our team

Having a preemie is a life-changing event, and raising your preemie child is an exciting ongoing challenge filled with its own set of unique joys and unique challenges. Our magazine is here to offer guidance through our high-quality content and practical advice from trusted sources such as neonatologists, developmental specialists, pediatricians, fellow preemie parents and more.

Our team continues to grow. Here is the start to our team; the people who made it possible to bring it this far.

staff and contributors   editorial advisory board   medical advisory board

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staff and contributors
Our team is comprised of seasoned professionals; many of whom have national magazine experience and all of whom have professional or personal experience in the preemie community. More importantly, we are preemie moms and dads living the subject firsthand; raising preemies toddlers, pre-schoolers or kindergarten children.

Virginia K Hill, publisher and founder
After five weeks of hospitalized bedrest, Virginia became first-time mother to 3 pound, 6 ounce Madeline. Her personal experience, combined with her career in print communications, including managing the successful launch of Turning Points Magazine, naturally led her to publish Your Preemie. Virginia is a member of the Independent Press Association, the Family Advocacy Network of the National Perinatal Association and is on the March of Dimes’ Prematurity Steering Committee for Washington. Her favorite activities take place outdoors in the sun – and yes, she appreciates the irony in her status as a long-time native to rainy Seattle!

Julie Ryan Evans, founding editor
Two years ago Julie became mother to 27-weeker Nolan, born weighing 1 pound 15 ounces. She has more than 13 years of experience in communications and writing, including positions in the U.S. Congress and most recently at Microsoft. As a parent advocate for the Thrive Network, Julie participates in activities to educate the public about RSV and the threat it poses to preemies. When not chasing her busy toddler Nolan around in their Seattle home, Julie enjoys reading, writing and is a closet shop-aholic.

Chris Hare, editorial contributor
After several burgers, many gallons of Boost and two months of bedrest, Chris gave birth to fraternal twin boys Wesley and Mason seven and a half weeks early. She has been a professional writer for more than a decade, as well as an award-winning, twice-produced and published playwright. She served as newsletter editor for the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of Resolve and as a contributing writer for eToys, Pregnancy Magazine and the upcoming book, Hungry? Los Angeles Family: The Lowdown on Where the Real People Eat! Chris credits her sanity to her incredible husband Mike for everything he is and does.

Karin Harris, art director
A sister to a preemie, Karin Harris jumped at the opportunity to help design a needed resource for preemie parents. Prior to owning and operating her own design firm (Harris Design), Karin worked for the renowned Phinney Bischoff Design House in Seattle, where she created award-winning design work for clients including SAFECO, Microsoft and Boeing. Karin does all this in between changing diapers and vacuuming the cheerios left behind by her two young daughters.

Kate Hopper, hospital relations manager
A former Fulbright Scholar, Kate's professional career has spanned the worlds of academia, research, nonprofit program management and freelance writing. Since the premature birth of her daughter, a former 32-weeker, Kate has been active in the preemie community; including her instrumental role in planning the annual Life After the NICU Conference for the Children's Hospitals of Minnesota. Kate is currently working on a memoir about her daughter Stella's birth. In her free time (what's that?) Kate enjoys reading, writing, running and spending time with her family in Minneapolis.

Jim Raley, webmaster
When their first child came two weeks early and weighed only four and a half pounds, Jim and his wife spent as much time as possible in the NICU until they brought him home three weeks later. Jim serves as the web developer for Your Preemie’s website. Beyond his online skills, Jim brings his degree in Advertising, as well years of small business and marketing experience, to Your Preemie’s website to ensure that it provides you with an informative and enjoyable online experience.

Liz Shanklin-Selby, resource manager
An active preemie advocate and educator, Liz’s devotion to raising prematurity awareness is a tribute to her son Spenser, who passed away from complications five months after his premature birth. In honor of his memory, Liz and her husband established the NICU Parents Resource Library at the University of Maryland Medical Center in 1997. The resource library currently houses more than 100 books and videos (many of which she personally selected, read or viewed!) and has helped countless numbers of preemie parents. Liz also volunteers with such organizations as the March of Dimes, Sidelines National Support Network and Spenser’s Hope. She resides in Maryland with her husband Greg, two daughters, two cats and a Boston Terrier. She is an avid swimmer and Red Sox fan.

Heather Spears, illustrator
Heather Spears is an award-winning Canadian artist and writer specializing in drawing children, particularly premature and other threatened infants. A resident of Denmark, Heather travels and exhibits widely, drawing in hospitals in the Middle East, Europe and America. She has published numerous, highly-acclaimed collections of poetry and books of drawings including Drawings from a Newborn as well as four novels. The Heather Spears archive is housed at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver where it is available by researchers and others. Her illustrated website is www.heatherspears.com.

Teddi Yaeger, photographer
Recently voted as one of Seattle's favorite family photographers by readers of ParentMap magazine, Teddi Yaeger has captured lasting images of children for hundreds of families over the last five years. She particularly enjoys watching the children she photographs grow over time, especially her tiniest clients who just couldn't wait to be born. Teddi's work has won print competition awards and has been published in The Knot Weddings magazine. Her husband and toddler son, Hayden, are keenly aware of the camera!

David Loren, M.D., contributor
David Loren is a neonatologist at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. Besides providing care for babies and their parents, teaching medical students, residents and fellows, he is interested in developing education strategies that improve physician-parent communications and quality of care in the NICU. Dr. Loren and his wife Julie enjoy doing anything around water with their two children. He’s easily identified by his trademark bowtie; a small concession to tradition in the face of his usual flight from it. Look for his work in our column, Medically Speaking.

Sarah Max, contributor
Mother to twin preemie girls, Sarah Max most recently worked as senior writer for CNN/Money. Sarah's extensive freelance career has included work in such leading publications as Bicycling, Business Week, Outside, Martha Stewart, Money, Red Herring, Sierra, The Week and USA Today. She and her family enjoy the outdoors in Bend, Oregon.

Amy E Tracy, contributor
Since the birth of her premature son in 1990, Amy has worked to help families in similar situations. She is the author of The Pregnancy Bed Rest Book and co-author of Your Premature Baby and Child. Amy started a family support group in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1991 and currently serves on the corporate board of Colorado nonprofit, Newborn Hope Inc. She is a member of the Family Advocacy Network of the National Perinatal Association and works as a freelance journalist specializing in parenting and healthcare issues. Her articles have appeared in American Baby, Baby Years, Good Housekeeping, Twins, Pregnancy, and more.

Thomas Wailgum, contributor
Thomas Wailgum never really knew about preemies until his wife, Karin, went on bedrest at 20 weeks. Twin sons Sam and Will were born four weeks later, at less than a pound and a half each, and spent over 130 days in the NICU. (Thank God for good insurance, he says.) Thomas, who is a senior writer for CIO magazine and previously worked as the copy chief for both CIO and CSO magazines, lives in New Hampshire and enjoys taking his sons on hikes in the White Mountains. His column, Fathers' Forum, will appear in both the hospital edition and quarterly.

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editorial advisory board
Keeping to our mission is of the utmost importance to us at Your Preemie. Our editorial advisory board ensures we strive to make critical, winning decisions to better serve the preemie community. These members are the best of the best in the magazine industry.

Becky Hatfield
The mother of two premature babies, Hatfield has been an advocate for premature infants and their families for more than 30 years. She is founding member of Parent to Parent, the first support group for NICU families in the United States. Hatfield currently serves as past president on the board of directors of the Utah Perinatal Association, is a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Perinatal Association and she currently serves as co-chair of their Family Advocacy Network. In addition, Hatfield is on the NICU Advisory Committee for the National March of Dimes, the Utah Chapter Prematurity Council for March of Dimes, the Review Board for the Parents of Preemies website (www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/patientcare/preemies) and a committee member of the Utah Prematurity Summit. Hatfield also works as the parent support specialist at the University of Utah Hospital.

Dana Wechsler Linden
After the premature birth of her twins, Dana, a former senior editor at Forbes magazine and a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School, co-authored the book Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies. Dana sits on the National Advisory Committee of the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program and is currently a contributing editor for Forbes magazine.

Cory Rein
Cory Rein is a partner in the Everett, WA law firm of Cogdill Nichols Rein Wartelle Andrews where he has practiced law since 1992. He maintains a busy trial practice representing the interests of his individual and business clients in Western Washington. In 1999 Cory’s daughter Grace was born at 26 weeks weighing only 2 pounds. She spent the first 5 months of her life in the NICU and endured "about every complication imaginable."

Joseph M Valenzano, Jr.
Joseph M. Valenzano, Jr., is the president, chief executive officer and publisher of EP Global Communications, Inc. (Exceptional Parent Magazine). A publicly held company, EP has been in business for 35 years and is the largest communications company serving families, caregivers and health care professionals involved in the care and development of people with disabilities and special health care needs.

Cheryl Woodard
Cheryl co-founded PC magazine, PC World and Macworld, focusing on ad sales, circulation marketing and business management issues. The author of Starting and Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine, Cheryl has consulted with book, software, newsletter and magazine publishers since 1993. She serves as treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Independent Press Association.

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medical advisory board
Being medically accurate and up-to-date is a full-time commitment. To make sure we provide you with the latest and most accurate health information, our Medical Advisory Board consists of some of the top physicians and experts in their fields to review our content:

Mia Wechsler Doron, M.D. F.A.A.P.
Aunt to premature twins, Dr. Doron is a neonatologist at the Newborn Critical Care Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to caring for patients, she teaches medical students, conducts clinical research, and is the co-chair of the UNC Hospital’s Ethics Committee. Dr. Doron is also one of three authors of the book, Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies.

Sandra L Gardner, R.N., M.S., C.N.S., P.N.P.
Sandra L. Gardner has worked in neonatal/perinatal care since 1967 as a clinician, practitioner, teacher, author and consultant. In 1974, she became the first perinatal outreach educator in the country funded by the National Foundation March of Dimes. Sandy was awarded the American Journal of Nursing book-of-the-year award for 2002 and is co-editor of Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care and of Legal Aspects of Maternal Child Nursing Practice. Sandy has served on the medical consulting board of Lact-Aid International since 1976, is on the editorial board of Neonatal Network, the Pre & Perinatal Psychology Journal and is currently the director of Professional Outreach Consultation, an international consulting firm.

Cristina Glick, M.D., F.A.A.P
Neonatologist Dr. Christina Glick is past president of the National Perinatal Association (NPA). Dr. Glick is on staff at six hospitals, including River Oaks, Woman's Hospital, St. Dominics, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, Central Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she also serves as clinical professor of pediatrics. Among many positions, she is a Fellow of the Academy of Pediatrics, serves as director of Transcultural Development for NPA and is the associate editor of NPA’s publication Transcultural Aspects of Perinatal Care; A Resource Guide.

Michael Hynan, Ph.D.
Dr. Michael Hynan is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Following his son’s premature birth in 1980, Dr. Hynan has devoted his career to helping the preemie community. For the past 20 years Dr. Hynan has traveled to numerous cities across the country to discuss the psychological issues that surround preemie parenting. He serves on such boards as the National Coalition for Prematurity, The Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care, the board of directors of The Perinatal Foundation and the editorial board of the Journal of Perinatology. Dr. Hynan is also the author of The Pain of Premature Parents: A Psychological Guide for Coping.

Frank Peter Manginello, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Dr. Manginello is the co-author of Your Premature Baby: Everything You Need to Know. An award-winning physician, he is the director of neonatology and child development at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Among his numerous appointments and society memberships, he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics - Perinatal Section, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and sits on the March of Dimes Executive Committee. Dr. Manginello has published several articles and conducted presentations on the topics of prematurity, multiples and SIDS.

Dianne Maroney, R.N., M.S., C.S.
Dianne spent more than 17 years working as a neonatal intensive care nurse. She is currently a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health nursing and has a private practice in Englewood, Colo. Dianne is the co-author of Your Premature Baby and Child: Helpful Answers and Advice for Parents. She is also the mother of three children, including her 12-year-old daughter who was born three and a half months early. As a national speaker and a member of many local and national organizations, Dianne works with medical professionals and parents advocating to further incorporate a parent perspective and family needs into the care of pre-term children, both in the NICU and at home.

Saroj Saigal, M.D. F.A.A.P., F.R.C.P.
Dr. Saigal is a Canadian neonatologist, professor of Pediatrics at McMaster University and director of the Growth & Development Clinic, a follow-up facility for high-risk infants. A leading researcher in the preemie world, she has published extensively on the outcomes of high-risk infants. Dr. Saigal is also a collaborator for neonatal outcomes in several clinical trials and the recipient of a five-year career award as senior scientist of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2001-2005). Dr. Saigal was president of the Section of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine of the Canadian Pediatric Society until 2002 and was past president of the Section until 2004.

Martha Sears, R.N
The mother of eight children, Martha is a registered nurse, childbirth educator, La Leche League leader, a board certified breastfeeding consultant, a frequent speaker at national parenting conferences and co-author of nine parenting books, including The Premature Baby Book. She has 18 years of personal breastfeeding experience.

William Sears, M.D. F.A.A.P., F.R.C.P.
Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his "little patients" call him, is the father of eight children as well as the author of over 30 books on childcare, including The Premature Baby Book. Dr. Bill is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Dr. Bill received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto--the largest children's hospital in the world, where he served as associate ward chief of the newborn nursery and associate professor of pediatrics. Dr. Sears is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a fellow of the Royal College of Pediatricians (RCP). Dr. Bill has been a guest on over 100 television shows including 20/20, Good Morning America, Oprah Winfrey, Today Show and Dateline. He is also a medical and parenting consultant for BabyTalk and Parenting magazines and the pediatrician on the website Parenting.com.


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