Who we are
Missy D. Lavender, MBA
After experiencing incontinence firsthand after the forceps delivery of her first child, Missy quickly became aware of the disconnect between the large numbers of women experiencing incontinence and the small number of available treatment resources. Following her second incontinence-related surgery, she co-founded WHF to help bring education, funding, and research to the field of women's pelvic health.
Melissa ("Missy") Lavender graduated with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University. Prior to founding WHF, her professional career was focused on real estate, finance, and investments. She was, most recently, a founder and principal in K.G. Redding & Associates (KGR&A), a private investment management firm that invests pension fund assets in publicly traded real estate investment trusts (or REITs).
Previously, she headed the Investor Relations departments of two NYSE-listed real estate investment trusts.
She was founder and CEO of CitiSearch, Inc., a private real estate firm specializing in all areas of apartment ownership and management, including asset management, renovation and leasing.
Missy's other activities include being on the Board of Personal PAC Board and a founding member of First Tuesday, an innovative women's resource group . Missy is actively involved with her childrens' schools, a member of the Leader Council for Mercy Homes for Boys and Girls, and sings in the chapel choir at St. Clement Church.
Missy lives and works in Chicago with her husband, two children, and their dog Beeb.
Jeni Hebert-Beirne, Ph.D, MPH
Jeni has an academic, practice and research background in public health with an emphasis on maternal and child health. Her interests include improving health and access to care for low income women and their families. She is deeply committed to Community-based Participatory Research and qualitative research methods. Her public health and methodological interests stem from her experience wearing multiple hats (community health planner, project/center director, policy analyst) at the City of Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Currently, Jennifer serves as the Director of Research and Development at the Women’s Health Foundation. In this position, she is responsible for building Women’s Health Foundation’s research and programmatic capacities. She is also Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences.
Jeni lives in Chicago with her husband, three amazing daughters and one giant, lovable dog.
Molly Kirk Parlier
In her 4th year at a 5 year old organization, Molly is a woman who has worn many hats during her tenure. As Director of Communication, Molly primarily focuses on health curriculum development, program marketing, website development, event planning, and public relations. In September of 2008, Molly accompanied a team of physicians to the remote mountanious regions of Nepal to assist in a medical mission for women suffering from uterine prolapse.
Molly graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Education with endorsements in rhetoric and english.
In addition to her work at WHF, you can also find her on stage at numerous Chicago area venues performing with several bands including, Todd Kessler and the New Folk and Catfight.
Molly lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and their ridiculously adorable 8lb. dog, Gizzy.
Jeni Donatelli Ihm, BS, Total Control™ Master Trainer
Jeni has worked in the health and fitness industry for the past 14 years. She earned her degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago while working as a personal trainer as Lakeshore Athletic Club in Chicago. After graduation, Jeni continued personal training as an independent contractor. She is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certified health and fitness instructor. In 2000, Jeni relocated to Seattle, Washington where she worked as a sports trainer at The Washington Institute of Sports Medicine under Dr. Parker. Her duties included training professional and semi-professional athletes as well as supervising the adult fitness center. Jeni’s passion for health and fitness took her to move in a new direction in 2002 when she began teaching high school health education, dance, and yoga. She was introduced to Missy Lavender and the Women’s Health Foundation (WHF) after moving back to Chicago in 2005. Jeni then became a certified Total Control™ Instructor and taught in the 2006 Total Control™ research study. Currently, she is working in program development, pushing to get Total Control™ into new US markets as well as undertaking course work to become a Total Control™ Master Trainer and member of the American Council on Exercise faculty. She enjoys educating women about pelvic health and is proud to be a member of the WHF team.
An avid ballet, modern, and jazz dancer, Jeni studies at the Lou Conte Dance Studio. Jeni lives in Chicago with her husband, Dr. Joseph Ihm.
Kate D'Esposito, MBA
Kate began working at WHF at its inception and has loved watching it grow into a
organization that is now impacting women of all ages. As Director of Accounting and Operations, Kate handles the financial accounting and reporting, personnel benefits and is the liaison with the outside IT consultant handling technology issues.
Kate graduated from Maryville University in St. Louis, MO with a BA in Political Science and received her MBA from Loyola University. She has spent most of her business career in the real estate investment advisory world as both CFO and COO.
An avid reader, she also loves working in her garden in Riverside where she resides and has a creative side to her making handmade stationary and doing other craft projects.
Anna Albrecht, MPH
Anna comes to us with a strong background in health and wellness. She has a Masters in Public Health and is the President/Owner of Body Positive, Inc, a company specializing in rehabilitative fitness. Her clients benefit from her unique skill set of Muscle Activation Techniques, Stott Pilates, as well as the Total Control Program.
Anna became acquainted with Women’s Health Foundation as a participant in our 2006 research study. She experienced such a dramatic improvement in her symptoms that she immediately signed up for the Instructor Training Class. Anna embraces her role as a Pelvic Floor Evangelist with enthusiasm and, as our Director of Fitness Programs, looks forward to supporting our Total Control program sites and instructors.
When not working with WHF, Anna can be found with her children, Jack and Caroline, or satisfying her passion for music in her soul home, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jane Wolforth, MPH
Jane is excited to be part of the Women’s Health Foundation again, this time as a Women’s Health Associate. She started out as a policy intern while completing a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is most enthusiastic about health economics and health initiatives aimed at female adolescent populations. In the summer of 2008, Jane completed a mountaineering course and spent several weeks in the uncharted wilderness of Alaska.
Suzy Brown
Suzy is an intern-turned-associate here at the Women’s Health Foundation and has been a part of the WHF since December 2008. Suzy graduated from Loyola University-Chicago with her B.S. in molecular biology and is currently finishing her MPH in community health sciences and maternal/child health at the University of Illinois-Chicago Graduate School of Public Health.
Beyond women’s pelvic health, Suzy maintains her commitment to the health and wellbeing of women and children through a business she runs providing doula and photography services to women in the Chicago land area and surrounding Northwest suburbs. Suzy has been labeled a ‘jack of all trades’ at the WHF, and has experiences ranging from working as a camp counselor for kids with HIV/AIDS to doing work for NASA.
Suzy’s research interests are those interventions aimed toward pregnancy and birth outcomes, as well as those targeting adolescent sexual health. Outside of work, Suzy loves yoga, cooking, and traveling.
Lynne Klasko
Lynne Klasko is a part-time program associate for the Lake County Initiative at the Women's Health Foundation. Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Lynne received her BA in English from the University of Rochester in 2005. She received her Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois-Chicago's Graduate School of Public Health and initially came to the WHF as an intern while in school. Prior to working at WHF, Lynne interned at Growing Power, a positive youth development urban farming program. Between college and graduate school, Lynne has lived in Brooklyn, New York, Vail, Colorado, Portland, Oregon, and South Florida.
powerful women in charge of their bodies and lives
The Women’s Health Foundation is the nation’s most visible and passionate champion of women’s pelvic health issues. Driven by the belief that women have a fundamental right to live without shame and limitations, the Women’s Health Foundation provides life enhancing strategies to achieve pelvic health and wellness.
WHF staff at 2009's Below the Belt with the Indigo Girls
