Implementation Team

Bernadette Greene is the Executive Director of Breastfeed Durham and a board member of Fatherhood of Durham. Her background is in early childhood education, including work with the Durham Head Start program, and she served as a Community Health Worker with the Durham County Department of Public Health, where she continues to provide technical assistance as a breastfeeding advocate. A mother and grandmother who breastfed five children, Bernadette is a trusted source of local resources and support for Durham families — so much so that her community knows her as the “resource lady.” Her motto: “A happy mom breastfeeding is a happy baby eating.”

Claudia Hines is a Certified Birth Doula (CD, DONA) and prenatal yoga teacher who coordinates Breastfeed Durham’s Black Breastfeeding Coalition, where she leads community engagement, promotes breastfeeding equity, and fosters supportive spaces for Black families. She brings more than two decades of experience across human services and corporate finance, with past roles as an Autism Support Professional at the Autism Society of North Carolina and in finance at Reichhold and Clarkston Consulting. Claudia holds an associate’s degree in accounting from Durham Technical Community College and studied early childhood education at North Carolina Central University. She enjoys teaching yoga, homesteading, and creating nourishing spaces for families.

Fariha Rahman serves as Chief Operations Officer for Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities and coordinates day-to-day operations for Breastfeed Durham, the pilot project. She earned a Master of Science in Population Health Sciences from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a birth doula at UNC Hospitals and a contributor to research on the social determinants of women’s mental health, she developed a passion for maternal health equity and policy advocacy. Fariha is committed to making a lasting impact on maternal and child health in the Durham community.

Jess Woon coordinates Breastfeed Durham’s Breastfeeding Friendly Healthcare Coalition, where she works to create systemic change that improves access to high-quality, culturally competent lactation support for all families. A labor and delivery and postpartum nurse for over six years, she has seen firsthand the barriers many families face in accessing breastfeeding support, particularly in marginalized communities. Jess completed specialized lactation training through the UNC Gillings School of Public Health’s MRT-TI program and has served as an inpatient lactation consultant, working directly with families during their feeding journeys. Through her coalition work, she fosters collaborations that make Durham a more breastfeeding-friendly community.

Kimberley Glover holds a Master of Public Health from Temple University, with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in bioethics from Wake Forest University. Kimberley is partnering with Breastfeed Durham for her culminating fieldwork project, and she is passionate about using health policy and health advocacy to advance maternal, child, and family health.

Nikki Bronson is a second-year MPH candidate at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, pursuing a concentration in Maternal, Child, and Family Health. She is especially interested in breastfeeding disparities, maternal and infant health outcomes associated with breastfeeding, and improving birth outcomes across North Carolina. Nikki brings her experience in community outreach and her love for the Durham area to her role as Breastfeed Durham’s Recruitment Coordinator, where she works to ensure local businesses offer welcoming environments for breastfeeding patrons and employees. A New Hampshire native who has called North Carolina home for nearly six years, she enjoys painting, baking sourdough, and reading murder mysteries.

Rachel Lewis is a founding board member of Breastfeed Durham and a longtime advocate for parents and families in the community. A former English teacher, she came to this work passionate about lactation rights for educators and has continued to help guide the organization’s strategic planning. Her oldest daughter is nearly the same age as Breastfeed Durham itself, and as she has gone on to have more children and breastfeed them, she brings the board firsthand stories of what families are experiencing, including the everyday moments she sees among parents at the park. Rachel’s lived experience helps keep the organization grounded in the families it serves.

Ashley Schlageter coordinates marketing, communication and events; combining community engagement with a commitment to maternal and child nutrition. She is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. As a mother of two, Ashley brings lived experience and professional insight to her work, having navigated breastfeeding challenges and successes. This perspective informs her dedication to amplifying the voices of families whose needs are often overlooked, in alignment with Breastfeed Durham’s mission to promote equitable access to lactation support.