Omare Jimmerson is an advocate, a community educator, a program creator, a mentor, and a leader. Omare is the Executive Director of the TBEI, and was previously the Deputy Director of Parks, Culture and Recreation at the City of Tulsa, where she ensured Tulsans were best served by various systems including education, healthcare and social services through the pandemic. Omare is the Co-Founder and previous Program Director of Strong Tomorrows, a school-based initiative for expectant and parenting students that provides guidance, support, and information. She is also on numerous nonprofit boards in Tulsa, and is currently the Board Chair for Reading Partners. She is proud of her Nigerian heritage being the first generation born in the States. Omare earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma.

Shamika has served families for over 20 years, in related fields ranging from birth support, childcare, education and child welfare. With a BA in Sociology from Langston University, Shamika currently serves as both a community-based doula and the supervisor for the rest of the TBEI Doula Team. She is passionate about bringing birth back into the community to support parents in controlling their own experience.

Ashlee is an experienced birthworker and is certified in both birth and postpartum work. After having her own children, Ashlee became increasingly interested in birth and postpartum doula work, deciding to fully make the move to full-time in November of 2019. She has an overwhelming passion to help mothers go through and come out of the experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum feeling empowered and proud of every decision they have made. Ashlee is a Doula every day to her friends and family in so many ways and is so excited to be able to extend that service to the women of the Tulsa area. Ashlee currently serves as both a community-based doula as well as supervisor of the Community-based Doula Hub Program.

Rebecca Cherms comes to TBEI with a passion for reproductive rights, closing the gap in racial inequities, and criminal justice reform. Rebecca is a proud Tulsa native with a BS from Northeastern State University. In her role as Executive Assistant she uses her 20 years of customer service along with her 5 years of HR and Claims management in problem solving and assisting TBEI in a multitude of ways.

As the Hospital Quality Improvement Officer for TBEI, Hannah provides ongoing training and technical assistance to key hospitals in Tulsa County. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, she brings to TBEI a decade of program management and process improvement experience in nonprofits and the public sector. Hannah also trained as a doula through TBEI and serves on the policy committee for the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates.

Mariana came to Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a teenager from Chicago, Illinois, and joined the Strong Tomorrows program at Nathan Hale High School where she graduated. Having previously served in the education field as a teacher’s assistant, she currently serves her community in helping to guide students as a community-based doula. Mariana serves expectant and parenting teens. She is also the first Strong Tomorrows alumna to join the TBEI Doula Team.

Brittany is a Tulsa-area native, proud to be born and raised here with strong ties to family and church. With a self-described “soft spot” for the people who live in North Tulsa, she is delighted to be serving moms in our community with her caring doula services.

Natalie is a graduate from Oklahoma State University and has an Associate Degree in Dietetic Technology from Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee. She has over 10 years of experience working with women who are pregnant, going through childbirth and postpartum needs as a Nutrition Assistant for Women Infant and Children (WIC. As a Certified Lactation Specialist, she looks forward to this experience to continue serving women in her community as a Certified Doula.

Fernande (they/them) comes to TBEI with 17 years of community organizing in areas of LGBT+ right, decriminalization, anti-racism education and care giving. Serving as the Community Engagement Specialist, they build collaborative relationships with community stakeholders to advance TBEI's mission with creative event curation. As the parent of three, they are dedicated to building a future in which birthing people are fully supported and empowered.

Martyne is an experienced educator and comes to TBEI with a passion for birth autonomy and maternal mental health support. With a BA from Northeastern State University and an MA from the University of Oklahoma, Martyne previously worked as a college instructor before joining TBEI as the Training Coordinator. She has a deep love for teaching and student engagement and is so excited to use her education background to support TBEI’s doula training program.