LA LECHE LEAGUE OF GEORGIA

Conference Speakers

Marian Tompson,
Co-founder of LLLI

Marian Tompson is one of the founders of La Leche league International and was its president for the first 24 years. Wife of the late Clement Tompson, she is the mother of seven children, grandmother to 16 and great grandmother to four, so far. Marian developed LLLI's Continuing Education breastfeeding seminars for physicians which have been held annually since 1973. She was the first editor of what is now New Beginnings and has traveled the world speaking up for breastfeeding mothers and babies. In 2001 Marian founded AnotherLook, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to gathering information, raising critical questions, and stimulating needed research about breastfeeding in the context of HIV and AIDS.

Jennifer Morris
LLLL, IBCLC, RA Jennifer Morris, LLLL, IBCLC, RA, is the Regional Administrator for the Southern Region of the Eastern United States. Jennifer and her husband, Erik, have a son, Sam, and a daughter, Maya. Jennifer was accredited in 2001 and actively leads meetings in Sebring, Florida. Jennifer enjoys crafting and cooking with herchildren.

Char Wenc
author of Parenting - Are We Having Fun Yet?

Char Wenc is the author of Parenting – Are We Having Fun Yet? and Cooperation – Learning Through Laughter. She is a nationally recognized speaker, who the Chicago Tribune calls “a speaking dynamo.” She is an consultant to the medical and business community, school distrists and other educational associations in the United States. Char has served as a classroom teacher, clinical counselor and a graduate school professor.

Marla Cilley,
aka the FlyLady

Marla Cilley, aka the FlyLady, is mentor to hundreds of thousands of women around the globe through a mentoring system she started in 1999 on the Internet. The author of Sink Reflections, she lives in North Carolina and can be found online at www.FlyLady.net.

Leanne Ely, CNC
author of Saving Dinner

Leanne Ely is the author of the best-selling Saving Dinner series (Ballantine). According to Woman's Day Magazine, she is the expert on family cooking. Leanne hosts her own radio program, Saving Dinner each Wednesday and The FLY Show, with Marla Cilley (the FlyLady) every Thursday. Her syndicated column, The Dinner Diva is in over 250 newspapers nationwide. Her Food for Thought” columns have been part of the popular, FlyLady.net since 2001. She has been featured nationally on television, in magazines and newspapers throughout the country and is a sought after speaker. Leanne is a mother to teenagers and lives in North Carolina.atured nationally on television, in magazines and newspapers throughout the country and is a sought after speaker. Leanne is a mother to teenagers and lives in North Carolina with her husband and children.

Anna Burnsworth Anna Burnsworth began attending meetings in Henry County in 2002, and she was accredited there in 2006. She has since affiliated with the North Fulton group. Shortly after her accreditation, Anna began an outreach program by partnering with a local Bradley childbirth instructor. Anna and her husband, Jeremy, have been married for ten years and reside in Alpharetta with their two children Caleb (five years) and James (almost one). Aside from volunteering as a LLL Leader, Anna enjoys knitting and hiking.

Laura Chisholm
Laura Chisholm was accredited 2002 as a LLL Leader in Georgia. Laura is the Coordinator of Leader Applicants (CLA) for the Georgia Area and enjoys being part of the transformation of an applicant to a Leader. She also currently serves as Regional Conference Supervisor (RCA) for La Leche League International, EUS division. She has also served as the CLA for South Carolina. Other positions she has held in Georgia include District Advisor, Associate Coordinator of Leader Applicants (ACLA), Area Conference Supervisor. Laura is the mother of Ashley, Hanna, Jamie, and Alex. She has been married to her husband Andy since 1999. A Georgia native at heart, she and her family are temporarily transplanted in Nebraska.

Kathy Chiu Kathy Chiu has been a La Leche League Leader since 1980. She and her husband, Jim, have three grown daughters, the oldest of whom is also a La Leche League Leader and mother to Kathy’s three grandchildren. In 1987 Kathy Chiu became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has served as President and Past President of the Southeastern Lactation Consultants Association (SELCA) and is affiliated with the Georgia Breastfeeding Task Force and the National Association of Breastfeeding Advocates.

Wendy Cohen, Area Coordinator of Leaders for Georgia

Wendy Cohen began attending LLL meetings in Savannah, GA in 2000 and was accredited there in 2001. She and her husband Jon have been married for ten years and have three children: Max (1999), Sol (2003) and Reese (2005). She co-leads the Savannah Group and has worked on the Area level in a variety of positions, including District Advisor and District Coordinator. She currently serves as LLL of Georgia's Area Coordinator of Leaders. When Wendy isn't spending quality time with her family, she likes being creative with her hands and shopping at the newest thrift stores in town.

Claudia Conn, (CPM)

Claudia Conn is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) with an active practice that has spanned over 26 years and 800 births. Claudia describes Midwifery and homebirth as her passion and calling, believing that pregnancy and birth are normal processes and that birth is a key event in a woman's life. Prior to her midwifery calling, Claudia received a BS in Zoology at Duke University in the 70s, working as a research assistant in various bio-medical labs to finance her education. After choosing homebirth for her own three children, she found her experiences to be profound and life-changing. She moved to Georgia to pursue her Master's degree as a CNM at Emory University in 1982 after apprenticing for 2 years in North Carolina. During this time, she decided her passion for homebirth was best served as a CPM. Claudia completed this certification in the early 90s as the process came into being. She is the vice-president of the Georgia Midwifery Association as well as a member of Tennessee Midwives Association. Claudia is also a member of MANA and CHEO. Her homepage can be found at www.birthingright.com

Claire Eden Claire Eden has been a leader since 1998 and was accredited in Jacksonville, Florida. She has a BA in Political Science and Communications from Brigham Young University. She and her husband Carlton have been married since 1992 and are the parents of three daughters. She has co-led the Buckhead/Sandy Springs Group since 2000. Claire has been the Area Leader Letter Editor (ALLE) in both Florida and Georgia and has been an Associate Area Professional Liasion (AAPL) for the Atlanta metro area since 2003. Claire is involved in school and church projects with her children and husband.

Carrie Dendtler

Carrie Dendtler is a Licensed Physical Therapist specializing in Neonatal Development and Feeding. She practices within the Neonatal Intensive Care and Inpatient and Outpatient Lactation settings. She is Neurodevelopmentally (NDT)/Bobath Trained in the Eight Week Course of the Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy, a trained provider of Debra Beckman's Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention, a Certified Examiner of Marjorie Palmer's Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale and has completed the educational requirements for RTS Bereavement Training in pregnancy loss and newborn death. She is also a La Leche League Leader and the Assodciate Area Professional Liasion for LLL of Georgia. She especially enjoys supporting parents in the areas of breastfeeding infants with sucking challenges, normal developmental stages and loving guidance. Carrie lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband and two children.

Mary Francell

Mary Francell has been a La Leche League Leader with LLL of Dunwoody since 1995. Before having children, she received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in Communications and Theater and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Arts Administration. Mary worked as a writer and editor before before becoming a full-time mom. She and her husband live in Alpharetta and homeschool their three children. Mary is also a Girl Scout leader and helps coach a FIRST Lego League Robotics team.

Anne Grider

Anne Grider and her husband Don have been together since 1960 with four daughters and eleven grandchildren to their credit. She looks upon La Leche league as her large, extended family, a family that has been with her throughout the globe. LLL helped Anne with her first baby in Columbus, Ohio in 1964. Then, LLL's book THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING encouraged her when her second child was born in France. The LLL Leaders in San Antonio supported her with her third child and suggested Leadership as a future path. In El Paso, when her fourth child arrived, she followed this path and eventually started two Groups for English speaking women in Nurnberg, Germany. In Silver Springs, Maryland, she fell in love with helping moms over the phone and trained Leader applicants in this area. Anne served as LLL's Area Coordinator of Leaders for Hawaii and later, in Alabama. In 1985, she bravely sat for the very first IBCLE exam and to her great joy, passed. In 1992, Anne opened her own private practice in metro Atlanta. She continues to serve moms in the Georgia area through LLL, as well, volunteering on the Atlanta area hotline and speaking at Area Conferences. It is Anne's desire that more IBCLCs would come from the ranks of LLL Leaders, as she believes that helping moms and babies for the joy of it should be our first priority. She has a passion for "giving back" to the community and enjoys opportunities to educate others about breastfeeding.

Stephanie Jordan
Stephanie was accredited in 1999 and actively leads meetings with the Greater Athens Group. She and her husband, Keith, have two girls, Taylor, age ten, and Haley, age five. Stephanie has previously supported LLL of GA as Area Coordinator of Leaders and Area Conference Supervisor. She is currently serving as the Area Secretary for LLL of GA as well as Regional Conference Administrator for the Great Lakes Region of the Eastern United States Division of La Leche League.

Theresa Kinzly

Theresa Kinzly has been an LLL Leader for 25 years. She and her husband Glen have been married for 34 years and have three adult children: Christa, Pamela, and Allen. Ms. Kinzly is a primary grade school teacher and has spoken at 18 Area Conferences, two La Leche League International conferences, teaches local parenting and breastfeeding classes and is currently writing a book on her experiences. She serves as Area Leader Letter Editor, ALLE for La Leche League of Georgia.

Angela Orenczak Angela Orenczak began attending LLL meetings in Savannah, GA five weeks after the birth of her first son in 2005. Angela’s family moved temporarily to Oklahoma City, OK for three months where she was involved with several LLL groups before landing in Henry County, GA. Angela is currently a co-Leader with both the Griffin and Henry County Groups. Angela has been married to her husband, Luke, for eight years and they have two sons, Jackson (2005) and Lincoln (2007). Before having children, Angela attended The Florida State University and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Information Studies. In her “spare time” Angela enjoys providing attachment parenting, breastfeeding and birth choices support to mothers via the Internet, learning and reading about children and family dynamics and hostessing weekly get-togethers for friends!

Kathy Sasser
Kathy Sasser has been supporting breastfeeding mothers as a La Leche League Leader since February 2006. As an ecologist she has been involved in community environmental education for many years, bringing conservation issues and natural science to the public through programs in non-profit and public facilities since 1995. Kathy graduated from the University of Georgia, earning degrees in Ecology (B.S., ’98), Economics (B.A., ’97), and Political Science (B.A., ’97). She and her husband have been married since 1997 and are the parents of two sons.

Pilar Stair

Pilar Stair is an accredited LLL Leader with the Henry County Group. She formerly served in the Army as a Staff Sergeant for eight years before having children. Pilar and her husband Gary have three daughters together, Saira (2002), Lorelei (2004) and Olivia (2007). Together, the Stair family lives in Locust Grove, Georgia.

Christine Strain lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband John, two daughters Catie and Emily, and two cats. A La Leche League member since 2004, she co-founded Koalamommas in 2006 to help other moms and to spread the love ofbabywearing. She also serves as webmaster for ICAN of Atlanta.

Lori Subosits

Lori Subosits has been married to Steve since 1999. They have 2 sons, Jamie, age 7 and Jake, age 3. She serves LLL of Georgia as the Area Finance Coordinator (AFC) and as Conference Treasurer. She has been a LLL Leader since 2002. She worked in a bank for 5 years and at Savannah River Site Nuclear Weapons Plant for 8 years prior to becoming a mother. She is now paid in hugs and kisses rather than dollars.

Valerie Vanderlip

Valerie Vanderlip and her husband Jeff have three children, three cats and a nervous dog. They live in Marietta, GA. Valerie has been a leader since 1989, beginning in Louisville, KY. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a Certified Lactation Counselor. She has supported LLL of Georgia in a variety of positions including District Advisor, Coordinator of Leader Applicants (CLA), Area Leader Letter Editor (ALLE), Local Area Conference Coordinator and East Atlanta Chapter president. Valerie also enjoys teaching breastfeeding classes at a local crisis pregnancy center. She is delighted to be a part of this conference.

Please send comments or suggestions to Melanie. The La Leche League logo is a registered trademark of La Leche League International. Used with permission. Last modified Sunday, December 30, 2007 .

Marian Tompson, Co-founder of LLLI	Marian Tompson is one of the founders of La Leche league International and was its president for the first 24 years. Wife of the late Clement Tompson, she is the mother of seven children, grandmother to 16 and great grandmother to four, so far. Marian developed LLLI's Continuing Education breastfeeding seminars for physicians which have been held annually since 1973. She was the first editor of what is now New Beginnings and has traveled the world speaking up for breastfeeding mothers and babies. In 2001 Marian founded AnotherLook, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to gathering information, raising critical questions, and stimulating needed research about breastfeeding in the context of HIV and AIDS.

Jennifer Morris LLLL, IBCLC, RA	Jennifer Morris, LLLL, IBCLC, RA, is the Regional Administrator for the Southern Region of the Eastern United States. Jennifer and her husband, Erik, have a son, Sam, and a daughter, Maya. Jennifer was accredited in 2001 and actively leads meetings in Sebring, Florida. Jennifer enjoys crafting and cooking with herchildren.

Char Wenc author of Parenting - Are We Having Fun Yet?	Char Wenc is the author of Parenting – Are We Having Fun Yet? and Cooperation – Learning Through Laughter. She is a nationally recognized speaker, who the Chicago Tribune calls “a speaking dynamo.” She is an consultant to the medical and business community, school distrists and other educational associations in the United States. Char has served as a classroom teacher, clinical counselor and a graduate school professor.

Marla Cilley, aka the FlyLady	Marla Cilley, aka the FlyLady, is mentor to hundreds of thousands of women around the globe through a mentoring system she started in 1999 on the Internet. The author of Sink Reflections, she lives in North Carolina and can be found online at www.FlyLady.net.

Leanne Ely, CNC author of Saving Dinner	Leanne Ely is the author of the best-selling Saving Dinner series (Ballantine). According to Woman's Day Magazine, she is the expert on family cooking. Leanne hosts her own radio program, Saving Dinner each Wednesday and The FLY Show, with Marla Cilley (the FlyLady) every Thursday. Her syndicated column, The Dinner Diva is in over 250 newspapers nationwide. Her Food for Thought” columns have been part of the popular, FlyLady.net since 2001. She has been featured nationally on television, in magazines and newspapers throughout the country and is a sought after speaker. Leanne is a mother to teenagers and lives in North Carolina.atured nationally on television, in magazines and newspapers throughout the country and is a sought after speaker. Leanne is a mother to teenagers and lives in North Carolina with her husband and children.

Anna Burnsworth	Anna Burnsworth began attending meetings in Henry County in 2002, and she was accredited there in 2006. She has since affiliated with the North Fulton group. Shortly after her accreditation, Anna began an outreach program by partnering with a local Bradley childbirth instructor. Anna and her husband, Jeremy, have been married for ten years and reside in Alpharetta with their two children Caleb (five years) and James (almost one). Aside from volunteering as a LLL Leader, Anna enjoys knitting and hiking.

Laura Chisholm	Laura Chisholm was accredited 2002 as a LLL Leader in Georgia. Laura is the Coordinator of Leader Applicants (CLA) for the Georgia Area and enjoys being part of the transformation of an applicant to a Leader. She also currently serves as Regional Conference Supervisor (RCA) for La Leche League International, EUS division. She has also served as the CLA for South Carolina. Other positions she has held in Georgia include District Advisor, Associate Coordinator of Leader Applicants (ACLA), Area Conference Supervisor. Laura is the mother of Ashley, Hanna, Jamie, and Alex. She has been married to her husband Andy since 1999. A Georgia native at heart, she and her family are temporarily transplanted in Nebraska.

Kathy Chiu	Kathy Chiu has been a La Leche League Leader since 1980. She and her husband, Jim, have three grown daughters, the oldest of whom is also a La Leche League Leader and mother to Kathy’s three grandchildren. In 1987 Kathy Chiu became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has served as President and Past President of the Southeastern Lactation Consultants Association (SELCA) and is affiliated with the Georgia Breastfeeding Task Force and the National Association of Breastfeeding Advocates.

Wendy Cohen, Area Coordinator of Leaders for Georgia	Wendy Cohen began attending LLL meetings in Savannah, GA in 2000 and was accredited there in 2001. She and her husband Jon have been married for ten years and have three children: Max (1999), Sol (2003) and Reese (2005). She co-leads the Savannah Group and has worked on the Area level in a variety of positions, including District Advisor and District Coordinator. She currently serves as LLL of Georgia's Area Coordinator of Leaders. When Wendy isn't spending quality time with her family, she likes being creative with her hands and shopping at the newest thrift stores in town.

Claudia Conn, (CPM)	Claudia Conn is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) with an active practice that has spanned over 26 years and 800 births. Claudia describes Midwifery and homebirth as her passion and calling, believing that pregnancy and birth are normal processes and that birth is a key event in a woman's life. Prior to her midwifery calling, Claudia received a BS in Zoology at Duke University in the 70s, working as a research assistant in various bio-medical labs to finance her education. After choosing homebirth for her own three children, she found her experiences to be profound and life-changing. She moved to Georgia to pursue her Master's degree as a CNM at Emory University in 1982 after apprenticing for 2 years in North Carolina. During this time, she decided her passion for homebirth was best served as a CPM. Claudia completed this certification in the early 90s as the process came into being. She is the vice-president of the Georgia Midwifery Association as well as a member of Tennessee Midwives Association. Claudia is also a member of MANA and CHEO. Her homepage can be found at www.birthingright.com

Claire Eden	Claire Eden has been a leader since 1998 and was accredited in Jacksonville, Florida. She has a BA in Political Science and Communications from Brigham Young University. She and her husband Carlton have been married since 1992 and are the parents of three daughters. She has co-led the Buckhead/Sandy Springs Group since 2000. Claire has been the Area Leader Letter Editor (ALLE) in both Florida and Georgia and has been an Associate Area Professional Liasion (AAPL) for the Atlanta metro area since 2003. Claire is involved in school and church projects with her children and husband.

*Carrie Dendtler*	Carrie Dendtler is a Licensed Physical Therapist specializing in Neonatal Development and Feeding. She practices within the Neonatal Intensive Care and Inpatient and Outpatient Lactation settings. She is Neurodevelopmentally (NDT)/Bobath Trained in the Eight Week Course of the Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy, a trained provider of Debra Beckman's Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention, a Certified Examiner of Marjorie Palmer's Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale and has completed the educational requirements for RTS Bereavement Training in pregnancy loss and newborn death. She is also a La Leche League Leader and the Assodciate Area Professional Liasion for LLL of Georgia. She especially enjoys supporting parents in the areas of breastfeeding infants with sucking challenges, normal developmental stages and loving guidance. Carrie lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband and two children.

*Mary Francell*	Mary Francell has been a La Leche League Leader with LLL of Dunwoody since 1995. Before having children, she received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in Communications and Theater and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Arts Administration. Mary worked as a writer and editor before before becoming a full-time mom. She and her husband live in Alpharetta and homeschool their three children. Mary is also a Girl Scout leader and helps coach a FIRST Lego League Robotics team.

*Anne Grider*	Anne Grider and her husband Don have been together since 1960 with four daughters and eleven grandchildren to their credit. She looks upon La Leche league as her large, extended family, a family that has been with her throughout the globe. LLL helped Anne with her first baby in Columbus, Ohio in 1964. Then, LLL's book THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING encouraged her when her second child was born in France. The LLL Leaders in San Antonio supported her with her third child and suggested Leadership as a future path. In El Paso, when her fourth child arrived, she followed this path and eventually started two Groups for English speaking women in Nurnberg, Germany. In Silver Springs, Maryland, she fell in love with helping moms over the phone and trained Leader applicants in this area. Anne served as LLL's Area Coordinator of Leaders for Hawaii and later, in Alabama. In 1985, she bravely sat for the very first IBCLE exam and to her great joy, passed. In 1992, Anne opened her own private practice in metro Atlanta. She continues to serve moms in the Georgia area through LLL, as well, volunteering on the Atlanta area hotline and speaking at Area Conferences. It is Anne's desire that more IBCLCs would come from the ranks of LLL Leaders, as she believes that helping moms and babies for the joy of it should be our first priority. She has a passion for "giving back" to the community and enjoys opportunities to educate others about breastfeeding.

Stephanie Jordan	Stephanie was accredited in 1999 and actively leads meetings with the Greater Athens Group. She and her husband, Keith, have two girls, Taylor, age ten, and Haley, age five. Stephanie has previously supported LLL of GA as Area Coordinator of Leaders and Area Conference Supervisor. She is currently serving as the Area Secretary for LLL of GA as well as Regional Conference Administrator for the Great Lakes Region of the Eastern United States Division of La Leche League.

Theresa Kinzly	Theresa Kinzly has been an LLL Leader for 25 years. She and her husband Glen have been married for 34 years and have three adult children: Christa, Pamela, and Allen. Ms. Kinzly is a primary grade school teacher and has spoken at 18 Area Conferences, two La Leche League International conferences, teaches local parenting and breastfeeding classes and is currently writing a book on her experiences. She serves as Area Leader Letter Editor, ALLE for La Leche League of Georgia.

Angela Orenczak	Angela Orenczak began attending LLL meetings in Savannah, GA five weeks after the birth of her first son in 2005. Angela’s family moved temporarily to Oklahoma City, OK for three months where she was involved with several LLL groups before landing in Henry County, GA. Angela is currently a co-Leader with both the Griffin and Henry County Groups. Angela has been married to her husband, Luke, for eight years and they have two sons, Jackson (2005) and Lincoln (2007). Before having children, Angela attended The Florida State University and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Information Studies. In her “spare time” Angela enjoys providing attachment parenting, breastfeeding and birth choices support to mothers via the Internet, learning and reading about children and family dynamics and hostessing weekly get-togethers for friends!

Kathy Sasser	Kathy Sasser has been supporting breastfeeding mothers as a La Leche League Leader since February 2006. As an ecologist she has been involved in community environmental education for many years, bringing conservation issues and natural science to the public through programs in non-profit and public facilities since 1995. Kathy graduated from the University of Georgia, earning degrees in Ecology (B.S., ’98), Economics (B.A., ’97), and Political Science (B.A., ’97). She and her husband have been married since 1997 and are the parents of two sons.

*Pilar Stair*	Pilar Stair is an accredited LLL Leader with the Henry County Group. She formerly served in the Army as a Staff Sergeant for eight years before having children. Pilar and her husband Gary have three daughters together, Saira (2002), Lorelei (2004) and Olivia (2007). Together, the Stair family lives in Locust Grove, Georgia.

	Christine Strain lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband John, two daughters Catie and Emily, and two cats. A La Leche League member since 2004, she co-founded Koalamommas in 2006 to help other moms and to spread the love ofbabywearing. She also serves as webmaster for ICAN of Atlanta.

*Lori Subosits*	Lori Subosits has been married to Steve since 1999. They have 2 sons, Jamie, age 7 and Jake, age 3. She serves LLL of Georgia as the Area Finance Coordinator (AFC) and as Conference Treasurer. She has been a LLL Leader since 2002. She worked in a bank for 5 years and at Savannah River Site Nuclear Weapons Plant for 8 years prior to becoming a mother. She is now paid in hugs and kisses rather than dollars.

Valerie Vanderlip	Valerie Vanderlip and her husband Jeff have three children, three cats and a nervous dog. They live in Marietta, GA. Valerie has been a leader since 1989, beginning in Louisville, KY. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a Certified Lactation Counselor. She has supported LLL of Georgia in a variety of positions including District Advisor, Coordinator of Leader Applicants (CLA), Area Leader Letter Editor (ALLE), Local Area Conference Coordinator and East Atlanta Chapter president. Valerie also enjoys teaching breastfeeding classes at a local crisis pregnancy center. She is delighted to be a part of this conference.