MEET THE TEAM

Service on the Executive Committee is open to all members. Positions are held for two years. Members vote each May for Chair and Treasurer (odd years) and Chair-Elect and Secretary (even years).

Amanda Alvarez, MS, IBCLC

CHAIR

Shaina Starks-Solis, MPH, CPH

TREASURER

Karen Boone, RN, IBCLC

SECRETARY

African American and Hispanic Breastfeeding Task Forces

Meghan McClesky

CHAIR-ELECT

Amanda Alvarez Headshot Zoom

Amanda Alvarez, MS, IBCLC

Chair

Amanda is an IBCLC dedicated to helping families achieve informed, safe and comfortable infant feeding.

Amanda’s professional experience includes program development, support group facilitation, curriculum production, perinatal bereavement training, health care provider, parent education, and clinical lactation support. She has worked in milk banking, community health clinics, hospital systems, and nonprofit health advocacy organizations. Amanda staffs an outpatient lactation clinic at Midwife + Co and manages a multi-site Baby Café program for Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas.

Amanda has served in leadership roles with the Tarrant County Breastfeeding Coalition, Dallas Lactation Consultant Association, and the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She is a graduate of the University of South Alabama (MS, Health Education) and Spring Hill College (BA, Communication). She lives with her husband and three children in Grapevine, TX. Amanda enjoys exercise, travel, and volunteer work in social justice.

Meghan McCleskey, BA, CLC, IBCLC

Chair-Elect

Meghan is an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), passionate about supporting families reach their infant feeding goals.
Meghan's professional experience began with a background in the criminal justice/legal field, starting with a BA in Government from Angelo State University. She spent many years supporting evidence-based practices on both ends of the criminal justice system. She was a certified special education teacher supporting families with developmental disabilities, learning challenges, and behavior support.
Meghan has always taken on a trainer/teacher role in each field of practice and enjoys doing the same in the lactation field. She finds joy in sharing her knowledge with other medical professionals, patients, and their families.
She has clinical lactation experience in concierge/home visit outpatient care, outpatient clinic setting, in hospital clinical care, program development, curriculum writing, support group facilitation, and telemedicine care. Meghan is the founder of, From Womb To World, her private practice providing prenatal education, infant massage instruction, and lactation consulting services that specializes in a concierge/in home model of care.
Meghan has 5 children and has a passion for breastfeeding support. She loves to travel, learn/experience other cultures, and is active being a supportive mom to her dance, basketball, karate, horseback riding, piano, acting/singing children.
Meghan McCleskey Headshot
Shaina Starks Headshot Zoom

Shaina Starks-Solis, MPH, CPH

Treasurer

Shaina began her career with Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas in 2010. As Director of Operations for five years, she supervised specialized laboratory processes and complex safety guidelines to fulfill the organization’s mission. During her tenure, the milk bank has experienced significant growth, expanded services and launched new community programs.

Shaina received her Master of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and Bachelor of Health Studies from Texas Women’s University. She has contributed to multiple human milk research projects including a study examining the duration of microbiological purity of pasteurized donor milk.

Shaina is very passionate about improving community services, supporting breastfeeding mothers and leading one of the largest dispensing nonprofit milk banks in North America. She lives in Fort Worth with her husband, Juan and young son, Noah.

Karen Boone, RN, IBCLC

Secretary

Karen is a Team Lead of Lactation Services at Texas Health Huguley Hospital. She has worked in Women's Services for over 10 years and is passionate about empowering parents in achieving their breastfeeding goals through support and education.

Karen Boone Headshot
Coalition Members photo 5

African American and Hispanic Breastfeeding Task Forces

Workgroups that identify, plan, and participate in community events. To join either task force, please email us with your name, contact info, and the group you are interested in working with. A volunteer from that task force will follow-up and let you know how you can get more involved.