The California Breastfeeding Coalition’s new board officers will actively shape and lead the mission, vision and values of the organization. Within the board, a chair, secretary and treasurer is elected every year. These three individuals work closely with our staff to ensure organizational objectives are accurately measured and assessed.
Gaby Cavins, Chair 
Born in Peru, Gaby Cavins is a U.S. Navy veteran and equity advocate who has served on the CBC board since 2020. She is a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor (CLEC) and is pursuing her International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification.
She specializes in supporting families through the prenatal and postpartum periods with education and information on birth, breastfeeding, and maternal mental health resources through her social media awareness campaigns – Latched. She also has several years of professional experience supporting employees and employers with the return from parental leave. She is a member of Breastfeeding in Combat Boots and provides various levels of support to their staff and service members around the world.
Leading the CBC Board as chair is a natural fit for Gaby, who strives to close the gap on access to breastfeeding support within racially diverse communities. In her role as Board Chair, Gaby serves as CEO of the California Breastfeeding Coalition.
Rebeca Pacheco-Hidalgo, Treasurer
Rebeca Pacheco-Hidalgo, IBCLC, LCCE, provides lactation support at Riverside Community Hospital. She has been serving breastfeeding mothers since 2008, beginning as a Peer Counselor for WIC-SLAPH and followed her aspirations becoming an IBCLC in 2011. She’s served on various committees to support breastfeeding mothers and families, as well as advocating for better lactation accommodation laws in California and throughout the country
Having served on the CBC board since 2019, Rebeca understands the financial goals of the organization. In her role as Treasurer, Rebeca is the CFO of the California Breastfeeding Coalition and advises the board and staff on financial matters.
Inger Thomas Jackson, Secretary
Inger Thomas Jackson is a registered nurse and lactation consultant, currently working in the NICU at Adventist Health and Rideout Hospital in Yuba City. She’s a Daisy Award recipient and past-president of the TriCounties Breastfeeding Alliance Coalition. She joined the board in 2021 after years of involvement in our Summit and other events. As secretary, Inger’s role is to accurately record and file official documents on behalf of the board.
In addition to the board officers, the following individuals also serve on our board:
- Debbie Albert, BSN, PhD, IBCLC
- Lisa G. Bandong, MPH
- Cristina Gamboa, MD
- Ursula Pertl, MD
- Kelly Philipson, MSN, RN, CNML, MBA, MPH
- Devona Robertson, IBCLC
- Elyse Homel Vitale, MPH
- Grace Yee, IBCLC
Though our staff carry out the day-to-day operations of the California Breastfeeding Coalition, it’s the board that guides our vision and strategy. We are grateful to their service.