Skip to main content
MENU

Our Leadership

The MilkWorks team poses together outside their offices, showcasing their commitment to breastfeeding support. The image features two group shots with the staff in matching shirts, emphasizing unity and community care
Portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair and highlights, wearing a black blazer and white top, standing outdoors with green trees in the background.

Executive Director

Tiffany Uher, MPA  | tiffany@milkworks.org
Tiffany completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She is an alumnus of Leadership Lincoln-Fellows Class XXIX. Tiffany joined the MilkWorks team in 2022. 

Portrait of a woman with short, gray hair, wearing a light gray shirt. She is smiling slightly and standing against a plain gray background.

Medical Director 

Kathy Leeper, MD, IBCLC, FABM
Breastfeeding Medicine Specialist 

Prior to her role as a cofounder when MilkWorks opened in 2001, Dr. Kathy Leeper was a pediatrician in private practice. As MilkWorks’ Medical Director, Dr. Leeper joins a busy clinical team of IBCLCs and APRNs in Lincoln and Omaha. In 2009, Dr. Leeper was honored as a Fellow of “The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine,” an international organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding. (www.bfmed.org) Dr. Leeper is also focused on providing education for healthcare professionals world-wide via another nonprofit organization, IABLE (the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education- www.lacted.org), and is currently the secretary of NABBLM, The North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. (www.nabblm.org ) that has created a credential for physicians practicing breastfeeding and lactation medicine.
Dr. Leeper was one of the first breastfeeding medicine specialists in the US, and accepts referrals for mothers and babies with breastfeeding problems within and beyond the scope of an IBCLC. Examples include: Low milk supply, Poor milk removal by baby, Poor weight gain, Acute and chronic breast or nipple pain, Breast and nipple infections, Food intolerances, and Evaluation and treatment of tongue-tie.

Michelle Lingenfelter, APRN, IBCLC
Clinical Director 

Michelle received her Master's Degree in Nursing from University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2002,  and has worked in Lincoln as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner since that time.  She earned her IBCLC in 2004, following her passion for helping breastfeeding mothers and their infants. Michelle joined the MilkWorks team in 2020. Michelle Lingenfelter accepts referrals for mothers and babies with breastfeeding problems within and beyond the scope of an IBCLC. Examples include: Low milk supply, poor milk removal by baby, poor weight gain, breast or nipple pain, breast or nipple infections, food intolerances, and evaluation and treatment of tongue-tie in breastfeeding babies.

Operations Director

Adina Olsen, MBA | adina@milkworks.org
Adina received her undergraduate degree in psychology and also holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She has worked for local non-profit organizations for the past 12 years serving in various roles such as program management, continuous quality improvement, and human resources. Adina became passionate about the MilkWorks mission after receiving support with her two children and was thrilled to have the opportunity to join the team in 2022. 


Community Education Team

Angie Cantrell 
Community Education Director - Omaha

Jennifer Bernhardt 
Lincoln Education and Support - Team Lead

Adrienne Heter
Omaha Education and Support - Team Lead


Clinic Team

Christi Schill, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant and Team Lead - Omaha

Christi received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Briar Cliff College in 2000, after attending the University of Iowa and being a Hawkeye fan. Prior to joining MilkWorks in September of 2015, she worked as a nurse in women's health, transplant, and the emergency room. After many years in the ER, she was ready to get back into women's health. She became a Lactation Consultant in 2010 and had worked and has worked as a lactation consultant in post-partum as well as the NICU. 

Karnyta White, APRN-WHNP, BC, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Omaha

Karnyta received her Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2013. She has worked for the past decade as a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner. Following her own struggle with breastfeeding and after caring for countless lactating individuals, she was inspired to obtain a lactation certification through The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice in 2022.  She is currently pursuing the IBCLC credential. Karnyta joined the MilkWorks team in 2022. Karnyta White accepts referrals for mothers and babies with breastfeeding problems within and beyond the scope of an IBCLC. Examples include: Low milk supply, poor milk removal by baby, poor weight gain, breast or nipple pain, breast or nipple infections, food intolerances, and evaluation and treatment of tongue-tie in breastfeeding babies.

 

Anne Easterday, BA, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Omaha

Anne graduated from Union Institute and University with a major in Maternal Child Health – Lactation Consulting in 2015, and was an accredited La Leche League leader from 1992-2021. She has previously served as a member of La Leche League’s United States Council and Board of Directors. Anne earned her IBCLC certification in 2008, and joined the lactation team at MilkWorks Omaha in March 2014.

Miriam Heider, BA, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Lincoln

Miriam received her BA in Human Relations from Doane College in 2014. Her interest in supporting postpartum families and addressing health inequities in the community led her to MilkWorks. She worked as a Breastfeeding Educator for MilkWorks until she earned her IBCLC in 2019. She/Her/Hers

 

Michelle Jenkins, RN, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Lincoln

Michelle has an Associate’s Degree of Science in Nursing and experience in medical oncology and short stay surgical. Michelle initially joined MilkWorks as a breastfeeding educator in 2009, then became a lactation specialist and earned her International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant in 2011. After nearly 7 years of experience at MilkWorks (2009-2016), she is glad to be back as an on-call lactation consultant working with mothers and children.

Kristi Lord, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Omaha

Kristi graduated from Northwest University, Kirkland Washington with a BSN in 2005. She has experience in obstetrics, labor/delivery, postpartum as well as NICU. Following her passion for maternal and child health, Kristi earned her IBCLC in 2017 and became a Lactation Consultant at MilkWorks in 2019.

Suzy Meyers, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Lincoln

Suzy attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and was an accredited La Leche League Leader from 1996-2022. Suzy was certified as an IBCLC in 2002 and has been providing lactation care to mothers at MilkWorks for over 16 years. 

Jillian Vanecek, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant - Omaha

Jillian earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism & Mass Communications from University of Iowa in 2003, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2013.  The first decade of her professional career she spent in sales and recruiting before following her heart to nursing.  Jillian spent several years as a NICU bedside RN.  In 2020, she earned her IBCLC and became a NICU Lactation Consultant.  In 2021, she completed Course 1 training in Healing Touch, and a certificate in perinatal mood disorders.  Jillian joined the Milkworks Omaha team in September 2022.


Board of Directors

MilkWorks is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is creating a healthier community by empowering families to reach their breastfeeding goals. 

We appreciate the wisdom and expertise of the following community members who serve on our Board of Directors:

Executive Board Members - 

Dr. Karla Lester, Board Chair
Founder, Teach A Child To Fish; Pediatrician 

Sarah Reeves, Vice President 
Director of Product Management, Yahoo!, Inc.

Kathy Quigley, CPA, Treasurer
VP of Finances, Investors Realty

Abby Mohs, JD, Secretary
Partner, Baird Holme

Board Members -

Michelle Coleman
State of Nebraska

Abby Collins, MPH, AFC
Money Talks, Financial Coaching

Hilary Coufal, CPA
LRS Healthcare

Laura Cudzilo-Kelsey, MD
OB/GYN, UNMC; Assistant Professor, UNMC

Laurie Holman, JD
Committee Analyst, Nebraska Legislature 

Autumn Hunt
Marketing Director, CIP Communities 

Abby Lehr, PHR SHRM-CP
Client Relations Manager, Lutz

April Lewis, JD
Trust Officer, Union Bank and Trust

Joselyn Luedtke
Lobbyist, Zulkoski Weber

Erin Mitchell, PHR SHRM-CP
Director of Human Resources and Administration, CyncHealth 

Melanie Surber, MSN RN
Chief Clinical Officer, CyncHealth

Betsy Tonniges
Early Childhood, Primrose School of Lincoln at Wilderness Hills

Alex Wallace
Manager Talent Brand, The Knot Worldwide, Founder- We Social