2022 ACBP Conference Speakers

Martha is a Counselor, Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC), and Life Coach with experience in instruction as well as individual counseling and psychoeducational group leadership. She is driven to inspire others toward personal growth and to fostering resilience. Martha is the mother of five adult children, retired as Counselor, currently working as Engineering Manager while serving as a Life Coach on a selective basis.

Her degrees held include a Bachelor of Arts: Speech Communication from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts: Counseling from Colorado Christian University.

Martha will be speaking on: “Domestic Violence: Insights and Strategies for Perinatal Professionals” and “Healing the Caregiver After a Traumatic Birth”.

Kelli is a passionate maternal health advocate and outreach coordinator, focused on eliminating health disparities and the disproportionate African American and Latina infant and maternal mortality rates.

She is a Certified Lactation Specialist, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Birth and Postpartum Doula of over 14 years.   She is  a member of: DONA International, Breastfeeding USA, International Childbirth Education Association, the United States Lactation Association, The Saint Joseph County Fetal Infant Mortality Review team, the Indiana State Department of Health Maternal Mortality Review Team and chair of the Health Disparities Subcommittee for DONA International.

She created the Speak Life Doula program and co-authored the Safety PIN grant that garnered multiple million dollar awards from the Indiana State Department of Health.

Kelli established the 32nd Milk Bank Depot in Indiana, which collected over 1,650 ounces of donated milk for Indiana’s NICUs.  Kelli testified at the Indiana Statehouse in House and Senate chambers in support of Senate Bill 416, for Medicaid reimbursement of doulas which passed, and was signed by Governor Eric Holcomb.

Kelli will be presenting: “Dying to be Heard: Birth- the Heart of the Matter- Racial Equity in Birth Practice, Cultural and Social Sensitivity in Birth and Prenatal Care” and “The Atmosphere of Birth”.

In 2006, after more than a decade of private practice with prominent Virginia firms, James Creekmore opened The Creekmore Law Firm in Southwest Virginia. The Firm’s practice is balanced between business litigation and business counseling, with particular attention given to the protection and enforcement of its clients’ intellectual property rights. Patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and business agreements such as noncompetition, nondisclosure, nonsolicitation and licensing agreements, as well as other business competition issues, frequently are the focus of the Firm’s client engagements and litigation matters. James and his team spend a lot of time with entrepreneurs and emerging and growing companies helping them understand and navigate the laws that pertain to virtually every aspect of their operation, and helping position them for growth and success in the highly competitive and fast-paced markets in which they exist.

James enjoys an AV certification rating by the Martindale-Hubbell attorney rating system – the highest achievable in both legal ability and ethical standards – and consistently is selected by his peers as one of Virginia’ s “Legal Elite” and as a Virginia “Super Lawyer” in the field of Intellectual Property Law.

A seasoned litigator, James Creekmore thrives in the courtroom.  He has experience litigating in state and federal courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the United States.  He has handled litigation involving complex intellectual property, contract, and business disputes.  He has obtained favorable rulings for his client before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. Creekmore will be presenting on Legal Issues featuring FAQ.

Pamela has been involved in many facets of birth work for over 30 years. She’s been an OB nurse, a childbirth educator, a doula, a lactation consultant and a home birth midwife. She’s married to her best friend, Steve, and they have two grown daughters. She has lived all over the world following her family in the United States Air Force. She currently lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband and two cats. She reads, sews, and has an additional business doing longarm quilting.

Pamela serves as the Treasurer for the Board and ACBP.

Pamela will speak on: “Universal Precautions: Controversies and the Latest Research”.

Ireena Keeslar CPM, LM, CDEM and a Associates in Science of Midwifery. Ireena worked as an assistant in labor and delivery before becoming a nurse in 1993. She worked in 2 different hospitals in labor and delivery over the years. Teaching both Amish and non-Amish, she taught childbirth classes for over 20 years. Her classes were often attended by up to 25 Amish couples at a time. She has been practicing midwifery for over 21 years in a rural community, mostly with Amish clients. She ‘helped’ start 4 different free standing Birth Centers, 2 still remain open today. She has wrote midwifery articles for several journals, served on several state midwifery boards, and has been involved with conference planning for over 15 years. She has been married since 1980, has 5 children & 5 grandchildren whom she enjoys spending as much time with as she can. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, sewing, crocheting, photography, gardening, drawing and painting.

Ireena serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board for ACBP.

Ireena will present: “Communication Skills & Teaching Students: Are you really listening” and “Work Life Balance for the Married Professional”.

Janelle has served women and families in Jesus’ name for over twelve years as a birth doula, childbirth educator, midwife assistant, birth and bereavement doula, postpartum help, and lactation support. Currently, she is managing a small birth and family support company, teaching childbirth classes for an area healthcare system, finishing Lamaze certification, and developing clinical skills in pain management. She enjoys living in beautiful southwest Virginia with husband, David, and their “blended fur family”: Stuart, a Siamese cat, and Trixie and Westley, long-haired miniature dachshunds.

Janelle serves as Parliamentarian and Professional Support Liaison for the Board and ACBP.

Janelle will be sharing her teaching expertise with the “Teaching Skills Practicum”.

Jill has served in Women’s Health for over 48 years and has been a Certified Nurse Midwife for the last 18 years. She has cared for women in various settings including the hospital and birth center.  She co-owns, with her husband, “The Midwife’s Mercantile, LLC”, a ministry that provides low cost organic and natural supplements and products to women and their families.  Her greatest love is Christ Jesus and through His love and guidance, she has experienced His miracles.  Jill is married, has had 2 daughters, 2 incredible sons in love and 2 granddaughters.  She loves her Church, Her Husband, Her Family, Sailing, Hiking, Traveling and Reading.

Jill serves Chair of the ACBP Board.

Jill will be presenting: “Postpartum Hemorrhage and PPH Safety Bundles”.

Ireena Keeslar CPM, LM, CDEM and a Associates in Science of Midwifery. Ireena worked as an assistant in labor and delivery before becoming a nurse in 1993. She worked in 2 different hospitals in labor and delivery over the years. Teaching both Amish and non-Amish, she taught childbirth classes for over 20 years. Her classes were often attended by up to 25 Amish couples at a time. She has been practicing midwifery for over 21 years in a rural community, mostly with Amish clients. She ‘helped’ start 4 different free standing Birth Centers, 2 still remain open today. She has wrote midwifery articles for several journals, served on several state midwifery boards, and has been involved with conference planning for over 15 years. She has been married since 1980, has 5 children & 5 grandchildren whom she enjoys spending as much time with as she can. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, sewing, crocheting, photography, gardening, drawing and painting.

Ireena serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board for ACBP.

Ireena will provide her many years of experience in her presentation of “Birth Photography”.

More information to come.