IABLE Board of Directors
Anne Eglash MD, NABBLM-C, IBCLC, FABM
President
Anne Eglash MD, NABBLM-C, IBCLC, FABM, is a clinical professor with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. In addition to family medicine, she has been practicing breastfeeding and lactation medicine since 1994.
Dr. Eglash is a cofounder of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the Medical Director and cofounder of the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes, and the Medical Director of the University of Wisconsin Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine Clinic. She has published many peer- reviewed articles on breastfeeding medicine and is a past associate editor for Breastfeeding Medicine Journal.
Dr. Eglash is founder and president of The Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education (IABLE), as well as a cofounder, inaugural president, and immediate past-president of the North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine.
Kathy Leeper, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, FABM
Vice President
Dr. Kathy Leeper was a pediatrician in private practice before becoming an IBCLC in 2000 and helping to open MIlkWorks (www.milkworks.org), a free-standing nonprofit community breastfeeding center and clinic in 2001. As MilkWorks’ Medical Director, Kathy works with a busy clinical team of IBCLCs and APRNs in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. She was honored as a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine in 2009, and served on its Board of Directors from 2014-2017. In 2014 she joined IABLE to serve on the board of directors, help with trainings and the development of educational material. Kathy is currently the secretary of NABBLM, The North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. (www.nabblm.org ) that has created a credential (NABBLM-C) for physicians practicing breastfeeding and lactation medicine.
Liliana Simon MD, IBCLC, FABM
Treasurer
Dr. Simon is a Pediatric Critical Care physician and Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a unique combination of board certifications in Pediatric Critical Care and Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, also having an expertise in Pediatric Palliative Care. Dr. Simon’s educational and clinical journey has given her diverse experiences and knowledge from different healthcare systems including Brazil, Canada and different areas in the US.
Lili is a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, a board-certified Breastfeeding Medicine physician as well as a lactation consultant. She has been on the Board of Directors of IABLE, the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education, since 2021.
She has written protocols for ABM and is involved in clinical care, education and research regarding several aspects of lactation and breastfeeding. Lili speaks different languages and is passionate about providing comprehensive and compassionate care to her patients and families. She is dedicated to improve care and breastfeeding support, especially for children with complex medical issues and those hospitalized in the PICU.
Marina Barreto
Board Member
Marina Barreto is a business executive with expertise in strategic planning, insights and analytics, culture management, and corporate partnerships. During her 18 years at The Walt Disney Company, she held leadership roles including Vice President of Brand Strategy & Analytics for Corporate Brand Management, Vice President of Business Planning for Consumer Products, Games & Publishing, and Director of Business Planning at Disney Channels Worldwide (DCWW). In these roles she led global teams to establish key business priorities, develop long-term business strategies, and identify growth opportunities through consumer insights, financial and market analysis. As Senior Manager, Alliance Management at Corporate Alliances Marina also managed complex, multi-layered partnerships with global companies such as Coca-Cola and Nestlé.
During her time at Disney Marina also held leadership positions in Culture Management, such as co-founder of the DCWW LLAB – Leadership and Learning Advisory Board, and strategy chair at DCWW DILT – Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Team. Both roles provided Marina with experience in driving learning, advocacy, funding and overall collaboration across multiple stakeholders with diverse needs.
Before joining Disney, Marina served as an International Brand Manager at Warner Bros. Entertainment, developing global marketing strategies for new home entertainment releases. She started her career in management consulting at Monitor Group and held finance roles at Citibank and Merrill Lynch.
Originally from Brazil, Marina has also worked in the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina. She holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo.
Marina experienced the benefits of having the support of knowledgeable healthcare professionals as she breastfed her two children and is passionate about paying it forward by leveraging her strategy, stakeholder, and financial management expertise to help grown IABLE’s scale and efficiency in its mission to advance breastfeeding education.
Sonia Rocha
Board Member
Sonia Rocha is an attorney, with expertise and passion for supporting nonprofit organizations in the areas of corporate governance, compliance, ethics, and risk management. She current serves as the senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of a North American nonprofit organization, following many years in private practice. Ms. Rocha is also certified as a corporate director by the National Association of Corporate Directors. She is particularly interested in improving internal processes to allow mission-driven organizations to mature and thrive. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and lives in Maryland with her two adult sons and her puppy.
Janean Wedeking DO, IBCLC
Board Member
Janean Wedeking, DO, IBCLC is a full scope family medicine physician. Born and raised in Iowa, she completed her undergraduate degree at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Des Moines University in Des Moines, IA and her family medicine residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. After serving 4 years in the USAF, she now practices full scope family medicine in rural Iowa with a special interest in maternal/infant care and breastfeeding medicine. She enjoys a sustainable living, staying active, and spending time with her family, her husband, and 3 vivacious breastfed children.