Volunteer Board of Directors
SONDRA MARCON (she/her)
President (2022-2024 term )
Sondra’s background in family therapy and mental health work drives her to create an environment for her clients and students that is both supportive and challenging of bias and assumptions. Teaching and development of curriculum drives her to continue to grow. Sondra is a certified Labour and Birth Doula & CBE and has been for over 12 years. When not supporting clients Sondra is a mama to two curious and bright little girls and 2 fur babies. She loves hiking and camping and tv with equal fervor!
Mélissa Cowl (she/her)
Interim Vice President (2022 term)
Mélissa brings a wealth of personal experience combined with a professional background of childbirth-related training to all her classes and clients.
Mélissa’s commitment and dedication to serving families are apparent through her community work. She has been a member of a variety of committees and action groups dedicated to improving maternity care for parents and children. She is a founding member of the one of the grassroots groups that came to be what we now know as the AOD.
Mélissa spent two years working with all levels of hospital staff including board members, doctors, nurses, prominent community citizens, government representatives and Ministry of Health officials to reopen the birthing unit in her area. Her experience collaborating on a university-led research group looking into the crisis in sustaining primary maternity care workers in Ontario has been an asset to the reopening project in Alliston.
Andrea Paul (she/her)
SECRETARY (2020 – 2022 term)
Andrea has been a practicing doula for nearly a decade and is very passionate about helping families. She creates a calm atmosphere and helps families to navigate their new family dynamic. She loves the variety that birth support offers and how unique each person’s preferences are. Whatever your birth preferences are, Andrea looks forward to supporting your choices. Andrea started her career as a birth doula when she saw a gap in support. As her love for supporting families grew she became a postpartum doula to help families manage and grow their confidence with their new baby(ies). She then became an infant sleep coach when she saw the need for holistic sleep support. Helping families reach their goals is incredibly rewarding.
When Andrea is not busy being a doula she enjoys playing with her daughters and husband. She loves swimming, spending time outdoors, reading, and watching movies!
NADINE ROSS (she/her)
TREASURER (2020 – 2022 term)
Nadine Ross (she/her) is the current Treasurer with the Association of Ontario Doulas. She is the mother of four and has been a birth and postpartum doula since 2016. Nadine began her journey with the AOD in the role of Secretary in 2017, and was elected into her current role in October 2020. When Nadine first joined the board, as a recent doula graduate, it was about learning from other birth professional, making connections and expanding her knowledge while giving back to the profession. Over the past 5 years Nadine has learned so much about doula work and some of the processes and procedures found behind the scenes with a non-for profit organization. She has observed first hand all the hard work that goes into advocating for the Doula profession and trying to give back to the doulas in our organization.
Madeleine Alderson (they/them, she/her)
Equity & Inclusion Director (2021-2023 term)
After the spirit name “Gentle Water Rippling” was retrieved, Madeleine knew that her passion and knowledge of families would best serve her community as a role in birthwork. They aren’t an expert but they are trying to do the work of decolonizing birth work and perinatal spaces. Coming from a lens of harm reduction, inclusivity and gender affirming care, Madeleine is open to being wrong and would like to have a critical eye. They invite you to do the same.
When Madeleine isn’t in birthwork, they are tending the land/homesteading with their partner, two theybies, dog, a few cats, twenty-five chickens, thousands of bees, and other such projects. You will probably catch them at a powwow or music festival during the summer months.
Sara Susnar (she/her)
Membership Director (2021-2023 Term)
Sarah’s role at the AOD as the membership director is to answer any member related questions via email and try to provide a sense of community among members. Sarah is mom of 3, Early Childhood Educator, and Postpartum Doula (Certifying with DONA). Sarah is passionate about supporting new parents. Early in motherhood Sarah was diagnosed with a Postpartum Mood Disorder. After seeking treatment and support she healed with an understanding of how very important it is for new mothers to have support and know they are not alone. As soon as Sarah heard about the role of a Postpartum Doula she wished that A) she had one back then! & B) wanted to become one!
Stefanie Antunes (she/her)
Public Relations Director(2021-2023 term)
Stefanie Antunes (she/her) is the Director of Public Relations for the AOD. In this role she works with internal and external stakeholders to support the vision and mission of the AOD, in support of both our doula members and our profession. Stefanie has been a Lamaze® Educator and doula since 2002. Stefanie leads the Discover Birth organization, which includes two GTA doula agencies and a hospital doula program (The Birth Doula Program). Stefanie is a long-time board member with the Association of Ontario Doulas, former Public Relations Director and Treasurer for DONA International, and sits on many local boards and coalitions to improve our communities. She is a DONA-approved Birth Doula Trainer, owner of Doula School, and runs a Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Program.