Rebozo Way Project Board of Trustees

Barbara Wishingrad, President, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.

Barbara has worked as a midwife, childbirth educator, massage therapist, herbalist, translator, doctor's assistant and street artist, and is presently a child developmental specialist working with Spanish speaking families in Santa Barbara, CA. She is founder and President of The Rebozo Way Project, and has been teaching about babywearing since 1988. Barbara wore her two sons in rebozos from 1985-1990 while living in Mexico. She returned to live in the U.S. in 1999. Barbara is dedicated to learning all she can about indigenous cultures and traditional babywearing around the world, and imparting that information to others.

Shelly Best, Treasurer, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A

Shelly is a mother of a teen, an accountant for small businesses and a foster parent. She has been on the Circle of Trustees at the Santa Barbara Charter School for the past 4 years, Member of the Budget Committee, After School Program Committee and is currently, a member of the board of the Santa Barbara Foster Parents Association. Shelly's interests include nutrition, attachment, healing childhood and family trauma, and communication skills, and how all these things work together to create a healthy, satisfying life.

Vesta Garcia, Secretary, McKinney, TX, U.S.A.

Vesta is the founder and President of Ellaroo, a manufacturer of baby products, including four styles of baby carriers. Before that, she way founder and owner of Peppermint.com, a retail company selling a diverse selection of modern and traditional baby carriers and related products. Vesta and her husband came to babywearing through their introduction to rebozos during a class in Seattle, taught by Terrie Abrahamson. Vesta's primary interest now lies in collecting information about babywearing traditions and textiles around the world

Jennifer Gordon, Trustee, North Bay, ON, Canada

Jennifer Gordon is a Canadian mom of three. Prior to having children Jennifer worked in the field of Outdoor Education with the Candian Outward Bound Wilderness School. Specializing in work with youth and women who have experienced violence, Jennifer’s work took her through many of the lakes, rivers and over the rocks of the Canadian shield. Jennifer’s love of the wilderness translated to a need to travel easily with her children. With the early birth of her son in 2001 the use of traditional style baby carriers quickly became an integral part of Jennifer’s life. Currently working in sales and distribution of traditional style baby carriers in Canada; Jennifer has been teaching Babywearing since 2004. Dear to Jennifer’s heart is the work that she does with Ruby Mautaritnaak. Together, Ruby and Jennifer produce and supply amautik, the traditional inuit women’s parka, to women and babies in North America and around the world.

Arie is a Lactation Consultant, Certified Babywearing Educator, owner of Tadpoles & Butterfiles, a retail business specializing in babywearing, as well as a freelance writer.  She teaches at conferences & workshops to encourage babywearing as a public health initiative & as a tool to succesful breastfeeding. Arie is passionate about preserving traditional babywearing practices.  Her Celtic ancestry led her to be especially fascinated with the use of nursing shawls.  She is also inspired by the varied traditional carrying practices of Canadian First Nations people, including the cradle board, shawl & amauti.