GEORGANNA COGBURN, MS, RD, LDN, IBCLC, RLC

Georganna Cogburn, MS, RD, LDN, IBCLC, RLC, is a registered dietitian and lactation consultant with over four decades of service in public health and maternal-child health in North Carolina. A native of Western North Carolina, she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Nutrition from UNC-Greensboro, becoming a registered dietitian in 1984 and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 1992.

Georganna’s career began at the Buncombe County WIC Program, where she counseled families and developed the Breastfeeding Support and Peer Counselor Programs, which continue to benefit families today. Since 1996, Georganna has served on the faculty of the North Carolina Lactation Educator Training Program (NCLETP), where she trained thousands of nurses, physicians, RDs, WIC staff, and community health workers across the state in evidence-based lactation care. She has also served as the Region 1 Lactation Trainer since 2005, preparing peer counselors, coordinators, and healthcare professionals throughout Western NC to support families in their breastfeeding journeys.

In 2017, Georganna co-authored a 20-year NCLETP report in the Journal of Human Lactation, documenting the program’s reach and evolution. She also led efforts to modernize training through flexible online and blended formats, expanding access for providers across the state. In addition to her teaching and training roles, Georganna provides direct patient care at the MAHEC OB-GYN and Family Health Center.

Throughout her career, Georganna has been recognized as a connector and mentor, strengthening North Carolina’s lactation workforce and fostering collaborative relationships that continue to shape the state’s breastfeeding support system. Reflecting on her work, she shares, “I love training healthcare professionals and students about lactation and providing them with skills to be able to support the families with which they work every day.”

CHEER is proud to honor Georganna Cogburn as our CHAMPion of the Week, celebrating her career of evidence-based teaching, mentorship, and leadership that has strengthened families, communities, and the professionals who serve them.