Staff Leadership
Executive Director - Mandolin Restivo
Mandolin is an experienced non-profit manager, as well as a birth and postpartum doula. Her professional experience includes working in alternatives to incarceration in the Bronx, where she co-founded the Bronx Reentry Working Group; directing a campus Gender Center and working with underserved youth in NYC. As a birth and postpartum doula, she served over 400 families during pregnancy, birth and the first year postpartum. This combination of experience gives her the tools necessary to support both volunteers and families affected by maternal mental health issues. She lives in Fredericksburg with her son.
Social Support & Outreach Manager - Kristen Miller
Kristen is an IBCLC and PMH-C and has been serving perinatal families for the past 15 years in various capacities including birth doula, childbirth educator, and lactation support. She is passionate about helping families with their mental health journey and their personal infant feeding goals. She enjoys watching football, basketball, hiking, reading, and days spent at the beach. She lives in Carrollton with her husband and 4 homeschooled boys.
Trainings Manager - Emily Rose
Emily is a former educator who has dedicated her career to serving underrepresented communities and working toward equity. She experienced postpartum anxiety with the birth of her first child, and after seeing friends and family experience similar challenges, she developed a desire to support those in similar circumstances. Emily lives in Charlottesville with her husband and two daughters and enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling.
Spanish Services Manager - Abida Dini
Abida is a social worker, mama, and live music lover with a passion for her community. Abida has spent her profession career working with and advocating for underrepresented populations. Abida is especially passionate about sharing stories to connect with and get to know others and helping to end the stigma against mental health needs while normalizing and educating about the need for mental wellness across populations. Abida lives near Richmond with her partner and two school-aged children. In her free time, she daydreams about tropical islands, the laundry being done, and how to improve birth outcomes for all.
Staff
Professional Resource & General Care Coordinator - Heather Dadurka
Heather is a survivor of postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She first came to Postpartum Support Virginia as a client attending in-person and virtual support groups. Since recovering, Heather has dedicated herself to serving other birthing people and their families. She feels passionately about helping to bridge the gap in knowledge among medical providers around understanding, screening, and treating PMADs. When not chasing her toddler around, Heather enjoys painting, gardening, and hiking.
Communications & Admin Assistant - Stephanie Adler
Stephanie has a background in nonprofit marketing, fundraising, and events. She and her husband have one daughter and live in Williamsburg. When she is not busy working in the community and navigating new parenthood, she loves to explore Virginia and enjoy crafting!
Volunteer Coordinator - Kamisha Battle-Jackson
Kamisha is a first-time mother who found herself four months pregnant when the pandemic started. She experience perinatal anxiety and depression. She credits her help and support to the ladies she met through PSVa's Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies-A Support Group for Women of Color. Kamisha's passion has always been to serve others, and since becoming a mother, she enjoys dedicating her time to helping other birthing people. She currently lives in Prince George's County with her husband, son, and step daughter.
Warmline Coordinator - Chi'Mere Edgerton
Chi’Mere is an energetic and loving single momma of a beautiful and busy little girl who is beyond brilliant, gorgeous, funny, and kind. She suffered from PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders) after the birth of her daughter and is now a thriver helping birthing people all over Virginia. Chi’Mere is the Warmline Coordinator and uses her life experience and knowledge of PMADs to help educate and support her volunteers, mothers, and families. She has a Master in Divinity Degree with a concentration in Chaplaincy from Regent University and uses her education, knowledge, and skills to better assist PSVa patrons and all those she encounters. Chi’Mere enjoys everything outdoors, from hiking, camping, swimming, cooking, eating, reading, gardening, painting, and spending time with her family.
Spanish Communications Coordination - Marie Cordon
Marie Cordon is a mother, certified translator, experienced yoga instructor, and former public school teacher. Born and raised in Guatemala, Marie moved to the US as a teenager, experiencing firsthand the challenges faced by immigrants and women of color. After completing her master’s degree in Latin American Literature, she worked primarily in education—leading study abroad trips, supporting families through Early Head Start, and teaching middle school Spanish for 5 years in the greater Baltimore area—while teaching yoga on the side. After having her first child during the COVID isolation, Marie made a commitment to use her skills and lived experience to help others through the challenges of pregnancy and postpartum depression/anxiety. She lives with her family in Baltimore City.
Regional Coordinators
Hampton Roads (Peninsula) - Maggie Lane
Maggie is passionate about educating and supporting new parents. She is a registered nurse, a lactation consultant, and a postpartum supporter. She enjoys traveling, cooking, listening to music, reading, and being in nature. She lives in Chesapeake with her husband and two dogs.
Southwest - Dominque Gallo
Dominique is an IBCLC lactation consultant, birth and postpartum doula. After having a less then “stellar” birth of her eldest, Dominique made it her mission to support moms in the best way she could so that they too didn’t have to experience the same thing she did. Dominique has been supporting parents through birth work since 2011. Her passions are lactation, maternal and infant nutrition, infant/ child development, and mental health, which she supports parents through direct support and advocating for policy changes at the grassroots and government level. Dominique has a Bachelors in Science and Infant and Maternal Psychology with a minor in Nutrition from Virginia Commonwealth University. (Go Rams!) When Dominique is not out saving the world, she enjoys all things spooky and weird and true crime podcasts. She also enjoys hanging out with her extremely supportive husband (whom is always onboard her with crazy ideas) and playing chauffeur for her 3 very active kiddos to their various sports and also embarrassingly cheering them on. Dominique lives in Roanoke with her Husband, 3 human kiddos and 1 dog kiddo.
Prince William County - Nikki Bennett Miller
Nikki Bennett Miller is hopeful and excited about partnering with local providers and healthcare professionals to better serve those suffering with perinatal mood disorders in Prince William County. As a previous client of PSVa, she's forever grateful for their support through her own postpartum anxiety. Before joining the PSVa staff, Nikki had been a stay-at-home parent for 6 years. Her first career spanned 12 years in Washington, DC, serving adults experiencing homelessness and psychiatric crisis. She loves to dance and has studied many types of world folkloric dances and traditional American performance art. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, two young daughters, a dramatic betta fish, one fast aquarium snail, and a beloved robot vacuum.
Williamsburg - Stephanie Adler
Stephanie, also our Communications & Admin Assistant, saw how postpartum depression affected her friends and wanted to help mothers in the Williamsburg area find support and resources in their community.
Volunteer Staff
Support Group Coordinator - Cindy Arnn
Cindy is a postpartum doula, lactation counselor, and yoga teacher. In her previous professional life, she worked in the human resources field for 16+ years. The transition to motherhood helped Cindy recognize the value of support and the importance of focusing on one's own health and well-being. She encourages all parents that she meets to make time for self-care and become more comfortable with asking for help. Cindy believes strongly in the importance of having a village. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and son.