Monira Silk
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Monira Silk has been a staple in the Athens parent community since she founded a small eco-conscious baby shop and parenting center named reBlossom in 2010 after the birth of her first daughter. Before that, she was a photojournalist and ESOL teacher. As the first one of her friends to have a baby, becoming a mother was a hard transition and she realized she needed to create a safe space where parents could meet and parent together. In 2021, Monira founded Athens Parent Wellbeing as a natural extension of reBlossom as the need for mental health related services for parents became evident through the personal connections made through daily interactions at her shop and from her own experience as a Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders survivor. Monira hopes to help people flourish into the parents and humans that they wish to be. When she’s not empowering parents, Monira enjoys road tripping with her family, camping with her Girl Scouts, dancing on and off the ground, and falling asleep on her husband’s shoulder covered by hounds.
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Hannah ConstantinoÂ
PRESIDENT
Hannah Costantino is a registered nurse (MSN-RN) & graduate of the University of Georgia’s Masters of Public Health program. These days, she is best known as Mom to her three young children, four dogs, nine goats, and flocks of chickens. She enjoys renovating a 100 year old farmhouse with her husband, spending time on their land, dancing at The Studio with her daughter, and rescuing puppies. Hannah serves as Vice President for Three Dog Night Rescue Corp. As a survivor of postpartum anxiety, depression and OCD, she knows the value of mental health support firsthand. She welcomed a daughter in the early days of pandemic life and empathizes with those who are navigating parenthood of young children. Hannah is a founding board member of Athens Parent Wellbeing and a proponent of both public and mental health in the greater Athens community. She is a TheraMama for APW and loves supporting & encouraging people on their parental journey.
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Shannon Millan
VICE PRESIDENT
Shannon is a licensed associate professional counselor and mom of a toddler. She moved to Athens in 2018 while completing her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In her professional career Shannon has specialized in working with children as young as 4 years old who are experiencing mental health symptoms. She is a firm believer that parents' mental health is as important as their children’s mental health. Shannon is excited for this opportunity to help other parents build their village and take care of their own mental health.
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Theresa Pippin
SECRETARY
Theresa Pippin is a founding board member for Athens Parent Wellbeing and serves as Treasurer for the organization. After having her daughter in 2018, Theresa found great comfort through reBlossom's many support programs. Wanting to "pay this forward," Theresa became a TheraMama to provide peer support to parents in need. She brings her professional and volunteer experience with outreach and development to the APW board.
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Taneisha S. Brooks
Taneisha S. Brooks is a native of Athens, Georgia. She is a graduate of Cedar Shoals High School class of 2001. She attended Athens Technical College and obtained her associates degree in Business Administration in 2011 and her associates degree in Accounting in 2012. Taneisha received her Grant Writing Certification from the University of North Georgia (UNG) in 2017. She is the owner of Gold Standard Solutions where she provides services such as grant writing, grant readiness, grant research, and notary and administrative services. Taneisha is also a Realtor®️ with Calhoun Realty Group out of Keller Williams Greater Athens. Taneisha is proud to be a part of an organization that strives to help those in need of mental health support. Because of her own personal struggles in the past, it’s important for her to remind others that it’s okay to not be okay.
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Andrea Whittaker, LCSW, PMH-C
Andrea Whittaker is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C). She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Social Work. She has been practicing for over a decade. She is a mama to three young kiddos. She became a strong advocate of perinatal mental health and education after the traumatic birth of her second child, a son in 2020. She enjoys serving, advocating, and empowering individuals involved in the child welfare system and women/families going through the journey of infertility, traumatic births, and/or perinatal mood disorders. As a survivor of a traumatic birth and postpartum anxiety, she strongly believes in the mission of APW and supporting and encouraging other women/men/families to seek mental health treatment during this critical period. She focuses her private practice on perinatal mental health and is excited to be on the Board of APW to continue to pursue her passion. Andrea enjoys helping others through her private practice work, serving as a Clinical Supervisor for Project Family, LLC, and most importantly spending time with her husband, three young kiddos, and pup. Â
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Miranda Marshall
Miranda, a nature-loving wife and mother of two, embraces a vibrant life with her family. They are often spotted playing at Wild Earth Camp, exploring the Athens Farmers Market, and attending weekly church services at Grace Athens. Their deep connection with the Athens area is evident as they consider it a special place to raise their children. As a mom, Miranda has embarked on a profound journey of learning to receive support as generously as she gives it. Eager to expand her horizons, Miranda has enthusiastically joined the Athens Parent Wellbeing board, anticipating the wealth of knowledge and experiences that await her. Miranda's appreciation for APW extends to its mission — the unwavering support and sense of community it brings to Athens families.
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Kelly FordÂ
Kelly grew up in Columbia, SC, moved to Bloomington, IN for grad school (where she met her husband), and has been in Athens since 2015. They have two children, ages 5.5 and 7, and their lives have not stopped since finding out that she was pregnant (unexpectedly) with their first. They have, thus far, survived 2 under 2, a 17-day NICU stay, post-partum OCD and anxiety, a global pandemic, etc., and have emerged from those trenches wondering, when did time start FLYING?!?! Kelly loves to exercise (for real), read, "hiking" with her kiddos, and cook and bake her way through America's Test Kitchen. She looks forward to exploring the perinatal, NICU, and postpartum mental health support provided by Athens Parent Wellbeing.
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Lindsy Banks
Lindsy is a Labor and Delivery nurse of almost 20 years living here in the Athens area. She is married with two kids and spends much of her free time traveling, playing games, going to sporting events, and spending lots of time in the pool during the summer. She also enjoys a good fiction book in her free time. As a front-line caregiver of birthing people, Lindsy has seen a great need for better care of the whole person. Often there is great focus post-delivery on the baby and not enough follow-up and resources for the parents. APW is creating opportunities for parents to be seen, heard, cared for, and championed. Giving people a place to come when they are uncertain, scared, hurt, or just looking for another person to say, "You feel that way? Me too!" will have a forever impact on our community and future generations of parents.Â
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Morgan Jones
Morgan was born and raised in Athens, GA. She received her undergraduate degree in Justice Studies from Georgia Southern University and her graduate degree in Social Work with a concentration in families with children at Walden University. Her parents have been happily married for over 30 years. She has two older sisters. Morgan enjoys swimming when the weather is appropriate, open mic nights, museum tours, and traveling both domestically and internationally, and is a movie fanatic (well except horror). She particularly values the therapy services provided by APW, covering a diverse range of topics and tailored for parents.
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Addie HillÂ
Addie moved to Athens in 2022 and has lived throughout the US including New Jersey, New Hampshire, Chicago, and most recently, Los Angeles. Having a child during the pandemic has helped her learn first-hand the importance of parental mental health. She now has two children, a 4-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl. Addie is a physician and works as a hematologist and medical oncologist at the University Cancer and Blood Center in Athens, GA. She enjoys running (slowly), playing with her kids, and creating community with other parents and families. Addie’s favorite aspect of APW is the thoughtful programming that encourages parents to reach out to others - therapists, peer support, inclusive play groups, and other parents. Sometimes it can feel easier to remain isolated in challenging times, but those connections can be so therapeutic.