The ILCA Board of Directors has decision-making powers regarding matters of policy, direction, strategy, and governance of the organization. They steer the organization toward a sustainable future by adopting sound governance and financial management policies, and ensuring adequate resources.
Jarvis, Ontario, Canada
wa’khená:tuse’ tsi’ niyot tsi’ ayutatnu’ké:lahte’. “I show them the way that she should breastfeed them.” Stephanie George (she/her) is onulhá/mother and aunt, atʌnoˀsʌ-/sister, daughter, and community member of the onʌyoteˀa·ká·/Oneida Nation – People of the Standing Stone. She is an ukwehu·wé/Indigenous midwife, who graduated from Tsi Non:we Ionnakeratstha Ona:grahsta/The Place They Will Be Born, located on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in 2007. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with a focused interest in supporting all Indigenous peoples and families through the journey of lactation at any stage and phase of their lives. Stephanie is currently President-Elect of the International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA). She is passionate about honoring and empowering all women and people through her healthcare practice. She also advocates for this platform through her roles on the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives (NACM), the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) Strategy of Ontario, the Expert Panel of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), and Instructor at McMaster and York Universities respectively.
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Tova Ovits graduated from Pace University with a BA in English. While breastfeeding her youngest child, she read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and discovered how much she didn’t know while nursing her older kids. Tova has been dedicated to helping mothers and babies breastfeed ever since. She volunteered with an international breastfeeding peer support organization and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant to help even more families enjoy a healthy, happy beginning.
Austin, Texas, United States
Janet Jones is a proud mother of three breastfed children, an IBCLC, and the CEO and Co-Owner of The Breastfeeding Success Company. Breastfeeding Success is the exclusive provider of lactation services for a network of seven hospitals in Central Texas, US. Janet’s vision for ILCA is to focus on the creation of formal career ladders with the partnerships between non-profits, NGOs, government agencies, and community-based peer counseling programs. She believes establishing career ladders for all lactation support providers from diverse backgrounds is one way to further ensure ongoing quality lactation care in marginalized communities and build skill sets to overcome systemic barriers.
Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Nor Kamariah Mohamad Alwi resides in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. She created the online breastfeeding support forum susuibu.com in 2004 and is a co-founder and President of Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselors. She is on the Local Governance Task Force Coordinator for World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). Kamariah is working with IBCLCs to establish a Malaysian Lactation Consultant Association. She is currently a private practice lactation consultant.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Iona Macnab is the co-founder of iLactation Online Breastfeeding Conferences, a global education platform offering continuing education credits for health professionals. She was a Le Leche League (LLL) Leader in Japan (13 years) and Australia (6 years), as well as the LLL Regional Administrator for Asia, Africa and Middle East (7 years). Currently, Iona is the Conference Coordinator for Lactation Consultants for Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) and ILCA’s Professional Development Committee Chair, in addition to her responsibilities with iLactation.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Maxine Scringer-Wilkes honed her maternal child nursing skills while working in outpost nursing, she moved into public health and through working with amazing mentors and resiliant families she developed an understanding of the many challenges and complexities of breastfeeding. Currently the lead IBCLC in a children’s hospital and primary to the surgical NICU, Maxine collaborates in developing and updating feeding policies, clinical guidelines and resource documents for parents and health care workers. Maxine envisions ILCA championing breastfeeding as an equalizer for families, she believes ILCA should foster partnerships with national organizations to inform and facilitate collaboration with health authorities on the importance of skilled lactation care.
Split, Croatia, Europe
Irena Zakarija-Grkovic is the founding president of the Croatian Association of Lactation Consultants and a founding member of the National Breastfeeding Committee. She worked as a GP and IBCLC in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to Split, Croatia. Irena now teaches at the University of Split School of Medicine, where she has been conducting an annual 90-h breastfeeding course since 2007. Irena is the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative coordinator for Croatia and Europe, and is an educator and assessor for the BFHI. Irena has served ILCA in the past as a member of the Conference, Multilingual and Global Outreach Committees, and sees ILCA as the go-to-place for breastfeeding education.
