HOLLY ANN ABEL - Community Engagement Team (she/her/hers)

Holly Ann is passionate about helping others find hope and joy within their grief journey after she lost her daughter, Magnolia, who was stillborn, and experienced a miscarriage of her “Baby Seedling.” A former first grade teacher, Holly Ann realized the importance of not only telling her own story of love and loss, but honoring other babies gone too soon, which led to her writing a children’s book and starting a nonprofit. She lives in Lawrence, KS with her husband and daughter, Marigold, where she is a family photographer.

ANITA BUBANY - Community Support Manager (she/her/hers)

Anita has benefited greatly from the support provided by RTZ HOPE and wants to honor her journey by giving back to others in similar situations. After experiencing the loss of her twin daughters in 2020 and a miscarriage in 2021, she has found ways to bring purpose to her pain by being present with others who have endured the death of their babies. Anita continues to learn how to parent her living children after multiple losses, while incorporating ways to honor her children that have gone before her.

Anita has 15 years of experience working with various non-profits and providing services for underprivileged populations and those on the margins. She holds a BA and MA in Religious Studies. She currently resides near Washington DC, where she enjoys homeschooling her children, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. She and her husband Brent have four living children, Rudy, Augustinos, Elena, and Catalina and are the bereaving parents of identical twin daughters, Mary Rose and Elizabeth Leia, and Lucia-Francisco.

SHIANNE GUNDERSEN - Community Engagement Director (she/her/hers)

Shianne joined our Community Engagement Team in 2020 with the goal of helping other bereaved parents find the support and community that she gained from Return to Zero: HOPE. From a young age she has always felt called to help others and upon seeing the Return To Zero job posting while traveling to an RTZ retreat after recently leaving her job - she knew that this was an opportunity she wanted to (and possibly a sign from the universe she had to) be a part of. She brings years of experience in the digital marketing world and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Management. Shianne is passionate about helping this community in honor of her daughter Torvi, who passed due to birth complications in 2019, and in honor of her early miscarriage in August of 2023. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband, sons Grady and Graham, their dog Carl, and a coop full of chickens.

KRISTIN JAMES, LPC - Development and Strategic Partnerships

Kristin has specialized in working with families coping with illness, trauma and loss for nearly thirty years.  She is nationally recognized for her work in pediatric palliative care and grief support and currently serves on the National Coalition for Hospice & Palliative Care Pediatric Division. Kristin has provided clinical consultation and extensive training, advocacy and education to healthcare systems, community agencies, funeral professionals, and school systems. She is an experienced clinician and has provided individual, family, and group counseling. Kristin co-founded Missing Pieces and developed a benchmarked program for Pediatric Bereavement Care at Lurie Children's Hospital. She has also participated and published numerous research studies.  Ms. James received her Master’s in counseling from Loyola University. 

NATASHA DE SOUSA - Chair (she/her/hers)

Natasha joins the RTZ HOPE Board as a way to honor her son Leonardo, who passed away 62 minutes after his birth in 2013. Since Leo's passing, she has been actively involved in the pregnancy and infant loss community by volunteering for various non-profit organizations. Natasha holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in health economics and has held several positions in health research and market research in Canada and the US. Originally born in Brazil to Indian parents, she grew up in Canada and currently lives in Seattle with her husband and 3 kids.

STEFAN LENDI - Treasurer (he/him/his)

Stefan is the Executive Director at UBS. He has served as a Relationship Manager, Managing Director, and Executive Director at other Wealth Management banking institutions, both in the United States and internationally. Stefan speaks four languages and has lived in Zurich, Geneva, Buenos Aires, New York, and Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, soccer, traveling, and is a LA Kings fan. Originally born in Zurich, Stefan now lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 25 years and two teenage children.

KRISTEN RADEMACHER, MEd, PCC (she/her/hers)

Kristen has spent her professional life in education working with students of all ages, currently serving as an Academic Coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2004, she experienced the shattering loss of her only child who was stillborn at full term. Kristen published a memoir about her sorrow and healing, From the Lake House: A Mother’s Odyssey of Loss and Love, which reinforced her belief that sharing our stories can be comforting and therapeutic. She is eager to be of service to other women and families faced with the unique and transformative grief of infant loss. Kristen enjoys writing, reading, cooking, hiking, and yoga.

DORIENNA ALFRED, PhD, PMH-C (she/her/hers)

Dorienna is a licensed psychologist in the state of Ohio and certified perinatal mental health therapist. She is the owner of Works of Faith Wellness and Consultation, LLC, in Columbus, Ohio, a private practice centered on perinatal mental health services. Through the practice, she provides individual therapy, as well as facilitates workshops and continuing education on topics related to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, birth equity, and perinatal loss. Dr. Alfred is the author of the book, Pregnant with Promise: A Spiritual Journey of Pregnancy, Bed Rest and Childbirth, a memoir of her journey with loss and pregnancy complications. She has served as a guest blogger for Pregnancy After Loss Support and a workshop presenter for RTZ HOPE. She has also been a guest on the Sisters in Loss Podcast and the Mom and Mind Podcast. Additionally, she is certified as a birth and bereavement doula through Sisters in Loss. She has co-authored various publications and refereed workshops on topics related to perinatal mental health, women’s health, racial identity, social justice, and cultural competence. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and sons, reading novels, scrapbooking, and Zumba.

ASHLEY DAWSON, LICSW

Ashley is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) with a passion for trauma-informed care. Born and raised in Montana, Ashley received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from Montana State University in 2003; she then made her way to Washington and graduated in 2009 from Eastern Washington University with a Master’s of Social Work degree and certificate in Public Administration. Ashley now lives north of Seattle where she works as a program director for a diversion program serving people who struggle with substance use, mental health issues, live in extreme poverty and often intersect with the criminal legal system. In 2020, Ashley's daughter Mila was born prematurely and lived one short and precious hour. Ashley's work with RTZ honors Mila and celebrates her rainbow baby, a daughter named Eann. 

JAKKI GUISTOLISI, JD (she/her/hers)

Jakki is an attorney with experience in child welfare law. She attended Central Michigan University, where she received bachelors’ degrees in both Psychology and Philosophy, later earning a law degree from Valparaiso University. She is currently working toward her master’s degree in Social Work. Jakki has an interest in policy work, especially as it relates to children and families, and is passionate about access to resources, especially for NICU families after experiencing the traumatic birth and neonatal loss of her son, Hudson. She currently resides in Indiana with her husband, son, and two dogs.

SUSAN JACOBSEN, ATR-BC, LPC (she/her/hers)

Susan is a bereaved mother and maternal illness survivor whose son Henry was stillborn at 37 weeks due to HELLPS. She also had two subsequent miscarriages and dealt with fertility challenges before having her son, Jens in 2008.  Susan has a masters degree in Art Therapy. She is a Registered and Board Certified, Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado. She is the founder of Henry’s Heart Art Therapy, where she serves families who have lost babies and those pregnant after loss.  Susan loves using creative arts to help those who are grieving find ways to connect with their babies and express their emotions.

DEBORAH CLARKE, EdD

Debbi first became involved with RTZ HOPE when she attended a Return to Zero healing retreat for bereaved mothers in Australia in 2015. She is deeply committed to changing the culture of silence around pregnancy and infant loss, and she’s grateful to work with such a talented board who share this passion. Debbi works at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Office of the Provost where she’s engaged in strategic planning and special projects related to student success and inclusion. She and her husband, Walt, live in North Carolina and have three children, Emma Kate, Redding, and Eason, who was born still in 2013. In addition to her work at the university, she enjoys volunteering with several non-profit organizations, reading, writing, hiking, yoga, and spending time with family and friends.

MELINDA KOSLOW PETERSON, RN, MS

Melinda is a bereaved mother, maternal death survivor, registered nurse, and environmental scientist. She is active in healing work, speaking, and volunteering. After losing her son Oak during pregnancy and almost losing her life, everything changed. While nurses empowered her journey, she too felt a call toward nursing. Her passion is integrative medicine, prevention of maternal death, and healing perinatal loss. Prior to becoming a nurse, Melinda worked as an environmental scientist for over a decade in both non-profit and government agencies, creating programs that advanced science through research and public engagement. 

Jill Kottmeier, MS, BSN, RN, CPLC (she/her/hers)

Jill has been a nurse for 25 years and has been, working at Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) in Chicago since 1997.  She worked for 17 years as a labor & delivery nurse, focusing her care on those families experiencing a loss. In 2015 she transitioned to the role of Perinatal Palliative & Bereavement Care Coordinator, so she could focus her career solely on supporting and advocating for families on the continuum of loss. In this role, she has supported countless families through the loss of their baby, ran monthly support groups, and planned biannual memorial services for grieving families to honor their children. Jill has served as the chair of the Alliance of Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care Facilitators of Northern Illinois from 2016-2022. Recently, Jill’s role transitioned to be the Director of Wellbeing and Bereavement Services at NCH. Jill understands that grief is not a onetime event but rather a lifelong journey that families integrate into their lives. Because of her passion for the bereaved, Jill recently graduated with her Master’s Degree in Thanatology, the study of death, dying, and bereavement.