Our Board of Directors
A group of inspiring locals who all have a drive to serve the women in our community.
Natanya Champney
Founder and Executive Director
Mother, midwife and birth advocate serving the women of Northern NH for over 14 yrs. Natanya has a strong desire to help foster a deep connection between motherhood and community. She is the homebirth midwife that serves the North Country of NH, yet has a yearning to help women and families receive vital information no matter their risk factors or place of birth. She has 3 growing sons whom she works dilegently for always and has homeschooled at various times throughout the years. She has multiple others role at various organizations in the North Country, serving on a few different Boards over the years and has maintained employment as a Human Resources Manager at a local manufacturing facility. Natanya has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Green Mountain College, a Certificate in Midwifery from Birthwise Midwifery School, and a Certified Midwife in NH.
Kailene Jones, MPH
Founder and Board Chair
Natural birth enthusiast, mother of 3, and public health professional with a passion to make a broad impact on the lives of women and their children. Kailene has been captivated by the perinatal world since childhood, growing up as the oldest of six and attending 6 births before the age of 18, she fell in love with the empowering journey she watched multiple women embark on while they brought new life into the world. Originally studying to become a nurse with the goal of becoming a nurse midwife, Kailene quickly realized she wanted to make a difference that would require much more than just providing direct care. This desire led her to obtaining a bachelor's degree in Public Health from Colby-Sawyer College in 2017, followed by a master’s degree in Public Health from University of New England in 2020. Throughout her academic career Kailene focused her research on maternal health needs and outcomes, gaining a wealth of knowledge regarding the necessity for systems change in the US maternity care industry. Currently employed by Dartmouth Health, Kailene now has 5 years of public health project coordination experiences, 2 years of public health project management experience, and 3 years of grant writing experience. Kailene is eager to use these public health skills to help strategically build WOMB into a sustainable nonprofit that will provide North Country women and families with holistic perinatal resources/education, connection and supports for years to come.
Skye Champnagne-Bissonnette
Secretary
Skye is a loving mother of two children who strongly believes in- and advocates for- a women’s deep, and natural power in childbirth. She finds it essential to bring resources to women that help them find their strength and muster a deep belief and confidence in themselves as they embark on this most incredible journey.
Skye worked in the banking community in Littleton, NH for 5 years before moving on to her true calling- working as a paraprofessional in a local community school. She spends her summers as the head counselor at the Bethlehem Recreation Department for children in grades K-3. Skye has also served on the board for The Franconia Children’s Center for the past four years.
She has a passion for families and children, and their wellbeing, and is dedicated to making a difference in her community.
Wendy Jordan
Founder and Treasurer
An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 25 years, Wendy has served the Seacoast community in several different capacities. With a bachelors degree in nutrition and career working at WIC, Wendy quickly found her passion for all things lactation. She currently works part time at two hospitals and has a thriving private practice. She also teach prenatal breastfeeding classes and has facilitated breastfeeding support groups. She has served on the board of the NH Breastfeeding Task Force, volunteered at Lamprey Health Care and on the Board for International Lactation Consultants Association.
Despite living in Exeter for 30 years, her home has always been the North Country as her family has lived here for many generations. She very much wants to offer her knowledge and support to the young families of this community. Simply put, breastfeeding helps mothers, babies, and communities stay healthy and self-reliant. Wendy wants this for her hometown/area.
Eleana Sussman
Eleana graduated from Rutgers University in 1968, with a degree in English. She is in 70s and is happily retired, having had four children, three of whom were born at home. In 1972 she moved to London, England and lived there until 1976. There she became a certified Childbirth Educator and Doula with The National Childbirth Trust under the tutelage of Sheila Kitzinger. She attended many births in London both at home and in hospital. Returning to the North Country in 1976, she became a lay midwife with Dr. Sauter as my backup physician. Her midwifery partner and her did homebirths in Vermont and New Hampshire until the late 1980's. She also taught prenatal classes during that time. After she retired from midwifery, she owned an Antique Store in Bethlehem, New Hampshire for many years. In her retirement now, she mostly gardens, and am so pleased and proud to be on the board of Womb and help create this wonderful resource for North Country Families.
Deb Mardin
Board Member
Debbie was recently a family support specialist for the Gorham Family Resource Center in the Colebrook office. She worked for the Healthy Families America program serving pregnant women and mothers of infants and children up to age three. She was also a Head Start teacher for over ten years, both in the preschool program and in the Early Head Start program. She was also a family worker for Head Start for five years and had the pleasure of working with some of her former Head Start students who have children of their own in the HFA program. She has an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. She is a mom of two grown sons, one of whom is on the autism spectrum. She has taken many trainings to help guide him on his journey to have his best life, including the Leadership NH training for parents of children with disabilities. She has a huge interest in holistic health and is very excited to support the WOMB Initiative.
Founder and Board Member
Heidi Vaughn
Board Member
A dedicated mother of two. She serves on a verity of boards in the North Country. She received her certification as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) in 2011. She has trained as a DONA birth Doula in 2012. She spent many years as a CLC for WIC and a CLC/Family Support Worker for the Family Resource Center serving the North Country. Birth became a passion during her first pregnancy in 2004. Even though she no longer works in social services it remains a passion of hers to bring quality care and support to the women of the north country.
Ashley Winters
Board Member
Ashley graduated from Plymouth State University with a Master’s in Education. She also has an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Development from Manchester Community College. Education and the well being of a child is a true passion for Ashley, and with 17 years of public teaching experience as well some college level teaching, she has connected with many students and families over the years. After becoming a mother, Ashley felt a strong desire to peruse more knowledge in the world of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. She has been trained by DONA International as a Birth and Post-partum Doula. Ashley is a believer in the internal power of the woman and is an advocate for natural childbirth and home birthing experiences. She enjoys supporting the mother’s individual needs and hopes for a safe and healthy labor and delivery experience.
Taylor Imhoff
Board Member
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Birth, breastfeeding, and motherhood enthusiast, Taylor felt the undeniable pull toward birth work since childhood. Taylor became a DONA Doula in 2019 and served as a volunteer doula in Chicago, Illinois before moving back to her native New England. Since settling in New Hampshire, her passion for equitable, safe, and empowering birth experiences has led her to join WOMB. She brings with her over 10 years of experience in corporate and adult education and professional development, which informs her approach to educating, supporting, and collaborating with expectant mothers. Taylor’s children have given her two unique birth experiences that inform her practice; one ecstatic natural birth and one high-risk pregnancy, which resulted in a complex c-section birth and 12-day NICU stay for her daughter. Both experiences have deepened her ability to accept and celebrate all birth experiences, and equipped her with a wealth of knowledge to support natural, high-risk, unexpected, and complicated births. She joined the Board of Directors in October of 2022 and is privileged to serve alongside a group of strong, inspiring, intelligent, and passionate birth professionals. She believes that WOMB will move mountains in the birth world as we walk alongside, support, and nurture the mothers of the north country.
THE
TEAM
We have more Team members just voted in at our last meeting....Nikki Wilds and Allysia Guy-Morrison. We will be entering their info just as soon as we can and expect 1 more board member to be voted in within the next few months. These women are a power house of knowledge, resources and focus. We are so blessed to have them all.