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Board of Directors
Our Board is comprised of hardworking members of our community who are passionate about Birth, Doulas, and the Wellbeing of our community at large.
Mandy McLellan
Chairperson
As a mother of 6 kiddos born over the course of 2 decades, Mandy has been a witness to the evolving change in the culture of birth and childrearing. The pregnancy and birth experience of her first child over 20 years ago left her in awe of the transformative power of birth and with a profound and passionate connection with her reproductive power. This was the beginning of a deeper dive into exploring and understanding birth culture, perinatal health and reproductive justice. Attending births and supporting families through the peri and postnatal periods, Mandy's enthusiasm to continue learning and sharing knowledge has only grown.
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Mandy became involved with Childbirth Kingston in 2008 and served on the board of directors for over 10 years in various positions. In 2020, along with CBK, she became part of the Doula Support Foundation Family. As a Childbirth Educator and Doula, teaching provides her a platform to educate and support expectant parents, to normalize childbirth, debunk myths and misinformation around popular culture stigmas, and provide parents with the information and tools they need to confidently and fearlessly enter into their own parenthood journeys.
Bethany Geisel
Director of Doulas
Bethany is a proud mom to three littles, married to a great spouse, and has been a birth doula since 2012 and childbirth educator since 2018. She has formal doula training through DONA International, Stillbirthday, & Hypnobabies. Bethany is a fully certified childbirth educator through Lamaze International and she is very passionate about supporting both clients and other doulas. Bethany is thrilled to be a part of DSF.
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She believes that supported, connected, and informed doulas are capable of providing better support to their clients in turn, and she is excited to be in a role where she can help facilitate doulas to both support their clients better and to grow as birth workers, too.
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Anna Siwakoti
Treasurer
Anna is our Treasurer at DSF and she is looking forward to helping the foundation grow, flourish and help with the finances. As a small business owner, she understands how important having up-to-date finances can be vital to ensuring the success of the organization.
She brings with her four years of experience as a board treasurer with a different board, experience with payroll, CRA reporting as well as experience with grant applications.
Lauren Miller
Director of Marketing
Lauren joined the board in 2021 and has brought with her experience in social media marketing and excitement about fundraising for our organization. She is a single mother of two and a furbaby that might as well be a third child. She has a background in Early Childhood Education as well as Freelance Writing.
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Lauren currently practices as a Postpartum Doula as well as teaches Postpartum parenting courses. In the future, she hopes to expand to birth doula work and childbirth education.
Ashley Kelly-Black
Fundraising
Ashley is a certifying fertility, birth and postpartum doula and is passionate about supporting birthers throughout their journeys. Sitting on the board for DSF is an honour and a privilege. Ashley feels so fortunate to be working with such wonderful members of the Kingston community to continue the great work DSF started so many years ago. She looks forward to the many milestones the board will continue to reach together.
Edina MacDonald
Board Member
Edina brings enthusiasm, a drive to help, and passion to her work. She has wanted to work in a helping profession since childhood and believes that providing understanding, non-judgemental, and fully present support can mean the world to another person.
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Dina draws on a creative and client-centred approach as the Director of Programming of Doula Support Foundation. Using Her background in Community Work, She is able to bring a unique viewpoint to birth work and DSF alike.
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Dina holds a diploma in Community Work from Trillium College. She completed Doula training with DONA and is a certified Birth and Bereavement Doula with StillBirthday. She Specializes in supporting and empowering clients facing challenges with mental health and addictions.
Chelsea Loutsenko
Board Member
Chelsea believes that education is the best and most effective way to remove the stigmas and secrets around childbirth in order to bring together a stronger community of parents and professionals. She is the current owner of Childbirth Kingston which provides Doula and Education support. She loves working with people and works to share her outgoing and approachable personality with those she meets. She works hard to motivate and inspire the people she works with by using her ability to inspire and organize a team.
Josée Leduc
Board Member
Birth Story Contest Creator
French Translator
Josée is a trained Birth Doula, French Translator and the creator of the DSF’s Birth Story Writing Contest followed by the Birth Sharing Circle which was held in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
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She is also working on publishing An Anthology of Canadian Birth Stories. Josée strongly believes that doula support should be accessible to all and valued. This is why she volunteers with DSF. So far, being on the DSF’s board of directors has been a tremendous experience of doula solidarity by which she feels empowered.
Jazmin Eadie
Board Member
Jazmin is a birth, fertility, postpartum, and bereavement doula in training and is passionate about educating and being present for people at different stages in their life including labor and when trying to conceive. She is so honoured to be a board member for DSF and learn from other incredible members who have been in this field for years! It's a true honour to be apart of such an amazing organization and help in allowing everyone to receive doula care!
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Stacey Burns
Board Member
Stacey is looking forward to being part of the DSF board, and to being in community with others to help create opportunities so that anyone who wishes to can have access to doula support. Stacey has a formal education in sociology, and brings with her experience from various other boards within Kingston, including work in communications and volunteer recruitment.
She has always been passionate about birthing and social justice, and is currently completing her certification to become a Full Spectrum Doula with Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings. Stacey is excited to join this local community, and to be able to assist all birthing individuals and families in feeling heard, supported and empowered.
Teaisha Whittingham
Board Member
Teaisha is very passionate about birth and all things babies. She loves pregnancy, and is a mother of 3 and surrogate mother of two. She is a certified Labour and Birth Doula, trained through Doula Training Canada. Teaisha would love for each of her clients to be empowered and feel knowledgeable in making their own decisions regarding their birth and their bodies.
Founding Members
DSF was founded by a passionate, hardworking group of doulas and birthworkers in the Kingston area. Some are still involved in the organization, but some have moved on to other projects. We want to acknowledge the hard work they put into getting the Doula Support Foundation off the ground, by featuring them here.
Laura Pascoe
Chelsea Loutsenko
Chelsea continues to work in the Kingston community as a Doula and is the owner of Childbirth Kingston. CBK is a Doula Agency that provides Birth and Postpartum Doula support as well as the Education that goes along with it!
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Rachel Nafziger
Rachel continues to be involved with DSF as a doula, and continues working in the community as a birth worker as well.
