Georgeta Musat is the first IBCLC Midwife in Romania. After research studies, internships and practice at the World Health Organization, Copenhagen, Denmark and the Georgetown University, Washington D.C. USA, Georgeta organized “Breastfeeding Days”, first Continuing Education Program in Breastfeeding and Lactation in Romania, dedicated those who want be recertified or become IBCLC, program accredited by the International Board of Lactation Examiners (IBLCE).

Georgeta founded the Association Academia de Alaptare / ADA, concept based on research and in-depth studies, practice and counseling, supporting breastfeeding and healthy birth. She is currently advocates protecting and supporting breastfeeding, sharing knowledge and practices with parents and professionals.

Dr. Ana Maria Linares is a national and international expert in human lactation and has worked in maternal-child and women’s health for 40 years in Chile and the U.S. She has a program of research to improve health and achieve health equity through the development of a culturally appropriate exclusive breastfeeding intervention among Hispanic women.  Dr. Linares coordinates three international studies sponsored by the International Child Health Nursing Network to determine cultural factors influencing breastfeeding.

Dr. Linares has published over 47 publications in multiple indexed journals and presented her research findings at international and national conferences.  Dr. Linares has received multiple awards in recognition of her research and advocacy for breastfeeding in vulnerable groups; she was the recipient of the Minority Health Researcher of the Year, Southern Nursing Research Society 2020; she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Nursing Association in 2022; and in 2023 she was awarded Hispanic Nurse of the Year, National Hispanic Nurse Association.  As a bilingual/bicultural immigrant doctoral-prepared nurse-midwife/IBCLC, Dr. Linares has a global perspective on the discipline of nursing and human lactation and has trained and mentored more than 350 faculty members, health professionals, and students in countries like Peru, Brazil, Mexico, and Ecuador.  Dr. Linares is an active member of ILCA, has served on the Research Committee, and is an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Human Lactation.

Who is Smithbucklin? 

Smithbucklin is a leading association management firm headquartered in Chicago, IL and Washington, DC. They provide tailored association management and consulting services to more than 300 professional societies, trade associations, charitable organizations, corporations and government institutes serving their client organizations’ members globally.

 

Why is ILCA transitioning from its current management company?

Over the course of the past few months, the ILCA Board has made a number of critical decisions to transform the association and to align with the changing landscape of serving the international ILCA community. The board considered current and future ILCA priorities with expanding our international presence and membership as well as furthering our DE&I initiatives. After thoughtful consideration, the Board made the decision to begin a new management partnership with Smithbucklin.

 

When did the ILCA decide to make a change?

The ILCA Board of Directors made the decision to transition to Smithbucklin in August 2022.

 

What made Smithbucklin the right choice for ILCA?    

The ILCA board considered a variety of criteria in the selection process, the most important being the capability to assist ILCA in reaching its strategic goals and improving its international relevance as an association. The criteria included:

• Expertise in association management best practices
• Focus on DE&I as a company and its impact on ILCA’s DE&I efforts
• Expansive experience in developing and executing conferences and educational offerings
• Resources to execute long-term strategic direction
• Expertise in association management best practices

Following evaluation against the criteria and determining culture fit, the Board concluded that Smithbucklin was the strongest option.

Smithbucklin has over 70 years of experience serving a wide variety of client organizations and could bring those learnings to transform ILCA’s business model and value proposition to effectively compete in a changing world. With experts in many different areas, from technology to membership to certification, Smithbucklin provides the depth needed in managing ILCA, serving its members and the broader communication community.

 

Does Smithbucklin have experience in these types of transitions?

A final deciding factor in our decision was Smithbucklin’s extensive experience transitioning organizations like ILCA from their existing management model. They have a systematic, documented process for successfully transitioning new clients. A dedicated transition management team and an interim Executive Director from the Smithbucklin staff, Jennifer Kasowicz, are working closely with existing staff and Board of Directors to lead ILCA’s transition to new management.

 

What changes can we expect during the transition period?

The focus of the transition is knowledge transfer and business continuity. Smithbucklin team members will review and become familiar with the current processes and operations in place to support ILCA’s mission going forward. Jennifer Kasowicz is serving as ILCA’s Interim Executive Director, leading a team of Smithbucklin staff comprised of subject matter experts who will bring their knowledge and experience in communications, technology, membership operations, event planning, and education delivery to be ready to assume operations on 1 November 2022.

 

Will I see any changes in ILCA’s operations?

Some internal operational changes may begin to take place during the transition as we look for efficiencies. ILCA retains its current form of governance; any programmatic changes continue to be at the direction of the Board of Directors. A team of technology professionals from Smithbucklin are already working with IMI Association Executives to ensure continuity of operations and to implement the full array of services. ILCA’s new staff team will be introduced via communications in the coming weeks.

 

What will ILCA’s new contact information be?

Our website, www.ilca.org, and main email address, info@ilca.org, will remain unchanged.

Please note our new mailing address, effective 1 November 2022.

2001 K Street, NW, 3rd Floor North
Washington, DC 20006

Our international phone number will be 202-367-1131. Our toll-free number, 1-888-452-2478 remains the same.