Agenda
#INWIC24
8:00am REGISTRATION/EXHIBITORS-GOLDEN BALLROOM PRECONVENE
9:00-10:00am WELCOME: Laura Chavez/Rose Douglass-HALL OF CHAMPIONS
RECOGNITIONS presented by Kristi Fox, USDA-FND-MWRO, Branch Chief of Special Supplemental Food Programs, Food Nutrition Service
9:30-10:30am KEYNOTE: CLANCY HARRISON
Food Dignity®: Strategies to Create Nutrition Security
Clancy Cash Harrison dramatically and permanently shifts the conversation around food, health, and social responsibility. Clancy inspires audience members to reflect deeply on their own assumptions, motivations and biases, and finally, helps people to make a positive impact both on a personal and an organizational level.
Clancy shares how her journey of self-awareness, vulnerability, and courage transformed her into an internationally recognized thought leader. She connects with her audience by sharing her narrative as a recovering food elitist and reveals how her professional mission transformed for the better after peeling back her layers of blind privilege as a registered dietitian.
Audience members awaken (or in many cases reinvigorate) their sense of professional responsibility to improve food equity for everyone. This interactive session integrates thought provoking storytelling with statistics, so participants are inspired to initiate effective collaboration, inspire Food Dignity®, improve health outcomes, and bust through the stigma associated with access to healthy food.
An enlightening, action-packed ride full of well-sourced statistics, personal stories and relatable characters will lead your audience on a voyage of self-discovery and ultimately, real and lasting change. Participants discover their voice, learn strategies to improve food access, and gain clever tips to engage the people they serve
10:30am BREAK: GOLDEN BALLROOM PRECONVENE
11:00am-12:00pm CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS
A) FORTUNE SQUARE A
Dr. CHARLES FRAZIER, Learning Dynamics Vice President
DIVERSITY without ADVERSITY (session repeated in afternoon)
The “Diversity without Adversity” presentation raises WIC employees’ multi-cultural awareness and helps them better understand the scope of diversity. Topics covered include techniques for handling diverse participants, benefits of cultural competency, cultural humility, self-awareness, and exploring our biases. The workshop uses an interactive approach with group work and case studies.
B) FORTUNE SQUARE B
LAURA HOOPER, PhD, MS, RD, Indiana University School of Medicine
Strengths Based, Body Positive Approaches to Nutrition Education
This presentation introduces nutrition education strategies designed to engage WIC participants using a participant-centered, strengths-based, body positive approach. It provides recommendations for reducing weight stigma experienced by participants.
C) FORTUNE SQUARE C
CLANCY HARRISON
Collaborating for Food Dignity®
If your work is rooted in creating a more inclusive, just, and sustainable world, then it's vital to address the often-hidden food and nutrition problems plaguing young people, working professionals, and older adults. In fact, the United Nations says that if we are to create “a more inclusive, just, and sustainable world,” then collaboration is “critical.”
Food Dignity® expert Clancy Harrison knows that solving our global and national hidden hunger crisis demands partnership and leadership from all institutions and sectors. But to do this, leaders in corporate, healthcare, government, non-profit, and educational settings need to be able to come together, listen to one another, and work effectively. Clancy shows audience members how to collaborate—both in and out of their own professional and personal “bubbles”—to create effective collaborations within the community.
D) FORTUNE SQUARE D
JENNIFER MIDDLETON, PhD, LCSW, MSW & BEATRIZ VIDES
Mitigating the Impact of Secondary Trauma (MIST) among Helping Professionals: Bridging Theory to Practice – Part 1 (Part 2 is presented in the afternoon concurrent session)
This workshop will lead participants through a deep dive of ethical and resilient practices to mitigate the impact of secondary traumatic stress on the helping professionals and their organizations. Workshop activities will engage participants in the process of “bridging” theory to practice at an individual and organizational level. Participants will complete an energy audit and a 4 Quadrants of Self Care tool that will inform their day-to-day practice of self-preservation.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the elements of the stress cycle as well as strategies to manage the stress cycle. Participants will engage with one another in building individual and collective “Resilience Zones.”
Workshop content: The workshop will cover content related to trauma-resilient practices and tools, the compassion fatigue framework, the theory and science of burnout and resilience, the 4 quadrants of self-preservation, the importance of energy awareness, and how to co-design “resilience zones” to build resilience and promote wellbeing for helping professionals and their teams.
E) INTERNATIONAL BOARDROOM
Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, BSc, RLC, INHC, CLSP, CLE®, CPPI
Mind What You Say: Using Mindfulness and Three-Part Communication for Lactation Success
Many peer counselors and lactation professionals are taught basic counseling skills without any knowledge of body language or mindfulness skills which does not contribute to deep listening or the ability to fully understand the depth of the client's issue and need. Attendees will be able to use proper listening skills, appropriate body language, and mindfulness while employing Three-Part Listening Skills to better understand and address the needs of their patients.
F) DIRECTORS ROW 3
WALT NORDSTROM, Ed.D.
A Neurological Approach to Trauma-Informed Care (session repeated in afternoon)
This presentation will briefly review the stress response system in the human brain and how this system is affected by trauma. Further, the presentation will explore the efficacy of several approaches often used within the umbrella of trauma-informed care through the concept of neuroplasticity.
F) DIRECTORS ROW 2
LEGITA WILSON and ARRIN WHITE
Commodities Programs Overview with IN eFMNP Focus
-Awareness of other programs available to WIC families
-To gain a full understanding of IN eFMNP and local agency tasks
-To have their questions answered
G) BRICKYARD
HOLLY M. PRAY, RD, CDCES, CLS, WIC Nutrition Consultant for Indiana Department of Health
Gestational Diabetes in the WIC World
Attendees will be able to accurately describe a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, general nutritional recommendations for GDM and how to support a WIC client diagnosed with GDM.
12:00-1:00pm LUNCH
1:00-2:00pm INDIANA WIC State Office Presentation
An Introduction to WIC State Office Teams & Efforts
Laura Chavez, WIC Director, Rose Douglass, WIC Deputy Director, Tonya Long, WIC Nutrition & Clinic Services Manager, Emily Lynch, WIC Breastfeeding Services Manager, Tori Harvey, WIC Vendor Manager. Legita Wilson, Commodities Program Manager, Lindsey Reuter, WIC Training & Evaluation Manager, Lindsey Downs, WIC Business Relationship Manager, Annalea Cable, WIC Project Manager
2:00-2:30pm BREAK
2:30-3:30pm CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS
B) FORTUNE SQUARE A
Dr. CHARLES FRAZIER, Learning Dynamics Vice President
DIVERSITY without ADVERSITY (repeated session)
The “Diversity without Adversity” presentation raises WIC employees’ multi-cultural awareness and helps them better understand the scope of diversity. Topics covered include techniques for handling diverse participants, benefits of cultural competency, cultural humility, self-awareness, and exploring our biases. The workshop uses an interactive approach with group work and case studies.
C) FORTUNE SQUARE B
LAURA HOOPER, PhD, MS, RD, Indiana University School of Medicine
Strengths Based, Body Positive Approaches to Nutrition Education
This presentation introduces nutrition education strategies designed to engage WIC participants using a participant-centered, strengths-based, body positive approach. It provides recommendations for reducing weight stigma experienced by participants.
D) FORTUNE SQUARE C
REGAN CHASTAIN, Med, BCPA
Helping Higher-Weight Clients Self-Advocate with Healthcare Providers
As higher-weight people move through healthcare in general, and pregnancy and postpartum journeys specifically, they can face multiple types of weight stigma. In this workshop you’ll learn to help your clients identify and understand weight stigma and you’ll learn research and real-world skills to help your clients self-advocate to avoid weight stigma and navigate it when it occurs with their healthcare providers.
Objectives:
Define and describe the types of weight stigma and bias that may impact the healthcare of higher-weight patients
Describe methods for patient self-advocation against weight stigma
Describe methods for patient self-advocation for weight-neutral care
E) FORTUNE SQUARE D
JENNIFER MIDDLETON, PhD, LCSW, MSW & BEATRIZ VIDES
Mitigating the Impact of Secondary Trauma (MIST) among Helping Professionals: Bridging Theory to Practice – Part 2
This workshop will lead participants through a deep dive of ethical and resilient practices to mitigate the impact of secondary traumatic stress on the helping professionals and their organizations. Workshop activities will engage participants in the process of “bridging” theory to practice at an individual and organizational level. Participants will complete an energy audit and a 4 Quadrants of Self Care tool that will inform their day-to-day practice of self-preservation.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the elements of the stress cycle as well as strategies to manage the stress cycle. Participants will engage with one another in building individual and collective “Resilience Zones.”
Workshop content: The workshop will cover content related to trauma-resilient practices and tools, the compassion fatigue framework, the theory and science of burnout and resilience, the 4 quadrants of self-preservation, the importance of energy awareness, and how to co-design “resilience zones” to build resilience and promote wellbeing for helping professionals and their teams.
F) INTERNATIONAL BOARDROOM
Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, BSc, RLC, INHC, CLSP, CLE®, CPPI
Science of the ParentBaby Bond
Recent research on epigenetics, literally meaning above the gene, has led medical professionals to query about how the environment impacts the developing baby both in utero and throughout its lifetime. The genome is the genetic information inherited from one’s parents, but the epigenome is what deciphers the genome for each cell throughout the body. This deciphering process is impacted by both the internal and external environment of an individual. The external environment can include nutrition, chemicals, toxins, etc. The internal environment would include neuropeptides (emotional molecules) and stress hormones. The environment changes the proteins in the body that help the epigenome translate DNA. This finding has increased awareness of the importance of nutrition on the epigenome. Studies now are finding that the changes in the epigenome can influence not only that individual but can be passed along to future progeny, sometimes four generations out. The first nutrition for a human outside the womb is breastmilk, and thus its epigenetic impact is potentially expansive. New research has expanded the field of epigenetics to include breastmilk and how it potentially changes the epigenome and can affect the lifelong health of a baby. Researchers are now also starting to understand how human milk both seeds and feed the development of the microbiome in the newborn gut. The human gut microbiome plays an important role in the meditation of the epigenome, release of hormones, interaction with the brain, and supporting the health of many organ systems in the body. This presentation focuses on some of the latest published research - the epigenome, the microbiome, attachment, stress during pregnancy, and changes in gene expression and gut flora.
G) DIRECTORS ROW 3
WALT NORDSTROM, Ed.D.
A Neurological Approach to Trauma-Informed Care (session repeated)
This presentation will briefly review the stress response system in the human brain and how this system is affected by trauma. Further, the presentation will explore the efficacy of several approaches often used within the umbrella of trauma-informed care through the concept of neuroplasticity.
H) DIRECTORS ROW 2
SARAH LONG, The Milk Bank
Getting to know The Milk Bank: A Deeper Dive
Beyond the 101, this session will answer the most frequently asked questions about milk banking and donor milk hopefully dispelling misconceptions and highlighting new resources for our community. Bring your hot topic questions, this one will cover science, food manufacturing, mental health and more!
I) BRICKYARD
JANA GACH, MPH, RDN, IBCLC, FNS Midwest Regional Office WIC Nutritionist
2024 Revisions to the WIC Food Packages
Learn about the WIC Food Package updates that will provide more choices, balance, flexibility and support for WIC families.
-Gain a better understanding of the rulemaking process and why WIC food packages are changing
-Learn about the required and optional changes available to State WIC Agencies through the 2024 Final Food Package Rule
-Identify where to locate resources to learn more about the 2024 Revisions to the WIC Food Packages
3:30-4:30pm HALL OF CHAMPIONS
RAGEN CHASTAIN
Healthcare for Every Body – Weight Inclusive Care
A comprehensive look at what research and lived experience tell us about the best ways to support the health of higher-weight people, the ways that weight stigma impacts healthcare from research, to public health, to direct care, and what those who work in healthcare can do to make sure that they are providing the highest level of evidence-based, ethical, stigma-free care to people of all sizes.
Objectives:
Define and compare the four types of weight stigma and bias
Compare and contrast the weight-centric and weight-neutral paradigms
Critique common myths around weight and health
Articulate three actionable steps to increase weight inclusivity and decrease weight stigma in public health and healthcare practice
4:30-5:00pm CLOSING COMMENTS
BIOGRAPHIES
Ragen Chastain is a speaker, writer, researcher, Board Certified Patient Advocate, multi-certified health and fitness professional, and thought leader in weight science, weight stigma, health, and healthcare. Utilizing her background in research methods and statistics, Ragen has brought her signature mix of humor and hard facts to healthcare, corporate, conference, and college audiences from Kaiser Permanente and Nationwide Children’s Hospital to Amazon and Google, to Dartmouth, Cal Tech and the Yale School of Medicine. Author of the Weight and Healthcare newsletter, the book Fat: The Owner's Manual, co-author of HAES Health Sheets, and editor of the anthology The Politics of Size, Ragen is frequently featured as an expert in print, radio, television, podcasts, and documentary film. In her free time, Ragen is a national dance champion, triathlete, and marathoner who holds the Guinness World Record for Heaviest Woman to Complete a Marathon. Ragen lives in Oregon with her fiancée Julianne and a rotating cast of foster dogs.
Laura Hooper, PhD, MS, RD, LD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on improving health outcomes and decreasing barriers to health related to disordered eating, nutrition, physical activity, and weight in diverse populations of young people. Her current work uses solutions-oriented approaches and aims to decrease weight stigma experienced in healthcare settings and public health programing (including WIC!) in partnership with young people, families, clinicians, and public health practitioners.
Dr. Hooper earned an MS in nutritional science and completed her training as a registered dietitian at the University of Washington in 2007. From 2007-2017, she worked as a clinical pediatric dietitian at Seattle Children’s Hospital where she and her interdisciplinary team provided eating disorder care and weight management care to adolescents using a patient-centered, strengths-based, body positive approach. From 2017-2022, she earned a PhD in Nutrition with a doctoral minor in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota. From 2022-2024, she completed the T32 Midwest Regional Postdoctoral Training Program in Eating Disorders Research at the University of Minnesota. She moved to Indianapolis to start her faculty position at Indiana University School of Medicine in January of this year. She is thrilled to be here to meet WIC staff from across the state!
Kristi Fox is a lifelong resident of the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago where she lives with her husband, three children, and three dogs. Kristi began her FNS’ career as an intern in 2010 working in the Child Nutrition Programs (NSLP, SBP, CACFP, SFSP). Upon completion of her Master’s Degree in Social Work Kristi remained focused on policy implementation and program oversight. She continued her work in Child Nutrition Programs and in 2022 began her work in WIC. Kristi has enjoyed immersing herself in all things WIC over the last two years and looks forward to continuing to support to the MWR state agencies and local agencies for many years to come.
Charles Frazier, Vice President, Learning Dynamics, Senior Consultant/Executive Director Faith Dynamics provides a wide range of training programs, employee development workshops, and leadership development services designed to enhance the professional growth of employees and executives alike. Also lead Faith Dynamics Division offering customized, targeted, proven training programs and workshops tailored to the needs of faith leaders.
Jana Gach is a public health dietitian and lactation consultant with 13 years of experience working with the WIC program at the local, state and federal level. After graduating with a BS in Biomedical Sciences from Marquette University and a MPH in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from University of Michigan, Jana began her WIC career in 2011 as a nutritionist and Breastfeeding Coordinator at local agencies in the Chicago area. While there, she was able to complete the training and practice experience required to obtain the IBCLC credential. Jana joined Indiana WIC in 2018, first as the WIC Peer Counselor Coordinator and then as WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator, where she supported over half of the local agencies in achieving or maintaining the Breastfeeding Award of Excellence and expanded lactation training opportunities through regional partnerships. In her current role as Nutritionist with the FNS Midwest Regional Office WIC branch, she provides technical assistance to State WIC agencies on nutrition and breastfeeding initiatives and leads a regional workgroup with Midwest State WIC agencies to explore WIC Workforce strengths and challenges. Jana lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons, Gavin (8) and Griffin (4).
Clancy Harrison - Hailed as a “heavy hitter in the fight against hunger” by Today’s Dietitian Magazine, Clancy Harrison is a leading authority in nutrition security. As the founder of the Food Dignity® Movement, author of Feeding Baby, TEDx speaker, registered dietitian, and TV/media contributor, Clancy challenges the way nutrition sustainability is approached. Her mission to demolish the stigma around food accessibility places her on the cutting edge of food equity. Her message gives rise to refreshingly simple strategies for how leaders can put her ideas for food equity (or what she calls Food Dignity®) into action to create real and lasting change.
Currently, Clancy is a member of the Tufts Innovation Platform, Ambassador of the National Dairy Council, member of the Food Lab at Google, and a past President of a large food pantry where her team has served over five million meals since the COVID-19 pandemic. You can tune in weekly with Clancy at The Food Dignity® Podcast.
Jami Marvin, after my daughter was born in 2010, we quickly discovered that she would require brain surgery. While waiting all those days in the hospital with her, the only thing that I could think to do was to breastfeed. It wasn’t easy in the beginning as she was taken to a separate hospital just a few hours after birth, while I was recovering from a c-section. We had a few hours together immediately after birth where we did skin-to-skin, and she was able to latch and begin to nurse. However, it wasn’t very long before she was transferred to another hospital. I began my breastfeeding journey using a pump in a hospital miles away from my baby, just as many of our donors do. In my mind, since I couldn’t go through the surgery for her, I knew that by providing her breastmilk, I was giving her the best chance I could at getting through the surgery as a healthy baby girl. She made it through like a champ, and my husband and I realized the benefits that breastfeeding offered our daughter. I was able to use my knowledge of food service standards, and my love and passion for breastfeeding to begin my career at The Milk Bank. Since then, I have had two healthy boys who were lucky enough to come to work with me at The Milk Bank every day until they were six months old. The opportunity to continue our uninterrupted breastfeeding journey for that long, and be a working mom was the best of both worlds. I have loved working at The Milk Bank for the last 11 years and I look forward to growing with the organization.
Jennifer Middleton, PhD Associate Professor in the Kent School of Social Work and Family
Science at the University of Louisville (UofL) and Director of the UofL Human Trafficking
Research Initiative. Dr. Middleton’s research, teaching, and service activities all focus on
partnering with communities to develop trauma-resilient approaches to working with
children and families impacted by trauma, substance abuse, and other adverse childhood experiences. In addition, her collaborative efforts aim to address the cumulative impact of working with traumatized populations on the professionals and organizations who serve them. Dr.
Middleton leads multiple federally-funded, interdisciplinary research projects examining the impact of trauma-resilient organizational change interventions within systems of care that serve sex-trafficked populations and address community violence within refugee, Tribal, urban, and rural community contexts. She recently completed a five-year $3.9M federal grant project that created a trauma-informed system of care for children directly impacted by the opioid epidemic and a five-year $5M federal grant that utilized a resilience framework to create healing and recovery for youth and their families impacted by community violence and racial trauma.
Dr. Middleton is currently the Research Director for a new four-year $4M SAMHSA grant aimed at addressing community violence, trauma, and inequities in west and south Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Middleton is also the Principal Investigator of two recently funded research projects which aim to address child sex trafficking: 1) Project STAAR: Survivors of Trafficking Creating Art, Advocacy, and Resilience, a qualitative study that utilizes photovoice methods to explore the lived experiences of child sex trafficking survivors, and 2) Project PIVOT: Prevention and Intervention of Victims of Trafficking, a comprehensive case review of all reported child sex trafficking cases over a 5-year period in Kentucky.
Dr. Middleton is the co-author of two peer-reviewed journal articles regarding the Trauma Resilient Communities model, which is an innovative approach to healing organizations and communities and disrupting structural violence. In addition, Dr. Middleton is the co-developer of a new curriculum (Mitigating the Impact of Secondary Trauma (MIST): Theory and Practice) that helps forensic interviewing professionals, child welfare professionals, and their multidisciplinary teams build resilience against the impact of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma experienced because of their work with child victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Dr. Middleton is an active member of numerous local, state, national, and international human trafficking initiatives and is fully trained in the Sanctuary Model and the Trauma Resilient Communities Model. During her forensic social work career, Dr. Middleton interviewed and provided services to over 5,000 sexually exploited and trafficked children and youth. In addition, Dr. Middleton recently received the 2023 International Impact Award at the International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference, as well as the 2023 Community Challenger award at the University of Louisville for her work on the Trauma Resilience Communities Project. Dr. Middleton loves traveling and animals. She currently has five dogs, including her seizure alert dog, George.
Walt Nordstrom is a husband to Lisa and dog-dad to Annie. He is currently a behavior consultant for a local school district. He led a hand-picked team to create a successful middle school diagnostic program in the self-contained setting for a public school district. He has been a resource teacher in a public school, an English teacher at a residential treatment facility, and teaches adjunct at a local university. He earned his Doctorate of Education in Mind, Brain, and Teaching at Johns Hopkins University in 2022. He is certified in Applied Educational Neuroscience and is a Freedom Writers Teacher. Prior to teaching, Dr. Nordstrom conducted a successful career in sales, engaged in freelance writing, and he is a former U. S. Marine. Over the last 15 years in education, Dr. Nordstrom developed several systems to inculcate applied educational neuroscience and goal setting into Social Emotional Learning initiatives, Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports, and behavior management systems. Using key elements from programs like Restorative Justice and Collaborative Problem Solving, Dr. Nordstrom continues work to replace punishment with support in public school disciplinary systems.
Holly Pray is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, currently serving as a nutrition consultant with Indiana WIC. With 27 years of personal experience managing diabetes, she brings a unique and empathetic perspective to her work. Holly is dedicated to empowering clients and their families to live full and joyful lives, integrating diabetes management into their everyday routines with confidence and positivity!
Beatriz Vides shares the story of trauma and resilience with the many children and families and communities, she has worked with throughout her career. She spent the first 16 years of her life during the civil war in El Salvador before moving to the United States, giving her a distinct and personal understanding of the effects and causes of trauma and most importantly the power of healing and protective and resilient relationships. In 2818, she co-founded the Center for Trauma Resilient Communities, a program of Crossnore School & Children’s Home. This after serving as a faculty member for the Sanctuary Institute in Yonkers, NY. Beatriz has achieved prominence in adapting trauma and resilience theory into daily practice in multiple settings. Her work in schools, residential programs, community-based programs, hospitals, and even entire cities, among others, has helped create healing therapeutic communities across the United States.
Beatriz has 35 years of experience working with children and their families in New York City, as well as rural upstate New York, where she served as Director of Residential Care Services for 15 years. As a consultant since 2006, she has worked to create traumainformed cultures not only in the United States, but in Asia, Latin America, and Africa as well. Beatriz is a sought-after trainer, consultant, facilitator and implementer of trauma informed systems who use creativity and experiential methods to create sustainable learning communities. In her work, Beatriz interweaves trauma science to other theoretical frameworks, including equity, racial justice, implementation science, critical thinking development, leadership development, community development, among others. Beatriz earned her B.A. from Hunter College and SUNY New Paltz and has completed additional graduate studies at SUNY Albany. Beatriz is the co-author of two peer reviewed journal articles regarding the Trauma Resilient Communities model, which is an innovative approach to healing organizations and communities and disrupting structural violence. In addition, Beatriz is the co-developer of a new curriculum (Mitigating the Impact of Compassion Fatigue: Theory and Practice) that helps forensic interviewing professionals, child welfare professionals, and their multidisciplinary teams build resilience against the impact of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma experienced as a result of their work with child victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. Along with her professional endeavors, Beatriz and her partner are active in rescuing abused and neglected dogs.
Arinn White, Indiana Department of Health's WIC Commodities Training and Implementation Specialist, has an extensive background within the world of education, having worked in roles within the classroom and social services forum. She recently joined the Indiana WIC Training and Evaluation Team and has been assisting the Commodities Team during the Indiana eFMNP program season. She will continue to assist and evaluate the Commodities programs as well enhance the trainings and implementation styles to improve the effectiveness of the programs and areas of concern.
Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, RLC, BSc, CLSP, INHC is a TEDx and international speaker, pregnancy and breastfeeding specialist, consultant, educator, and author. Laurel is the co-author of two books, The Attachment Pregnancy and The Greatest Pregnancy Ever; original editor of The CAPPA Lactation Educator Manual; and a contributing author to Round the Circle: Doulas Talk About Themselves. Her passion is blending today’s recent scientific findings with mind/body/spirit wisdom to highlight the magnitude and importance of the perinatal period. Spending 17 years as Executive Director for Lactation Programs for the Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association formed the foundation of her inquiry into the science of human milk. She acted as a board director for the United States Breastfeeding Committee from 2016-2019 and currently serves as an advisor for CAPPA, InJoy Health, and is a board member at large for Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition. Laurel also acts as the Education Manager for GOLD Learning. Laurel has been joyfully married to her husband for three decades and has two wonderful grown sons, whose difficult births led her on a path towards helping emerging families create positive experiences. She believes that the journey into parenthood is a life-changing rite of passage that should be deeply honored and celebrated.
Legita Wilson Wilson, Indiana Department of Health's WIC Commodities Program Manager, has a broad and eclectic range of experience and skills, having worked in the legal, manufacturing, information technology, and social service areas. She has, for the past eleven years, been a member of the Indiana WIC team focused on commodities programs funded by USDA. The programs include The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP), and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) as well as grants for Local Food Purchase Agreement (LFPA) Track 1, TEFAP Reach and Resiliency rounds 1 and 2, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants for WIC FMNP and SFMNP which allowed Indiana WIC to implement a first-in-region electronic platform for the FMNPs in 2023. In recent years, she was a recipient of a Hunger Hero award and served as president of the National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs in 2021.
