New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition

NJBFC is dedicated to promoting, protecting and supporting all families on their breastfeeding journey.

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Trustee Information

Co-Presidents

Lorraine Mejias, MPA

Lorraine Mejias, MPA, New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, Board of Trustees

Lorraine Mejias is a postpartum doula, educator, and mother of one from Central NJ. She is passionate about increasing the safety in health care and reducing health care disparities, especially within maternal health. Her advocacy for breastfeeding began after realizing how powerful breastfeeding is after having her first baby.  She was able to successfully breastfeed for the first three years of her daughter’s life and hopes to reduce the stigma behind breastfeeding toddlers through education. Lorraine loves seafood, traveling, and finding new hiking trails to explore. She holds a Masters in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in both Psychology and Criminal Justice, all from Rutgers University.

Danielle Tropea, MPH, IBCLC

Danielle Tropea, MPH, IBCLC, New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, Board of Trustees

Danielle Tropea is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) based in Maplewood, dedicated to enhancing maternal-infant health through expert lactation support. Her approach emphasizes mental health and well-being, offering families personalized guidance for their unique breastfeeding journey.

Danielle holds an MPH in Community Health Education from Montclair State University, complementing her role as the NJ WIC State Breastfeeding Coordinator at the NJ Department of Health, where she provided leadership to ensure effective delivery of lactation services. She also has hands-on clinical experience from working in three North Jersey hospitals, offering specialized care for complex breastfeeding challenges. She is also on the Board of the National Lactation Consultant Alliance, whose mission is to advocate for patient safety in lactation care and equitable access to clinical lactation services, while supporting breastfeeding families and IBCLCs, where she serves as the Social Media Chair.

As a mother of two breastfed children – now high school and college students – Danielle’s personal experience fuels her dedication to empowering families with confidence and care.

Treasurer

Maida Valentin, MHA, IBCLC

Maida Valentin, MHS, IBCLC, New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, Board of Trustees

Maida Valentin is a bilingual (English-Spanish) International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, with a masters in Health Administration and Leadership from Capella University, former WIC Nutritionist, and current Breastfeeding Coordinator at the Jersey City WIC agency in New Jersey. Maida has served the urban and most diverse City of Jersey City for over a decade.

Now, she can enjoy reading drama and suspense novels and exercising her mind body and soul in her small spare time. Besides her four growing daughters, she prides herself in completing her first 10k marathon in May 2022. Maida is also growing her faith and spiritual connection. She looks forward to contributing to bridging gaps in the maternal and child health field while advocating for breastfeeding among working families in urban communities. She prays that one day, she will become an educator at a local university.

Sindy Ferreira, MPH, IBCLC

Sindy Ferreira, MPH, IBCLC, is a researcher, maternal-child health advocate, and bi-lingual Board-Certified Lactation Consultant based in Burlington County. Sindy holds a Master of Public Health in Nutrition and has additional training in nutrition and healthy living from Cornell University. She is the co-founder of New Jersey’s first Baby Café and is committed to improving breastfeeding outcomes in underserved communities. Sindy is a mother of two boys. In her free time, she enjoys sleeping, cooking, exploring new coffee shops, spending time with her family, and her two Shar-Pei dogs. 

Judy M. Schneider, IBCLC – Social Media Chair

Judy M. Schneider, IBCLC, New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, Board of Trustees

Judy M. Schneider is a grandmother of 12 grandchildren. Her primary breastfeeding advocacy motivation is to promote, protect and support breastfeeding for future great grandchildren and their friends. She is a retired International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and an active La Leche League (LLL) leader in Southern New Jersey with decades of experience as a breastfeeding advocate. Her professional experience includes being the Assistant Coordinator of the WIC Breastfeeding Initiative for the counties of Burlington, Gloucester, Cumberland, Salem and Cape May, New Jersey, where she collaborated with community and state agencies to increase breastfeeding rates and duration.

Noelle Tongue

Noelle Tongue is a Community Health Educator with Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, supporting perinatal families through the NJ Postpartum Resources and Support Network. She holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is Infant Mental Health Endorsed, with a strong background in early childhood development and family support.

A former Community Transformer with Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (R.O.S.E.), Noelle’s passion for lactation support grew from her personal breastfeeding journey – nursing her eldest for two years (including during pregnancy) and her youngest until age three – and witnessing how cultural bias and lack of support impact families. She is committed to normalizing breastfeeding at all stages and connecting families to the resources they need to thrive.

Noelle is also a Mindfulness guide and Reiki Master, currently studying Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. She enjoys hiking, nature, and creative expression, and is committed to supporting families with compassion and culturally responsive care.

Justin Silpe, PhD

Recently awarded the Activate fellowship, Silpe received his Ph.D. in molecular biology at Princeton University. He went on to work as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, where he was awarded a Women’s Health Fellowship (2020) from the Foundation of Women’s Wellness and a Jane Coffin Childs Fund for Medical Research postdoctoral fellowship to work on the connection between the vaginal microbiome and preterm birth. He then returned to Princeton to study the viruses that prey on bacteria, but shifted his focus to studying breastmilk composition in 2023.  He had received many honors, including VSRC scholar in Princeton’s Complex Fluids Research Group, the Sternberg Thesis Prize for outstanding Ph.D. work in the field of bacterial molecular biology and the International Birnstiel Award.

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Search LactMed Database

Search the Drug and Lactation Database (LactMed Database) for drugs and other chemicals breastfeeding mothers may be exposed to.

Upcoming events:

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Membership

Your membership will help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in New Jersey. To join the Coalition, please complete our membership form online. We are a non-profit and flourish on donations. Donations are encouraged but not required for membership. All donations are tax deductible and acknowledgment letters for tax purposes are … Read More »

Get In Touch and Donate

If you are looking for breastfeeding help, please visit zipmilk.org for a list of … Read More »

Breastfeeding is Important

Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant.

Medications and Breastfeeding

​Many breastfeeding women are wrongly advised to stop taking necessary medications or to discontinue nursing because of potential harmful effects on their infants. There are few medications that are “not safe” when breastfeeding. Ask your local lactation consultant then consult with your healthcare provider.

Getting Off to a Good Start

Getting off to a good start can help ensure your breastfeeding success. Find your local breastfeeding support services by visiting Zipmilk.org.

Legal & Privacy Policies

Read Our Legal & Privacy Policies

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Copyright © 2025 · New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition. All rights reserved.

  • Home
  • Meetings & Events
    ▼
    • Submit Events and Announcements
    • 2025 National Breastfeeding Month Events
    • Lactation Events and Announcements
    • General Meeting Minutes
    • Trustee Meeting Minutes
    • Black Maternal Health Week
  • About Us
    ▲
    • Mission
    • Trustee Information
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
    • News
  • Membership
    ▼
    • What you can do
    • NJBC Committee Descriptions
  • Projects
    ▼
    • Navigator Program 2025
  • For Parents
    ▼
    • Handouts and links
    • Find Breastfeeding Help
    • Breastfeeding Friendly Resources for Child Care Providers and Families
    • Employment & Breastfeeding in New Jersey
    • Medications & Breastfeeding
    • Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Designated Hospitals
    • New Jersey Mothers Matter
  • For Healthcare Providers
    ▼
    • Pathway 3 Mentor Database
    • Download Zipmilk Cards/Flyer
  • Legal Rights
    ▼
    • Breastfeeding in Public
    • Breastfeeding and Employment
    • Lactation Laws & Regulations
    • NJ PAID FAMILY LEAVE FOR PREGNANCY, RECOVERY AND BONDING
    • Lactation Support in NJ Hospitals
  • Resources
    ▼
    • Recent New Jersey Breastfeeding Statistics
  • Contact