top of page

Board of Directors

IMG_6751.jpeg

President

Rebecca Jimenez

Hi, my name is Becca. I’m a mama to a beautiful baby girl. I became a certified breastfeeding counselor during my own breastfeeding journey. Like many first time moms, I faced my own struggles and had to learn to navigate through new experiences. As a CBC, my main goal is to provide individualized guidance and education for mothers during their own breastfeeding journeys. It’s a very common misconception that breastfeeding is simply physical, rather than a spiritual, emotional, and mental experience. I hope to bring every mother the confidence to trust their own intuition in raising their families.

pic 08_2026.png

Vice President

Maria Palapa

Maria is a graduate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.  She is currently a graduate assistant for the School of Public Health supporting projects involving household food insecurity and breastfeeding amongst mothers and infants in Clark County. Her work as a graduate assistant involving breastfeeding encouraged her to pursue a stronger role supporting Nevada families in need of lactation services. Maria is a Full Spectrum Lactation Educator in training, eager and ready to create change for babies and families! Her experience as a mother of three who breastfed has provided insightful knowledge, helping her understand the support families truly need. 

 

Maria's passion is to educate, inform, and empower our communities to help improve maternal-child health outcomes in Nevada.

DSC09503 Cristinas Bio pic2_edited.jpg

Treasurer

Cristina Hernandez, MPH

Cristina Hernandez (ella/she/her), was born and raised in Las Vegas and her people come from Mexico and Cuba.  She graduated from UNLV with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2005, graduate certificate in Women's Studies in 2012, and in 2020 received her Master’s degree in Public Health. She has been a doula since 2017, certified as a full spectrum doula via Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT) and recently received her certification in Full Spectrum Lactation Education from BADT 2025.  Currently, she is a Project Manager for EARN-FS (Early Responsive Nurturing Care for Food Security) at the UNLV School of Public Health in the Department of Social and Behavioral Health. This project is researching maternal and child health & nutrition within the West Las Vegas Promise Neighborhood.

She is active in her community by being on the board for Heart and Sol Collective and the Treasurer for the Nevada Breastfeeding Coalition.

bottom of page