Linda Gaglioti received her BSN at Adelphi University in 1983, and received her MSN (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Perinatal Track) from Adelphi University in 1992. She went on to receive a Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery from Columbia University in 1994, and earned a Certificate in Teaching (focus on midwifery) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. Linda served as a labor & delivery nurse from 1983 to 1994, and began her career as a nurse-midwife at Maimonides Medical Center in 1994. She was the Assistant Director of Midwifery at Maimonides from 2009 to 2012, when she was hired as Midwifery Director at Brooklyn Birthing Center and Brooklyn Midwifery Group.

Summer Knight earned a BSN from Samuel Merritt University in 2000, and she spent the next fourteen years working as a Public Health Nurse for the Alameda County Public Health Department. During her tenure with Alameda County, Summer provided care for new and expecting parents and their children, oversaw weekly immunization clinics, and led professional development trainings for staff nurses. She also provided comprehensive lactation support and was credentialed as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Summer went on to earn an MSN in nurse-midwifery from the University of California, San Francisco, in 2012. She worked as a full-scope midwife for the Alameda Health System and Kaiser San Leandro Medical Center until early 2015, when she accepted a position at Brooklyn Birthing Center.

Lily Dalke earned her Master of Science in Midwifery at SUNY Downstate in 2012, and spent the next several years working as a full-scope midwife at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Brooklyn. In addition to providing midwifery care, Lily taught childbirth education classes, served on the planning committee for the LGBTQ clinic, and introduced peanut balls on Woodhull’s Labor and Delivery Unit. Prior to becoming a midwife, Lily earned a BA in Liberal Arts at Sarah Lawrence College, worked for non-profits promoting women’s empowerment and asylum for refugees, and served new and expectant parents as a DONA-certified doula. She speaks Spanish and French.

“I am a birth center baby and had my first gyn exam at a birth center! I believe that building relationships and shared decision-making are the cornerstones of excellent, safe care, and am honored to practice in a setting that promotes both.”

Prior to beginning her career in health care, Nicole earned a BA in Human Rights and Political Studies and an MA in International Affairs. After working in policy and advocacy for five years at Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières and moonlighting as a doula, Nicole enrolled in Yale University’s School of Nursing. She obtained her RN license in 2015, and began working as a BBC birth assistant and a home birth assistant the following year. Nicole went on to complete a dual masters degree at Yale University, and obtained licensure as a CNM and WHNP in May of 2017. Nicole joined our team as a Midwifery Fellow the following month. She feels privileged to support laboring clients in the birthing center setting.

Lydia Doublestein has been working in community health settings since 2012, when she completed in internship with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. Here, she gathered and evaluated data for a regional community health assessment and conducted focus groups to inform health education programs. In 2013, she interned at the Alpha Women's Center, where she developed and taught childbirth classes, counseled expectant parents, and served as a labor doula. The following year, Lydia earned a BA in Public Health from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After completing her undergraduate studies, she moved to Brooklyn to study midwifery at SUNY Downstate. She worked as a BBC birth assistant while earning her MS in midwifery, and joined our team as a midwifery fellow after she graduated in 2017.

As co-founder of Brooklyn Birthing Center, Norma Veridiano, MD, has been an invaluable source of support and guidance in the development of our practice. She is a board certified OB / GYN with a large private practice in Brooklyn. Although she has retired from the practice of obstetrics, she remains a terrific referral for clients in need of gynecological follow-up not within the purview of midwives.

James Ducey, MD is a board certified OB / GYN and Perinatologist (high risk specialist). He is Director of both the Division of Maternal / Fetal Medicine and the Center for Women’s Health at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) North Shore LIJ. He will not permit any attending OB physician at SIUH to perform a primary elective cesarean section. He recognizes that the maternal mortality rate in the US is on the rise because of the dramatic increase in unnecessary cesarean sections. Dr. Ducey is available 24/7 for consultation on any question regarding our clients. He reviews all new OB charts, and reviews all client charts at 36 weeks to ensure that clients are eligible to birth at BBC in compliance with our Policies and Procedures.

Sheena Thornton earned a Certificate in Medical Assisting at the Allen School of Health Sciences in 2014, and was the Valedictorian of her graduating class. She began her career in women's health at American Comprehensive Healthcare Group, where she worked as an OBGYN Medical Assistant from 2013 to 2014. Here, she performed a wide variety of clinical and administrative procedures related to obstetrics and gynecological care. Prior to attending school for medical assisting, Sheena worked in progressively responsible customer service positions. She joined the Brooklyn Midwifery Group team as a medical assistant in 2015, and she now serves as our Lead Client Coordinator.

Rachel Anne M. Libon has worked in a variety of social service and public health settings since 1999. Her experience includes assisting with community sanitation projects in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, working as a residential aid in a homeless shelter in Ireland, and spearheading cooperative development initiatives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Portland, Oregon. She was hired at Brooklyn Birthing Center in 2012, where she maintains practice data and coordinates special programs, including BBC's Baby-Friendly Initiative. Rachel Anne holds a BA in Cultural Studies from Macalester College and an AS in Nursing from Borough of Manhattan Community College. She is working toward a BSN at CUNY School of Professional Studies.

"I believe everyone deserves compassionate, empowering, and individualized care. The knowledge I gained while working at BBC was invaluable during my own pregnancies and birth experiences, and I aspire to make information and health care options accessible to all families."

Tova graduated from Pace University with a BA in English. While nursing her youngest child, she read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and discovered how much she didn’t know while nursing her older kids. Tova has been dedicated to providing lactation support ever since. She became a La Leche League Leader and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant to help even more families enjoy a healthy, happy beginning.

Kathryn Peck was born in the Bronx and raised in the lovely suburban town of Pleasantville, NY. Throughout her life, Kathryn has worked as a supporter for those in need, often providing a voice for the voiceless. From her first job as a Special Olympics coach in high school and then as an advocate for citizens with mental illness in the criminal justice system while at Bennington College, she knew from an early age that she wanted to be in a position of assistance, using the qualities of compassion and grace in the service of others. Since receiving her certification as a Labor Support Doula, Kathryn has become an active participant in the NYC birth community, attending births frequently and empowering clients throughout the city by giving them what they need most: an understanding ear, an informed and unbiased opinion and most importantly confidence in themselves.

Kathryn is a graduate of the accelerated BSN nursing program at SUNY Downstate, and she is working towards a graduate degree in certified nurse-midwifery. She serves as the Birth Assistant Program Coordinator at BBC.

"I am so proud to be a part of what the BBC offers to families. I've witnessed first hand the difference that birthing with privacy, respect and kindness can make. For those women who choose to give birth in this setting I already feel so confident that the experience will be a source of personal growth and joy and I feel privileged and honored to share in that."

Shalawn Facey is a New York native, born and raised in Brooklyn. She had her first child in 2003 and became deeply committed to motherhood. As a new mother, she quickly realized the importance of lactation support. She trained as a postpartum doula, labor doula, and certified lactation consultant in order to provide this crucial support for other new and expecting parents. In addition to working as a private doula, Shalawn teaches a Newborn Care for Expecting Parents class and works as a BBC birth assistant.

Maggie Torrance began her career in human services in 2005, when she started working as a counselor for at-risk adolescents at Ramapo for Children in Rhinebeck, NY. During her tenure at Ramapo for Children, Maggie taught independent living skills, developed a GED curriculum, and conducted outreach. She was eventually promoted to Program Manager. In 2006, Maggie worked with pregnant and parenting adolescents at the Triple L Youth Ranch. In 2011, she completed a DONA Birth Doula Training and started her freelance doula practice. Maggie was hired as an on-call birthing assistant at BBC in 2011. She holds a BA in Family Science from Anderson University.

"I began working with pregnant and parenting clients and attending births in 2006. I immediately fell in love with birth work, and I have since attended over 75 births. I enjoy working with women and their families, and I feel honored to be present during their special, life-changing events."

Caryne Jean Michel has been working in health care administration at Eastern Cardiology Associates & Dean Street Medical PC since 2002, and she served as Administrative Assistant for the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad from 2004 - 2013. Her on-the-job exposure to a variety of issues in health care is complimented by a BS in Biology from Medgar Evers College. After completing her degree in 2010, Caryne became deeply interested in birth work. She became a DONA-certified doula in 2012 and a Certified Lactation Counselor in 2013, and has continued to develop her skills by attending trainings on acupressure, rebozo, VBAC support, bereavement, and more. Caryne completed the Beginning and Intermediate Midwifery Skills Practicum with Chanti Smith in 2013, and began training as a Birth Assistant at BBC shortly thereafter. She is now pursuing an MS in midwifery at SUNY Downstate. Caryne is fluent in French and Haitian Creole.

Nicole DeNuccio has focused her education and career on supporting individuals, families, and communities in having meaningful decision-making power in the choices that affect their health and well-being. Before discovering her deep connection to birth work, Nicole received a BA in Development Studies from UC Berkeley in 2009 and worked in the nonprofit industry conducting community-based research on public health, advocating for policy change, and connecting people to vital healthcare services, in Oakland, California; Durban, South Africa; and across NYC. She went on to become a DONA-trained birth doula in 2014, a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) in 2015, and a Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) in 2016. Nicole received her BS in Nursing from New York University and became a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2016, and is working towards an advanced practice degree to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner. Nicole joined the BBC team as a Birth Assistant in 2015, and continues to work as a home birth midwifery assistant and volunteer as full-spectrum doula in the NYC public hospital system.

“I believe that all people deserve to birth in a safe and supportive environment, receive respectful, holistic care, and access to the information they need to make the choices that are right for them. I am continually in awe of the inner strength and wisdom of all birthing people. I celebrate in the immense joy that birth brings them and their families. I am committed to supporting people in having the positive and empowering birth experiences they choose, and am inspired by the transformation and growth that is possible with this kind of care, and the reverberating impact this has on all aspects of people’s lives. I am grateful to be a part of BBC’s work to make this kind of care more accessible to families in NYC.”

Cecilia Duran began her career in reproductive health in 2012, when she completed her training as a labor and postpartum doula with DONA. While growing her private doula practice, Cecilia volunteered as a birth doula for teen parents at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and worked as an office manager for a small midwifery practice. In 2015, she enrolled in the Graduate Entry Prespecialty Nursing program at Yale University, where she completed her diploma in nursing and is currently working toward a master's degree in midwifery and women's health. Prior to pursuing a career in healthcare, Cecilia earned a bachelor's degree in international relations and worked for a variety of non-profits. Cecilia is fluent in Spanish. She joined the Brooklyn Birthing Center team in 2017.