Vanessa Flood

Vanessa Flood has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries. Vanessa started their career as a Microbiologist/QA at Unilever from 1997 to 2000. Vanessa then worked as a Preschool Teacher at Stanley Bible Church from 2003 to 2008. Vanessa went on to join Shawnee Mission Medical Center as a Parent Educator from 2005 to 2012. Vanessa also served as an Associate Faculty at Barton County Community College from 2012 to 2015, where they taught Biology and Microbiology and actively contributed to curriculum development. Alongside their teaching role, Vanessa worked as a Birth Doula Trainer for DONA International, providing high-quality virtual training for birth doulas from 2012 onwards. Vanessa later joined the Johnson County, KS Government as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and eventually became the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Team Lead in 2022. Vanessa's expertise in lactation consulting expanded as they became the President and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at Birthing Beyond, LLC in 2002, and a Lead Instructor at Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Inc. from 2016 onward. In these roles, they delivered evidence-based breastfeeding education and provided virtual trainings to WIC employees, partnering with various organizations such as the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition and the Kansas State WIC. Overall, Vanessa Flood has a diverse background in microbiology, teaching, and lactation consulting, with a focus on supporting and educating parents and WIC providers on breastfeeding best practices.

Vanessa Flood attended The University of Kansas from 1993 to 1997, where they obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Microbiology.