About
Services
Donate
Get Involved
- Become a Partner
- Volunteer
Resources
Contact

Book an Appointment

Meet the Team

Natosha Bylsma

Executive Director

Natosha Bylsma

Executive Director

Natosha is an active member in the community and serves on various committees. She is the IBCLC facilitator for Capital Area Baby Cafe, a lactation support group, sits on the Capital Area Perinatal Wellness Coalition, and is on the Board of Directors for Michigan Association of Lactation Consultants (MALC). Currently, she participates in the GOLD Lactation Academy Advisory Committee and the GOLD Professional Advisory Committee. Previously, Natosha was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network. Natosha is committed to reducing the racial disparities within lactation as well as serving and supporting families throughout Michigan.

Outside of all her community work Natosha is also a wife and mom. She married her husband in 2021 and they live in Lake Odessa, Michigan. She has three sons; Hugh, Cullen and Knox. She breastfed her oldest two sons for over 4 years and currently is breastfeeding Knox. Natosha enjoys listening to breastfeeding and murder podcasts, traveling and spending time with her friends.

Melinda Dupuis

Administrative Assistant

Melinda Dupuis

Administrative Assistant

Melinda Dupuis is an experienced Administrative Assistant with a heart for people and a mind for organization. A Central Michigan University alumna with a background in Social Work and Leadership, Melinda thrives at the intersection of support, structure, and service.

After leading Specialty Sales Teams at Target, she pivoted her career to pursue more entrepreneurial and community-driven work. Today, she has supported a range of clients—including professional business coaches, social media influencers, and small business owners offering expert administrative support tailored to each unique vision. Including reality TV show Let’s Help Her Win!, which highlights women entrepreneurs chasing their big dreams.

When she’s not keeping projects and people on track, Melinda is proudly raising her 4 year old twin boys, Roman and Rozé and proving every day that balance, impact, and joy can go hand in hand.

Meet the Board

Ken Horne

President

Ken Horne

President

Ken (he/him) is a passionate educator and advocate, serving as the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Affairs at Michigan State University's College of Social Science. He brings a wealth of experience to his role, including a doctorate in Educational Leadership (2021) and degrees from Ball State University and Grand Valley State University.

Committed to leadership and community, Ken is the current President of the Next Generation Family Services Board. Until 2024, he was also a founding member, co-creator, and lead facilitator for the Virtual Educator Network, where he focused on championing inclusion and support for fellow educators.

He loves traveling, karaoke, spending time with his family, and relaxing with a good episode of The Golden Girls.

Denise Thompkins-Jones

Vice President

Denise Thompkins-Jones

Vice President

Denise Thompkins-Jones (she/her) currently lives in Sterling Heights, MI. As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a parent of two younger children, she is passionate about supporting mothers and families who breastfeed/chestfeed/human milk-feed. Denise works as a Senior Retention Coordinator for the Center for Multicultural Initiatives (CMI) at Oakland University (OU), in Rochester, MI. She is a two time alum from OU, having earned her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and her Masters of Arts in Counseling. Denise is committed and excited to continue working with families in the Lansing area, after having lived in East Lansing for 5years.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her spouse Relando, daughter Reese, son Reed, and pets Dalton and Tommy. She loves cooking, binge watching shows and reading.

Victoria Schmalz

Secretary

Victoria Schmalz

Secretary

Victoria has worked for the State of Michigan since 2010, and is currently working in School Nutrition at the Michigan Department of Education. Victoria earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Western Michigan University before settling down back in her hometown of Lansing with her husband and children.

Victoria’s journey with Next Generation began in 2019, following the birth of her first daughter. The care, support, and community she found through the organization made a lasting impact on her and her growing family. She has remained deeply connected ever since turning to Next Generation not only after the births of her second and third daughters in 2021 and 2023, but also as an ongoing advocate and supporter of its mission.

Emily Paski

Treasurer

Emily Paski

Treasurer

Emily Paski (she/her) is a parent, attorney, LGBTQ advocate, and peer mentor for perinatal wellness. She has a Bachelor's Degree in political science, journalism, and nonprofit management. She also has a Juris Doctor Degree, with a focus on indigenous rights and and government relations. She started her career as a communications director and grant administrator for public health nonprofits. Since becoming a mom, she has volunteered in the community to promote mental health, birth equity, and lactation support. As a survivor of postpartum OCD and depression, and a birthing person who has breastfed babies on and off for the last 12 years, she is excited to support the mission of Next Generation.

In her free time she enjoys caring for her urban homestead, camping, photography, and seeing live music. She lives with her sons, cats, and chickens on Lansing's Eastside.

Danielle Guty

Members at Large

Danielle Guty

Members at Large

Danielle Guty (She/Her) is a birth and postpartum doula, breastfeeding educator, and project coordinator at the Michigan Public Health Institute. With a deep commitment to reproductive justice and family-centered care, Danielle brings both lived and professional expertise to her work supporting Lansing families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum transitions.

After returning to home following her husband’s military service , Danielle finds joy in raising her two children in the Lansing area near family. Outside of work, she finds balance through attending her kid’s events, playing or coaching basketball, baking, reading, or spending time with family.

Amina Mohamed

Members at Large

Amina Mohamed

Members at Large

Amina Mohamed-Saleh is a certified community health worker, trained doula, and advocate for mental health and reproductive justice. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Women and Gender Studies with a minor in Public Health from Michigan State University and recently earned her master’s degree in Health and Risk Communication.

With over a decade of experience serving at-risk populations in shelters, hospitals, and nonprofits, Amina now works as a department analyst for the Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness. Her work focuses on addressing health disparities, particularly those impacting Black women, and promoting maternal mental health.

Kaitlyn Bowen

Members at Large

Kaitlyn Bowen

Members at Large

Kaitlyn Bowen, MS, RD, CLC, believes that access to safe, nourishing, and culturally relevant food is a fundamental right. She sees nutrition and human milk feeding as deeply connected to food justice, community care, and systemic change.

As Communications and Data Manager for the Michigan Breastfeeding Network, Kaitlyn works to decenter whiteness in communications, data, and education while ensuring community voices lead the way. She also teaches nutrition to nursing students at a local college, equipping future healthcare providers to approach care with equity, cultural humility, and practices rooted in evidence.

A proud Michigan State alum, Kaitlyn finds joy in running, making lists, visiting farmers markets, and spending time with her loved ones. She looks forward to contributing her skills and perspective to Next Generation Lactation Services’ board, and to learning alongside other leaders committed to advancing equitable breastfeeding support.

Jack Ho

Members at Large

Jack Ho

Members at Large

Jack Ho brings extensive public sector leadership experience to the board, currently serving as Recruiting and Retention Specialist for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. In this role, he develops strategic talent acquisition programs, ensures regulatory compliance, and leads inclusion initiatives while building organizational capacity across state government.

Prior to his current position, Jack held progressively responsible roles within State Government, including analytical and compliance positions with the Michigan Gaming Control Board, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and Department of Health and Human Services.

Jack earned his Master of Management from Davenport University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University. His expertise includes strategic planning, regulatory compliance, data-driven decision making, and building effective partnerships with government agencies, community organizations, and educational institutions.

Gayle Melissa Shipp

Members at Large

Gayle Melissa Shipp

Members at Large

Gayle Shipp is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, in Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, Pediatric Public Health Initiative. She has a PhD in Human Nutrition and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She completed an NIH funded postdoctoral fellowship (2020-2022) funded through Environmental Influences and Child Health Outcomes, ECHO program, focused on perinatal epidemiology and design of intervention studies. Dr. Shipp is a community-based participatory nutrition researcher and scholar focusing on improving maternal and child health equity, particularly through projects addressing breastfeeding disparities among African Americans. She received an RWJF, Health Equity Scholars for Action (2024-2026), award to evaluate a community-based maternity care model and engage partners in prenatal and antenatal initiatives supporting families in Flint, Michigan. Additionally, she leads a collaborative project focused on understanding the birthing experiences of Black women in Michigan.

She has a strong desire to improve the health and well-being of communities where she is a Board Member (previous Board Chair) of the statewide breastfeeding coalition, Michigan Breastfeeding Network, MIBFN.

The Protect Our Communities Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing equitable access to clean energy resources and advocacy to empower and educate Southern Californians.

San Diego, CA 92116

Facebook-f Instagram

Subscribe to Our
Newsletter

Name

Email