TIA OLARINDE, BOARD PRESIDENT
Tia Olarinde is a Public Health professional with 15 years of experience in both the public health and laboratory sector. She has a passion for addressing health inequities, supporting the marginalized and historically under-resourced, and supporting communities of color. Her areas of public health expertise include program planning, implementation, training, and presenting health information to communities. Currently, Tia works as a Medical Technologist at Austin Regional Clinic. She has a masters degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, a bachelor of science in Clinical Laboratory Science from Winston-Salem State University, and as a life-long learner is currently a graduate student at Jackson State University in the Biostatistics and Epidemiology Graduate Certificate Program. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist, and completed a Project Management Certificate course at the University of Texas Austin.
ANDREA ROSARIO, BOARD SECRETARY
Andrea Rosario, MPH,CHES,CLC is the Director of Community Capacity Building for an Austin-based profit and has been a servant in the field of public health for over 10 years. She has centered her career in designing and implementing community-informed programs, facilitating trainings and workshops for health leaders and advocates, and supporting marginalized communities in obtaining the health education and resources needed to make important health decisions. As a community-based doula and certified lactation counselor who believes in the power of communities to create change, Andrea is committed to working for health equity and reproductive justice for all.
ALLISON WILLIAMS, BOARD TREASURER
I am an Embryologist with my Masters in Reproductive Clinical Science and I am proud to be a member of the board of directors for Healing Hands Community Doula Project. I am passionate about making a difference in the lives of the mothers in my community.
SHANNON NOBLE
Shannon Noble is an attorney specializing in government affairs who has represented many different organizations working to support women and children, such as the Texas Women’s Political Caucus and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Texas. Through that work she met a midwifery advocate and decided to have her own three children at home with a midwife. Shannon has worked with many different nonprofit boards through her experience representing nonprofits and in serving on boards and committees for over thirty years. She was drawn to Healing Hands because of her desire that all women who choose to bear a child can do so safely and with excellent care and support, regardless of race, socio-economic status, or other demographic differences, and having a doula gives a pregnant woman a personal advocate and the support she may need to navigate the childbearing and delivery process. Shannon has lived in Austin for most of her life, has three adult children, and is looking forward to her new life as a liberated nester.
BRAIN FRANCIS
Brian was the top executive of the largest occupational licensing agency in the state of Texas with 39 programs (including the regulation of Midwifery) and nearly 1 million licensees. He brings more than 36 years of public service experience , 22 of which were in executive level roles. He has a unique combination of real world earned wisdom and knowledge gained from his MBA in Public Finance from St. Edwards University, as well as,his BBA in Finance from Texas State University. Brian also brings an internationally learned perspective gathered from the Transformative Leadership Program offered by the University of Adelaide in South Australia and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
Brian’s strategic and collaborative leadership style and innovative accomplishments has garnered the praise of elected and legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle, a diverse array of regulatory and state agency executives, professional and legislative strategists and industry stakeholders. Brian’s career spans more than three decades and four state agencies- Texas Savings and Loan Department, State Securities Board, Texas Real Estate Commission and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Brian is a highly respected expert in the areas of legislative matters, administrative and rule-making procedures, regulatory systems, occupational, health and medical licensing, organizational diversity and leadership resilience, national and state association relationship building, and information modernization procurement projects
MORGAN WHITE
Morgan White is the Founder and Director of the Birth Equity Advocacy Project. Previously, Morgan spent over a decade working at various levels of government, working for the offices of the late U.S. Representative Congressman John Lewis, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris, Atlanta City Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean and a number of campaigns and political party operations throughout Georgia, North Carolina, and California. Prior to that she served on the board of directors for Citizen Advocacy – a nonprofit that for 30 years has advocated for people with developmental and physical disabilities. She currently sits on the board of F.A.M , the Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery & Healing Hands Community Doula Project. Morgan’s experiences in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate focused heavily on Civil Rights, Economic development and Homeland Security as well as Women and Children’s rights. Additional legislative experience includes federal-state program coordination, transportation & infrastructure legislation as well as socially responsible policy implementation. Accompanying her experience in state government, she has assisted local governments in successfully securing economically beneficial contracts along with fostering community beneficial relationships with local organizations and the City. Most recently, Morgan was a part of the historic legislative deal in California that increased medical malpractice caps for the first time in 50 years by advocating for the needs of families of color. Morgan is a 2010 graduate of Hampton University where she earned a B.A. in Political science. She is trained by the U.N. Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Human Rights. She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Morgan’s experience in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate focused heavily on Civil Rights, Economic development and Homeland Security as well as Women and Children’s rights. Additional legislative experience includes federal-state program coordination, transportation & infrastructure legislation as well as socially responsible policy implementation. Accompanying her experience in state government, she has assisted local governments in successfully securing economically beneficial contracts along with fostering community beneficial relationships with local organizations and the City.
Morgan is a 2010 graduate of Hampton University where she earned a B.A. in Political science. She is trained in Social Devaluation, Effective Listening Management and evaluating the corporate social responsibility of companies as it relates to DEI and Business Human Rights. She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
NICOLE MILLS
Nicole Mills is a DONA-trained doula and maternal health advocate, who has volunteered prenatal and labor services via Central Texas nonprofits since 2012. Her past board experience includes tenure as president of Healing Hands Community Doula Project and The Violet Foundation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.’s Century City Alumnae Chapter. Ms. Mills advises HHCDP on communications, public relations, and marketing, drawing from her career at the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Austin American-Statesman, Dell Technologies, Silicon Valley Bank, and Publicis Sapient.