Board of Directors
Our Board is comprised of hardworking members of our community who are passionate about Birth, Doulas, and the Wellbeing of our community at large.
Mandy McLellan
Chairperson
As a mother of 6 kiddos born over the course of 2 decades, Mandy has been a witness to the evolving change in the culture of birth and childrearing. The pregnancy and birth experience of her first child over 25 years ago left her in awe of the transformative power of birth and with a profound and passionate connection with her reproductive power. This was the beginning of a deeper dive into exploring and understanding birth culture, perinatal health and reproductive justice. Attending births and supporting families through the peri and postnatal periods, Mandy's enthusiasm to continue learning and sharing knowledge has only grown.
Bethany Geisel
Co-Director of Doulas
Bethany is a proud mom to three littles, married to a great spouse, and has been a birth doula since 2012 and childbirth educator since 2018. She has formal doula training through DONA International, Stillbirthday, & Hypnobabies. Bethany is a fully certified childbirth educator through Lamaze International and she is very passionate about supporting both clients and other doulas. Bethany is thrilled to be a part of DSF.
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She believes that supported, connected, and informed doulas are capable of providing better support to their clients in turn, and she is excited to be in a role where she can help facilitate doulas to both support their clients better and to grow as birth workers, too.
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Sophia Stickland
Co-Director of Doulas
Bio Coming Soon!​
Stacey Burns
Secretary
Stacey (she/her) is thrilled to be part of the DSF board, and to be in community with others to help create opportunities so that anyone who wishes to can have access to doula support. Stacey has a formal education in sociology, and brings with her experience from various other boards within Kingston, including work in communications and volunteer recruitment.
She has always been passionate about birthing and social justice, and is a Full Spectrum Doula certified through Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings. Stacey is excited to join this local community, and to be able to assist all birthing individuals and families in feeling heard, supported and empowered.
Dana DeMille
Treasurer
Dana joined DSF's board in 2024. She has a Bachelor of Arts Honours from Queen’s University, an Event Management graduate certificate from Algonquin College, and is currently completing her human resources management certificate with York University. She is a member of the HRPA. Dana comes from an extensive and varied administrative background, including a most recent focus in the accounting world, with specific experience in tax and HR administration, in addition to her work in the surrogacy field and theatre. Dana and her husband have undergone 2 rounds of IVF, with no living children and four losses. The loss of their baby at 15 weeks was the first time they came into contact with Doula Support; the Foundation paid for their bereavement doula, which was a huge stress reliever at one of the worst times of their life. The organization is extremely important to Dana and close to her heart; her heart is huge, and she wants to do everything she can to help! This is her first experience being a member of a board, and she's so excited to be doing it with such an incredible organization.
Anna Siwakoti
Board Member
Anna is our Treasurer at DSF and she is looking forward to helping the foundation grow, flourish and help with the finances. As a small business owner, she understands how important having up-to-date finances can be vital to ensuring the success of the organization.
She brings with her four years of experience as a board treasurer with a different board, experience with payroll, CRA reporting as well as experience with grant applications.
Lauren Miller
Board Member/
Social Media
Lauren joined the board in 2021 and has brought with her experience in social media marketing and excitement about fundraising for our organization. She is a single mother of two and a furbaby that might as well be a third child. She has a background in Early Childhood Education as well as Freelance Writing.
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Lauren currently practices as a Postpartum Doula as well as teaches Postpartum parenting courses. In the future, she hopes to expand to birth doula work and childbirth education.
Jess Surtees
they/them
Board Member - Grant Writer
Jess is a settler of mixed Anglo-Franco European and Jewish ancestry born, raised, and living on the traditional territory of Tkaronto (Toronto) and now Katarokwi (Kingston), home to many nations the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishinaabe, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, Mohawk, Algonquin, and Wendat peoples.
Jess is a labour, birth, and bereavement doula completing studies with Doula Training Canada (DTC) with backgrounds in sexual education, political theory, and the culinary arts.
Jess passionately believes that every birthing person is just as unique as the life they create and is deserving of empowerment throughout their pregnancy, labour, and beyond. Jess strives to move through the world with compassion, empathy, gentleness, and a little silliness. Their values of equity, choice, and caring are what drives them.
Jess has a thirst for knowledge and a passion for puns,
nature, their three cats, and their (now very active) one year old child.
Kiara Vallier
Board Member - Grant Writer
Bio Coming Soon!
Photo Coming Soon!
Jazmin Eadie
Board Member
Jazmin is a birth, fertility, postpartum, and bereavement doula in training and is passionate about educating and being present for people at different stages in their life including labor and when trying to conceive. She is so honoured to be a board member for DSF and learn from other incredible members who have been in this field for years! It's a true honour to be apart of such an amazing organization and help in allowing everyone to receive doula care!
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Chelsea Loutsenko
Board Member
Chelsea believes that education is the best and most effective way to remove the stigmas and secrets around childbirth in order to bring together a stronger community of parents and professionals. She is the current owner of Childbirth Kingston which provides Doula and Education support. She loves working with people and works to share her outgoing and approachable personality with those she meets. She works hard to motivate and inspire the people she works with by using her ability to inspire and organize a team.
Founding Members
DSF was founded by a passionate, hardworking group of doulas and birthworkers in the Kingston area. Some are still involved in the organization, but some have moved on to other projects. We want to acknowledge the hard work they put into getting the Doula Support Foundation off the ground, by featuring them here.
Laura Pascoe
Chelsea Loutsenko
Chelsea continues to work in the Kingston community as a Doula and is the owner of Childbirth Kingston. CBK is a Doula Agency that provides Birth and Postpartum Doula support as well as the Education that goes along with it!
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Rachel Nafziger
Rachel continues to be involved with DSF as a doula, and continues working in the community as a birth worker as well.
