The International Nanny Association Conference is April 12-15, 2013 in Louisville, KY. Registration is now open, and below is a preview of the amazing speaker lineup the INA has gathered for attendees.
Here is the Newborn Care Specialist track of speakers! What a line up!
Click on speaker name to visit their website where available.
For over 25 years, Lisa has been “nurturing newborns and educating parents.”After attending the University of Arkansas and the National Academy of Nannies, Lisa worked as a professional nanny for over 15 years. As the owner of Nanny for Newborns, LLC, Lisa is in her 10th year as a Newborn Care Specialist and Sleep Coach .Lisa has sleep trained over 300 babies and children, including over 30 sets of twins, 12 sets of triplets, and even a set of quintuplets and a set of sextuplets. Lisa has been recognized in a handful of newspaper articles, including USA Today, as well as the book Little Dallas. She has also appeared on the Today Show as a member of The Baby Dream Team, as well as all three television networks on her local news. Her vast clientele includes surrogacy, adoption, single fathers and single mothers, same-sex couples, and most recently a teen mom.Working 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as many as 12 weeks at a time, Lisa brings you her insight into what it takes to travel and live with all types of clients.
Jessica Brodey is an attorney and public policy consultant with more than 15 years of experience in intellectual property counseling, litigation, and advocacy to improve access to education, work, technology, community and activities of daily living for people with disabilities. Jessica is also a maternity and child consultant and the Founder/President of Eat-Sleep-Love, a company created to help new and expectant parents tackle many challenging parenting issues, including sleep, breastfeeding, maternity education and preparation, and educational, health and special needs advocacy. Through her company, Jessica provides private consultations, group seminars and classes, and helps parents create and implement plans that are respectful of all parenting philosophies and tailored to each child’s unique needs.
Since the birth of her first child, Jessica has been interested in the relationship between healthy sleep habits and child development, particularly educational disabilities. Jessica has been actively involved in breastfeeding and parenting support groups, both in person and online, and supporting parents of children with disabilities identify resources and advocate for services for their children. She began connecting with other parents as a “mommy blogger,” writing about her own parenting challenges and experiences with her children, such as her daughter’s gastro-esophageal reflux disease related sleep struggles when she was five months old. The issues she faced caused her to seek out information about helping children develop and maintain good sleep habits. Ultimately, she decided to pursue advanced training in this area and has been working with clients ever since.
Jessica graduated from Emory University and the New York University School of Law. She received her sleep training through Kim West’s Gentle Sleep Coach program and the International Maternity Institute‘s Maternity and Child Sleep Consultant program. Jessica is also a Certified Lactation Counselor through the Healthy Children’s Center for Breastfeeding, a Happiest Baby Educator certified by Dr. Harvey Karp, and has completed her coursework to become a Professional Baby Planner through the International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals. Jessica also serves as the Eastern Regional Director (USA) of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants, and the Special Needs Expert on the International Maternity Institute’s Advisory Board. She currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland with her family.
Cortney Gibson is a newborn care specialist and parent educator. She holds a certificate in newborn care from Alexandria School and is a certified greenproofer and green birth educator.
Cortney owns and operates Gibson Newborn Services, a company dedicated to helping the parents of new babies succeed through education, newborn care and support. GNS offers families the highest level of newborn care, sleep consultations, greenproofing, and exclusive newborn care placement services, available nationwide.
Cortney has been working with families and providing in-home care since 1997. She specializes in the care of preemies and multiples, as well as early sleep teaching and parent education. Cortney has spent over 60,000 hours nurturing babies and caring for young children all over the country.
A long-time supporter of the INA, Cortney has served on the board of directors since 2007 and now serves as secretary. Cortney chairs the NCS committee, mentor program, and plans the newborn care track for the Annual Conference.
Bob is an attorney and founder of Legally Nanny®, the leading law firm providing legal and tax advice to household employers and domestic employment agencies. Bob is a former INA Board Member and has shared his expertise as a contributing writer for INA newsletters and as a speaker at INA conferences. Bob graduated from Georgetown University, studied at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, on a Rotary Fellowship, and received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Legally Nanny assists domestic employment agencies with business, dispute resolution, and labor & employment matters. Additionally, the firm assists domestic employers with legal and tax issues, including payroll; employment, confidentiality and severance agreements; preparing back taxes; and defending audits, investigations, and lawsuits from employees and governmental entities. Bob also serves as the General Counsel for the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) and as an expert witness in household employment litigation.
Jennifer is a mother of 4 teenagers, a certified baby planner, Child Sleep Consultant and New Parent Coach. She is co-founder and managing director of BGIA (Baby Gear Industry Alliance) She is a former professional nanny of babies and toddlers in Beverly Hills Adjacent. Additionally, Jennifer has dedicated 13 years to serving, teaching, mentoring and empowering women and children as a volunteer lay counselor, leader, leadership trainer and coach through various non-profit and faith-based institutions. Jennifer has credentialed her many years of success, experience and expertise; * Certified Baby Planner * Certified Child Sleep Consultant FSI, IMI * Certified Lactation Counselor and Birth Doula * Certified Pre/Postnatal Stress Management Coach * Certified Greenproofer and Green Birth Educator* SIDS and SAFE SLEEP Educator * Baby Gear/Product Expert * Teacher/Facilitator for Netgroup Business and Entrepreneurship for Women and Maternity Professionals * Mother of 4 happy and successful teens!
Mary Oscategui, mom to a four and a half year old girl and a two month old boy, is the founder of the International Maternity Institute, International Academy of Baby Planners, The Baby Planner, and Physical Awakening. She is co-founder of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants and Baby Gear Industry Alliance. She is also an educational content developer for the International Maternity Institute.
Mary authored the first book on the baby planning industry entitled “The Baby Planner: A Guide to Becoming a Baby Planner and Starting Your Own Business.” In her book, for the first time ever, the role of a baby planner and a baby planner’s scope of practice was definitively defined. The popularity of her book resulted in a second edition entitled “The Baby Planner Profession: What You Need To Know! The Ultimate Guide and Resource For Baby Planner Professionals” that is now available in paperback.
The International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals ™, founded by Mary, is a professional organization for those in the baby planning industry, leading and representing professional baby planners as well as set the standards for the Institute’s Baby Planner certifications and educational programming.
Row started her childcare career as nanny over 20 years ago and graduated from the English Nanny and Governess school in 1992, she worked as a full charge day nanny for the next 15 years specializing in multiples. Row started Newborn Transitions in 2006 when she chose to specialize in newborn care and parent education.
Carolyn Stulberg founded Alexandria School in 2007 with a passion for teaching high quality in-home child care. With over 30 years of experience in child care education, Carolyn holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Purdue University and a bachelor’s of science in nursing from Skidmore College. She has worked in pediatric wards and neonatal intensive care units of hospitals, and has taught prenatal, postnatal, parenting, grandparenting and breastfeeding classes. She has developed the Alexandria School course for newborn care specialists. A mother of four, grandmother of three, Carolyn is committed to educating and training nannies with a demanding, practical curriculum that positions graduates to be the best in their profession and has presented workshops the past several years at INA Annual Conferences.
Nannies need not worry. Your line up of speakers is just as amazing!
Beth Bittenbender is Co-Founder and CEO of Pure Strategies, a consultancy providing expertise for fine estates in the revolutionary new field of toxin-free cleaning and maintenance. In her 20 year career, she has been a consultant and an industry advisor for real estate management professionals at all levels. She has worked with health care facilities, Fortune 500 companies, Ivy League Universities, hospitality venues, governmental institutions, major airports, and a host of other diverse industries.
As an Account Manager with ServiceMaster’s Healthcare division, Beth gained extensive knowledge of cleaning for health in a variety of hospitals, including Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Back then, chemicals were used liberally, without thought for the adverse effects of their residues, or the toxic soup created in the process. This background provided the perfect basis for her next career in performance-based contract management with Elliott Affiliates, Ltd.Now, with Pure Strategies, she helps her clients materially change the way they maintain their estates, with systems approaches that have a significant impact on the health of principals and their children, and measurable financial benefits. Her practical experience and innovative approach has made her the leading expert in the application of cutting-edge toxin-free cleaning technologies.
Beth is an expert in the field of sustainable, toxic chemical-free systems. She believes passionately in the benefits that this field has on people, especially young children, and the planet. Reducing and eliminating toxic chemicals from our homes safeguards the health of everyone.
Vicke Bowman
Vicke Bowman is a wife, mother, grandmother, and educator. She has 40 years of experience in Early Childhood Education working as a preschool teacher, child care director, training specialist/technical assistant and instructor. Vicke has a Masters degree in Education and is an Associate Professor at Sullivan University in Louisville Kentucky. She is a Master Trainer for the state of Kentucky and provides training to both Kentucky Credentialed trainers and Early Child Care professionals. Vicke is also a Happiest Baby on the Block Certified Educator.
Gina Deveary
Gina Deveary has been in early childhood special education for over 30+ years in various roles. Past work experiences consist of being an Early Intervention Specialist with First Steps, Co-Founder of the Louisville, KY, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Parent Support Group, and currently working as an Early Interventionist and Early Childhood Trainer for Community Coordinated Child Care in Louisville, Ky. She has been teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Sullivan University for 4 years in the early childhood education department.
Cheryl Fekete
Cheryl has worked in the field of Early Care and Education for the last 20+ years. She has served as the director of both a half day preschool program and full day child care program. As a classroom teacher, she has taught 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s. For the last 14 years she has been the training manager at the local child care resource and referral agency in Louisville, Kentucky where she has provided training and technical assistance to child care providers in a variety of settings. She also teaches several on-line classes for Sullivan University’s Early Childhood and Nanny Program. Prior to working in Early Care and Education, she taught for Jefferson County Public Schools working with primary age children and special needs, hearing impaired children K-12.
Doctor G. (Deborah Gilboa, MD) empowers parents and educators to raise respectful, responsible and resilient kids. Around the country and around the world, she works with those who raise children to increase their knowledge and to utilize the instincts they already have. Doctor G is the host of the new PBS show “The Parent Institute” premiering in February 2013. As a Board Certified Family Physician, mother of four, author of Teach Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch! and a professional parenting speaker, she captivates attendees through her humorous straight talk and takes the guilt out of raising kids. Doctor G is a regular contributor to Huffington Post Parents, Your Teen Magazine and several of the largest parenting sites online. Doctor G is a Clinical Assistant Professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the recipient of multiple awards and the proud mom of four amazing boys!
Carly Jennings began her advocacy for families and children 26 years ago, working as a legislative intern on Capitol Hill. Since becoming a child development consultant in 1996, Carly has educated families, caregivers, administrators and classroom teachers using the developmental domain approach to understanding and caring for children.
MommyGarten.com (as well as the soon-to-launch NannyGarten.com) helps parents and caregivers confidently navigate the developmental domains of early childhood. By describing the behavior of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in exquisite detail, we help nurturers learn what behaviors to expect, when to expect them, and what to do about them.
Sheri Lopez
Sheri is a professional, career nanny with close to 31 years of experience caring for children of all ages, however now she specializes in children birth-5 yrs of age. Caring for children, loving them and helping them grow is a passion of Sheri’s and a job she takes very seriously. Sheri believes it is important that she makes a lasting impression in the lives of the children and families she cares for. Sheri began babysitting during her middle school years, and when she graduated from high school, decided she was not ready to go to college so she began her nanny career with a wonderful family that supported her immensely. Over the years her confidence and skills became stronger and she began to see that she could really make a difference in the life of a child. Sheri went on to college, and received her degree in childhood education and business. She has taken many child related training courses, and is a volunteer CPR instructor for the American Red Cross, where she teaches ‘Introduction to Babysitting’ course for teens. She recently formed the ‘Professional Nannies of Arizona Association’. Sheri’s desire is to love every child as if they were her own.
Bonnie Low-Kramen’s voice is one of the most respected among private service professionals. With honesty and humor, she pulls the curtain back on a career that is glamorized and misunderstood. She is known for her passionate commitment to professional assistants and to affecting positive change in the American workplace through workshops and presentations. For 25 years, Bonnie worked as the personal assistant to actors Olympia Dukakis and Louis Zorich and their family. Seeing there were so few resources for assistants, she authored the book, “Be the Ultimate Assistant” and is a co-founder of New York Celebrity Assistants (NYCA.)Her writing on workplace issues is widely published.
Bonnie is a popular speaker at conferences in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. on her quest to set the record straight. She spoke at the DEMA Convention in September, 2012 and was the first American to speak at an assistant’s event in the UK when she presented at the Hays Conference in London in October, 2012.
Angela began her teaching adventure over 20 years ago. She taught for 9 ½ years in a public school setting, grades K-5.Next, she explored new opportunities at Sullivan University where she has enjoyed leading the Professional Nanny and Early Childhood Education department for the last 13 years. Her position as Dean has awarded her many opportunities such as: curriculum development for the day division, teaching Early Childhood Educational and Professional Nanny courses both live and online, creating a customized textbook titled Under the Child Care Umbrella, developing the competency exam for American Council of Nanny Schools, supervising externship students, supervising both adjunct and full-time faculty, online course development, hosting and planning outreach and community service events, interviewed on The Today Show, and other leadership roles. Her most recent project is combining her passion for education and travel by customizing adventures for children ages 4 to college age as owner of Personalized Educational Adventures, LLC.
Mary Beth Uberti is a Certified Life Coach, speaker, trainer and facilitator as well as the Program Developer at Operation: PARENT. As a mom of two children, she has practical experience in the struggles of parenting in the digital world. Using her background in computers and software training she provides a positive and practical approach to parenting social media. Operation: PARENT’s mission is to provide education, support and hope to those raising teens and pre-teens in today’s culture.
Laura Wathen, MS-IECE
Laura Wathen, a Lexington native and mother of 2 young children, earned her BA in Psychology and MS in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education from the University of Kentucky. Ms. Wathen was the Infant / Toddler Program Coordinator and Toddler Lead Teacher at the University of Kentucky Early Childhood Lab for 7 years after also teaching there as a Graduate Assistant for 2 years. Ms. Wathen has also taught Infant Development, Child Development and Guiding Young Children at UK for 7 years before joining the Kentucky Department of Education as a Program Consultant in the Division of Early Childhood Development in 2007. She accepted the position as the Associate Dean for the Early Childhood Department at Sullivan University Lexington June of in 2012.
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