VALERIE COLEMAN

Valerie Coleman, RN, MSN, IBCLC, FACCE, is our CHAMPion of the Week. Valerie is the Program Director of Family Life Education, Women’s Health Community Outreach, and Lactation Services at VCU Health Systems (VCUHS) in Richmond, Virginia.

Valerie is currently active with the Virginia Department of Health Breastfeeding Advisory Committee, Virginia Breastfeeding Coalition, and serves as the Lamaze International representative on the United States Breastfeeding Committee Advisory Board.

Valerie’s 47-year nursing history is nothing short of exceptional. She previously led the Best Fed Beginnings Learning Collaborative at VCUHS, to improve outcomes for mothers, babies, and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. She was on faculty for the School of Nursing at The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2017, Valerie earned Alumna of the Year with UNC School of Nursing, and was identified as a “Super Hero” by the American Hospital Association. In 2021, she was recognized as Who’s Who in America for Lactation Consultants. She was also named a 2022 Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association.

We are grateful for Valerie’s dedication to human milk feeding!