top of page

Board of Directors

Jade Hillery

Full Spectrum Doula and Reproductive Health & Justice Advocate

Jade F. Hillery, is a passionate professional with roots in the sexual and reproductive health education and community health spaces. Beginning as a Peace Corps Volunteer and Health Educator, Jade has a decade-long career working with nonprofit health care and sex education providing organizations at local, national, and global levels.

 

In addition to her role with Aaliyah in Action, Jade supports families in the DC metropolitan area through her independent business. Launched with the belief that everyone deserves compassion, education, and support across the spectrum of experiences, “Jade, the Doula!” LLC provides full spectrum doula support, placenta product services, education, and sensual movement and body connection sessions. This work has led her to being a collaborator and facilitator with Cornerstone Trainings, a former board member of The Doula Project of NYC, and a panelist and speaker for several community engagements. 

​

Jade also drives change at a national scale through her work with Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She dedicates her bandwidth to transforming how the organization supports Planned Parenthood staff as learners and facilitators in an effort to enhance how they engage with communities being served through health care, education, and advocacy programming. Her focal points of learning design and theory, trauma-informed practices, and equity and inclusivity are centered in the work she leads at the organization. 

 

She sees herself as ever evolving and a lifelong learner, continuing to ask the question, “how can I best show up and serve Black and brown communities in the realm of sexual and reproductive experiences?” She attended James Madison University and University of Southern California where she earned her BA in International Affairs and MPH in Health Promotion and Education respectively.

JFH_Cropped seated.png

Lauryn Ricketts

NBC4 Washington Meteorologist

LaurynRicketts.jpeg

Lauryn Ricketts is currently a broadcast meteorologist and on air personality with StormTeam4 at NBCWashington in Washington, D.C. and a contributor of daily forecasts to WTOP 103.5FM Radio in Washington, D.C. She is incredibly happy to serve on the board of directors for Aaliyah in Action and jumped at the chance as soon as she was asked.

 

She knows all too well about pregnancy and infant loss as she experienced her own loss in February of 2020 at 21 weeks after her first son was born stillborn with a diagnosis of Pre-PROM (Premature Rupture of Membranes). That was followed by a second miscarriage in November of 2020. After fertility issues and several failed IUI's, she became pregnant with another son in May of 2021 thanks, in part, to IVF. 

​

Lauryn understands the grief and the sadness that ensue an individual and a family after a loss of this magnitude, especially as her husband was deployed for most of her healing process. Unfortunately for Lauryn, having this play out in the public eye due to her career added another layer of anguish that she had to navigate through. Therefore, helping just one person, one family through Aaliyah in Action will continue to aid Lauryn in her ongoing recovery. She is immensely happy to help in any way she can to help mother's during one of the most difficult times in their lives. 

​

Lauryn currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, a Lt. Col. in the USMC and her two cats, Puffy and Predator. 

Nicolo De Bari

Executive Financial Professional

Nicolo De Bari, an executive financial professional, has extensive experience with major financial institutions both domestically and internationally.

 

He is a CPA and graduate of NYU Stern School of Business.

 

Additionally, Nick is active as a high school and youth soccer referee and an active board member of the Mid New Jersey Youth Soccer Association.

 

Nick also serves as a Board Member for the St. Augustine of Canterbury School Advisory Council, in Kendall Park, New Jersey. 

0DC1419F-0496-4C98-8A00-06987E7F0B76.jpeg
Meet the AiA Team: Meet the Team

Hadassah Burt-Miller

Full Spectrum Birthworker, Das the Balm Prenatal Care & Myrtle Tree Midwifery

Das Hadassah Bellot.jpeg

Hadassah Bellot (she/they) is a Certified Professional Midwife whose journey into supporting families began with a passion for guiding them through life's most transformative experiences. Originally hailing from the Bronx, Hadassah relocated to the DMV area after serendipitously meeting her beloved husband Dr. Joseph Burt-Miller on Tinder. Together, they've created a warm and loving home in Upper Marlboro, where they reside with Hadassah's daughter, Brianna, who is pursuing her college education.

​

Prior to becoming a CPM in March 2024, Hadassah spent several years as a Full Spectrum Doula and Childbirth Educator, working closely with families to ensure they felt empowered and supported.  Her dedication to her craft has touched the lives of countless families, guiding them through the sacred and transformative experience of the various pregnancy outcomes they encountered. 

​

In her free time, Hadassah finds joy in karaoke, volunteering, immersing herself in a good book, and cherishing moments with her family.

Sanaz Eftekhari

Chief Business Development Officer, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America 

Sanaz Eftekhari serves as the Chief of Business Development and Vice President of Research for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). In her current role, Sanaz leads tactical and strategic conversations with business partners and stakeholders across multiple industries, including patient advocacy organizations, pharmaceutical companies, medical societies, research firms and government agencies.

 

During her tenure at AAFA, Sanaz has served in several roles in development and corporate affairs, and has gained experience in fundraising, nonprofit management, patient-centered research, patient advocacy, marketing, and communications. In her current role, Sanaz is responsible for 75% of AAFA’s annual revenue, which is generated from corporate partners, federal grants, individuals, foundations, and program sales.

 

Sanaz earned her B.A. in Political Science and Government from the George Washington University. She loves to travel and has visited more than 50 countries.

Sanaz Eftekhari Headshot.jpeg

Margie Wentzel 

Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwife, Retired

Margie.jpeg

Margie Wentzel has been an advocate for women’s health care during her entire nursing career. As a lifelong Northern Virginia resident, she has cared for infants and women in a variety of neonatal and obstetrical settings, including hospitals, a birth center, military and private practices. She attended nursing school at The Alexandria Hospital School of Nursing and George Mason University, then completed graduate studies as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at Virginia Commonwealth University and a post-masters certificate in Nurse-Midwifery at Frontier Nursing University.


Margie developed a passion caring for women experiencing high risk pregnancies and pregnancy loss, and co-founded her hospital’s perinatal bereavement program. She strongly believes that maternal self-care is a strong foundation for the health of the entire family. She has been an author, educator , and nurse advocate, and is privileged to have accompanied many families before, during, and after their loss. She welcomes the opportunity to share her passion by supporting and promoting Aaliyah in Action.

Margie retired in 2019 and relocated to Winchester, Va, where she volunteers for the local hospitals, crochets everything baby, and enjoys being a “Certified Aunt” to her nieces and nephews.

Katie Minetti

Senior Officer, Major Gifts at Boston Children's Hospital 

Katie Minetti is a fundraiser with 15 years experience. She currently serves as a senior major gifts officer at Boston Children's hospital.

 

Prior to Children's, Katie served as a development Officer at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the College of Wooster in Wooster Ohio and a M.S. in Non-profit Leadership from Northeastern University. 

Minetti Headshot.jpeg

Sarah W. Bland 

Owner, SWB Style

Sarah Bland SWB Style.jpg

Sarah brings nearly twenty years of experience working in fashion—and a lifetime of enthusiasm for putting together on-trend looks that inspire confidence.

 

She graduated with a degree in fashion design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and worked for more than 10 years as a designer in New York City. After making a move to the D.C. area in 2014, Sarah pivoted to retail merchandising and management at Bloomingdale’s and Intermix.

 

Her experience supporting clients to look and feel their best sparked the passion for personal styling that has grown into SWB Style. Sarah loves helping clients look on the outside how they feel on the inside.

Marjorie Vail 

Trauma Therapist, PhD Candidate

Marjorie's life is a testament to resilience and determination. After experiencing the stillbirth of her son, Aleksei, at 37 weeks, she decided to transform her personal grief into a catalyst for change. As a founding member and Director of Outreach for PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, she advocates passionately in the fight against stillbirth. Her community service culminated in her recognition as a "Woman of Excellence" by former Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

 

In addition to her advocacy work, Marjorie is a licensed esthetician, public speaker, and pageant queen. She held the titles of Mrs. New York International 2015 and Mrs. New York American 2020, using her platform to raise awareness about stillbirth. Her achievements serve as an inspiration to many.

 

Marjorie is a trauma therapist pursuing a Ph.D. in Mental Health Counseling at Pace University, reflecting her deep passion for her field. Her research will focus on the intersection of advocacy and stillbirth—an area she is deeply committed to. Marjorie holds a Master of Arts in Childhood Education from New York University with Kappa Delta Pi honors, a Master of Science in Counseling from Alfred University, and an MEd in Educational Leadership from the College of Saint Rose. Marjorie resides in Brooklyn with her adult son, Amaelian.

M. Vail Headshot .jpeg

Lauren Newhouse

President &CEO, Dogwood Public Affairs

Lauren is a veteran political affairs operative with over 15 years of experience
managing political action committees (PACs), advocacy programs and
executive-level engagement strategies for corporations, coalitions and
associations. Lauren provides strategic counsel to a wide range of clients,
including Fortune 500 companies and national associations.


Prior to founding Dogwood Public Affairs, Lauren led the PAC and political
affairs program for BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT). In addition to her role
managing political programming, Lauren was asked to serve as a project
manager for BWXT’s corporate strategic planning initiative. Prior to joining
BWXT, she held various PAC management positions at the National
Restaurant Association and Campaign Finance Solutions and also served in
the Christie Administration as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Director of
Protocol to First Lady Mary Pat Christie.


Lauren brings years of campaign and political experience to her clients. She
worked as the Director of Surrogates for Romney for President and was a
Project Manager for WWP Strategies where she executed winning solutions for
the campaigns of Former Congressman Dan Benishek (R-MI) and the
Workforce Fairness Institute. Through her experience and network, Lauren
works directly with clients to implement data-driven strategies and achieve
measurable advocacy goals.


Lauren lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband, Tom, their daughter Lydia
and baby boy due in Spring 2025. In 2023, Lauren and her family experienced
the devastating loss of their newborn daughter, Salene “Sally” Newhouse due
to enteroviral myocarditis.

Headshot.jpg
Logo Banner(1)VP.jpeg

Aaliyah in Action comforts & provides birthing people who have experienced baby loss with self-care items to help navigate life after loss, with a focus on immediately assisting families who have experienced stillbirth and pregnancy loss. 

Be the first to know!

Get email updates with the latest news, events, and volunteer opportunities.

Thanks for submitting!

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

©2024 by Aaliyah in Action.

EIN: 86-3555453

1742 Galen St. SE

Washington, DC 20020

bottom of page