Brock Badgley, Laboratory Specialist

I’ve worked in a few fields before I started at The Milk Bank. I worked in the food industry for the majority of my working life. The Milk Bank has given me the chance to make the world a better place with the skills I’ve developed while working at my other jobs. Getting to help put families at ease and just helping babies in general has been awesome and it really makes every day better! bbadgley@themilkbank.org

Amanda Briles, Director of Donor Services

For as long as I can remember, I have always found joy in interacting with and helping children and babies. From my teenage years spent babysitting and volunteering in church nurseries, to nannying during college, to volunteering in Romanian orphanages and group homes, and on through nearly eleven years working in foster care and adoption – my passion and my focus have always been on making childhood as safe, healthy, and joyful as possible. After becoming a mother to two girls and navigating the highs and lows of breastfeeding them, that passion expanded to include supporting all babies’ access to potentially lifesaving and almost always life-improving human milk! Even though reaching my breastfeeding goals was very important to me, I know for certain that I would not have been able to do so without the loads of help I received along the way from lactation consultants, breastfeeding support groups, systemic supports (maternity leave, time to pump at work, etc.), and knowledgeable friends. I am thrilled to now be part of an organization which plays a crucial role in increasing safe access to human milk for the most vulnerable of babies!

I am equally honored to work on a team which supports moms who need someone in their corner, whether that’s by making their incredible donation of time and “liquid gold” as easy as possible or by attending to their needs after the loss of an infant. In addition to experiencing some post-partum mental health challenges after the birth of my first daughter, we also weathered a potentially fatal medical scare with my second daughter when she was just days old. Thankfully, all turned out to be well with her, but the terror I experienced during the weeks we were waiting for answers forever altered my perspective on life and gave me a visceral appreciation – just a glimpse – for what bereaved mothers and mothers of children with severe medical needs experience. I hope that my personal experiences and background in therapy will allow me to be a source of comfort and encouragement for all the moms I’ll interact with in this role.

Rachel Churchill, Outpatient Specialist

Well, I did it! I have proudly achieved a dream of mine. And let me tell you, it feels so wonderful! For years, I have wanted to be a member of The Milk Bank team. Several years ago, I donated breastmilk to The Milk Bank, and I still continue to firmly believe that exclusively breastfeeding my two babies and donating breastmilk is my proudest achievement, yet.

After working in social work and criminal justice for several years, I transitioned into the automotive industry. Finally, I have realized that my “calling” is to somehow incorporate babies and/or breastmilk into my daily routine. I have successfully and very proudly exclusively breastfed my two children for several years, despite my initial level of significant ignorance and various hurdles. I am continuously thirsting for more knowledge and am very eager to help babies and mothers! I envision a world where all babies are given the opportunity to access and thrive on human milk.

I happily devote all of my time to my two children, Coramae and Henry. Without them, I may have never found my calling. Aside from my sweet children and all-things-baby, I love music, traveling, sunshine, touring older homes on the market with no intent to buy, ice cream (creamier the better!), baking, and my wonderfully supportive parents, brothers and sisters.

Jay Drew, Donor Specialist

Throughout my undergraduate education I acquired an extensive background in healthcare and community organization and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I always knew I wanted to help others and make a difference in their lives even on a remote level. After learning about The Milk Bank, I felt that I finally found a mission that I was passionate about. Being able to lead our donors through this process with empathy and compassion makes this role feel less like work and more like a calling.

While I do not see children or breastfeeding in my future, I take pride knowing that I am making an impact in the lives of infants and mothers in the region. Even impacting just one family makes this work worth it.

When I am not working towards our mission and helping our donors, I am involved in community events in Indianapolis, crafting, or spending time with family. I am extremely grateful to feel so fulfilled in both my personal and professional life since joining The Milk Bank.

Paula Duvall, Donor Specialist

I have been in the medical field in various administrative positions for my entire career. I recently retired from a position I had been in for over 14 years. After being at home and not working for 6 months, I realized that I don’t like not working.  I needed to find a job where I could make a difference. I had never heard of The Milk Bank until I applied for my current position. I have been so happy and content in this job since day one. It is amazing working with such amazing and talented individuals. I’m happy to be part of this awesome team.

Jacque Hernandez, Director of Hospital Services

Scholar Idjagboro, Assistant Director of Advancement – Development

With degrees in Mathematics, International Studies, and Dance Performance from Butler University, I began my career as a professional ballet dancer, but my true passion for community work soon took center stage. Trading ballet shoes for nonprofit development, I’ve spent over  building partnerships, leading campaigns, and creating opportunities that uplift families. My journey has taught me that real impact happens when we break down barriers and ensure everyone has access to essential resources. At The Milk Bank, I’m driven by a mission close to my heart: connecting families with lifesaving donor milk and ensuring that every child has a healthy start. I’m committed to expanding access to vital healthcare resources and am excited to deepen this work by soon pursuing a Master’s in Public Affairs with a concentration in public policy. Connect with me to explore ways we can support this life-changing mission together and create partnerships that make a lasting difference. sidjagboro@themilkbank.org

Michael Kelly, Laboratory Specialist

I graduated from Ball State University with a degree in kinesiology, in my free time I like to read or go kayaking. My nerd loves are dungeons and dragons, anime, and manga. 

Freedom Kolb, Executive Director

Servant leader and community organizer are the roles I have built my career around, but the job I cherish most is mom to three fierce and amazing children. I know first-hand the challenges with medical scares, breastfeeding challenges, juggling work-life balance, and the importance of finding a support system. That is why with more than 25 years in the philanthropic sector around the country, I am delighted to join the lifesaving work of The Milk Bank! I see our work as pro-women, pro-children, pro-family and an investment in our collective public health. I am so proud of the high clinical and customer service standards this organization has achieved and will be working toward leveraging these strengths to serve even more children and rally support for the most vulnerable infants. I invite everyone to join us at The Milk Bank and consider how you can lend time, talent, or treasure to combatting the staggering infant mortality rate. When I’m not in work mode you can find me at the barn, sporting events, or advocating for equity and inclusion around the Central Indiana community. fkolb@themilkbank.org

Sarah Long, IBCLC, Clinical Director

Since my relocation from the UK to the USA in 2008, I have worked tirelessly to create a career in the field I feel so passionately about. I graduated in 1997 from the University of Birmingham, Central England, with a Bachelors in Midwifery. My career as a Registered Midwife in the UK allowed me the honor of delivering and supporting moms in an incredible life event – birth. My passion for breastfeeding really began when I became a mother. The challenges I faced along the way taught me that all moms need good community breastfeeding support. This inspired me to increase my knowledge in lactation to enhance my practice as a Midwife. Following my immigration to the United States, I am proud to say I achieved my goal of becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Since then, I have been employed as a hospital-based IBCLC and provided private home visits as a Lactation Consultant. I am happy to say I found my calling here at The Milk Bank, where I can help support a population of moms and babies, who without a doubt will receive the unique gift of mother’s milk. slong@themilkbank.org

Jami Marvin, Production Director

After my daughter was born in 2010, she spent a month in the hospital for brain surgery. During that time, the only thing that I could think to do was to breastfeed. It wasn’t easy in the beginning. She was taken to a separate hospital just a few hours after birth, while I was recovering from a c-section. I had just a couple of hours with her immediately after birth where we did skin-to-skin and she did latch and begin to nurse but it wasn’t for very long. I began my breastfeeding journey using a pump in a hospital miles away from my baby, just as many of our donors do. However, in my mind, since I couldn’t go through the surgery for her, I knew that I was giving her the best chance I could at getting through the surgery as a healthy baby girl. She made it through just fine and my husband and I realized the benefits that breastfeeding offered our daughter. I was able to use my knowledge of food service standards, and my love and passion for breastfeeding to start working at The Milk Bank. Since then, I have had two healthy little boys who were lucky enough to come to work with me at The Milk Bank every day until they were six months old. The opportunity to continue our uninterrupted breastfeeding journey for that long, and be a working mom was the best of both worlds. The support during my pregnancies and breastfeeding journeys with them has been amazing! I have loved working at The Milk Bank for the last 10 years and I look forward to growing with the organization. jmarvin@themilkbank.org

Lindsay McGuire, Assistant Director of Advancement – Branding & Outreach

Do the most good is my life motto, and for a long time I’ve yearned for my professional life to align with this personal motto. I’ve been a marketer for 10 years, and as a marketer, you’re often dedicating your life to marketing and selling things that you might not personally need, have a connection to, or see a greater impact from. I couldn’t be more excited to finally align my professional marketing career with my passion to not only do the most good, but also support babies and moms! The Milk Bank does incredible work, and as a two-time milk donor, I know how valuable breastmilk is to critically ill and medically fragile babies. To wake up every day and serve babies and mothers is a dream come true.

There’s so much work to be done when it comes to improving infant and maternal health. Becoming a mother has opened my eyes WIDE to the inequities in women’s healthcare and the lack of support during postpartum. There’s still so much we don’t talk about when it comes to pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, pumping/lactation, and postpartum. In my role, I look forward to not only impacting infant lives, but mother’s lives as well.

My hope for working at The Milk Bank is that more babies can reach their first birthdays thanks to the healing powers of safe donor milk. Will you join me in supporting this mission? I’d love to connect to share more about how you can get involved with The Milk Bank! Feel free to send me an email at lmcguire@themilkbank.org

Valentina Montes, Donor Specialist

I’ve always been passionate about making a positive impact in people’s lives, and for me, leading with love is at the core of everything I do. Whether it’s connecting with the community, offering resources, or advocating for change, I believe true progress happens when people feel seen, heard, and truly valued.

With over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit world, including five years in the anti-violence sector, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside survivors and their families. This work has deepened my commitment to helping others through tough times and supporting them as they rebuild their lives with safety and peace.

I first came across The Milk Bank while working on a project about it in college, and I was instantly intrigued by their mission and impact. Now, I’m excited to be a part of their work and contribute to their cause. I’m always eager to learn, grow, and collaborate with others who share my passion for helping others.

Jenny Pemberton, Business Director

Why would a woman without children want to work with breast milk? I heard variations of that question more than once when I announced to family and friends that I had taken a job at The Milk Bank. I guess it was a legitimate question considering that all of my “babies” have four legs and fur and I had spent nearly twenty years working in Information Technology and Analytics. My answer was simple, I was tired of helping corporations make money, and I wanted to help make a difference in peoples’ lives.

I had heard about The Milk Bank several years ago from a friend and was impressed with the amazing service they provide. I’ve always had a passion for helping those in need and when I found out The Milk Bank was hiring, I knew I needed to be a part of this incredible organization and, as luck would have it, they felt I would be a good addition to their staff. I know that I have found my new calling.

I’m amazed by the brave, strong, passionate women who work here and am so proud to not only call them my co-workers but also my friends. Every day I am inspired by them and reminded that The Milk Bank is about more than just breast milk, it’s about the compassion offered to a bereaved mom as she deals with life (and her milk) after losing her child, it’s about the support given to a mom that has spent day in and day out with her baby in the NICU, it’s about the encouragement given to a mom who is about to take her first (or second or third…) baby home from the hospital. Amazing things happen here every day.

When I’m not at The Milk Bank you can find me creating art in my stained-glass workshop, planning our next travel adventure, or planting and harvesting apples, pumpkins and other vegetables for various local farmer’s markets and the U-Pick Pumpkin Patch at the farm my husband and I own and operate, Ducky Meadow Farm and Orchard.

jpemberton@themilkbank.org

Jennifer Reese, Office Operations Specialist

I graduated from Butler University in 2008 with my bachelor’s degree and went on to become an “odd job” queen, doing everything from working in restaurants and various offices, to face painting for the Indiana Pacers. I finally landed in a small corporate office as a staff accountant where I worked my way up over the course of nine years, learning accounting and business. I was absolutely overjoyed when I was able to come aboard the team here at TMB in 2019 and apply my skill set to help an organization that I truly believe in. I had known about The Milk Bank for years through family ties, and my husband and I have loved to be connected and lend our support in any way we have been able. The Milk Bank became especially important to me, personally, after my first son was born in 2015. I was headed back to work full-time but was set on reaching my breastfeeding goals of providing at least one year of breast milk for my son. I showed up at The Milk Bank with nothing but my breast pump and 5,000 questions about how to make it all work, and with the support of the Breastfeeding Resources & Assistance @ TMB (BRA) program, I was able to get the answers and help I needed to succeed in reaching (and exceeding!) those goals. jreese@themilkbank.org

Oliver Shields, Laboratory Specialist

Amy Thornburg, Advancement Director

My journey with The Milk Bank began over a decade ago when I became a mother to premature twins, one of whom received lifesaving pasteurized donor milk while in the NICU. I am forever grateful to the generous donors whose “liquid gold” significantly improved her medical outcomes. With a career spanning more than twenty years in non-profit management, I have finally aligned my professional expertise with my deep personal passion for making a meaningful impact. Bringing my lived experience to The Milk Bank, I draw on my business skills, perspective as a solo mother, and NICU journey to expand our impact, reaching more vulnerable infants and rallying community support to combat infant mortality rates. Outside of work, I cherish my now thriving daughters and enjoy tending to my garden.

Mary Timmel, Regional Advancement Coordinator – Missouri

I am a passionate and experienced changemaker who has worked at the local, state, and national level to educate and advocate for policies that build a world where working people, families, and everyone can thrive. My years of work in Missouri, to lift wages, to expand healthcare access, and to engage Missourians in the process of creating a government that works for them, has been as fulfilling as it is challenging.  I am thrilled to be part of The Milk Bank, building on the foundation that has been built in Missouri and reach more families. 

When I am not working, I can be found reading, eating, teaching myself new crafting skills, entertaining, and enjoying movies. You can contact me at MTimmel@TheMilkBank.org