her interest in lactation stems from her personal positive experience working with lactation consultants during her own challenging, and eventually successful breastfeeding journey.  She is passionate about helping to grow the organization and serving USLCA members in any way she can.  She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas and enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants and spending time with her husband, three-year-old son and pug.

Katie Cohen is an experienced IBCLC and public health nurse specializing in maternal-child health. She is passionate about relationship-based preventive care, evidence-based education, and incorporating telemedicine and other technologies where appropriate to build accessible, sustainable programs to change the paradigm of healthcare. Katie advocates for a holistic, trauma-informed, root-cause oriented, and inclusive approach to lactation care.

For the last decade, Katie has been on a mission to guide families through the exciting journey of new parenthood through home and clinic visits, virtual sessions, support groups and classes, individualized problem-focused care, and anticipatory guidance. She has worked with several award winning preventive public health programs and peripartum home visiting programs, and has served in a leadership capacity to support her fellow IBCLCs and their continuing education. Katie is thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the lactation consultant profession as USLCA’s Professional Development Coordinator.