DayOne Walnut Creek Team
Laurie Lund, Center Manager
Lindsey O’Connell, CLA, Service Coordinator
Linda Brooks R.N., I.B.C.L.C, Lactation Consultant, Facilitator
Carrie Finger, BFA, IBCLC, LCCE, Lactation Consultant and Instructor
Sandi Smith-Grove, Instructor
Chrissy Jordan-Smith, Instructor
Arika Larson, Instructor
Shannon Jorgensen, Instructor
Angela Imhoff, RYT, CMT, Instructor
Dr. Randall Chang, Instructor
Lisa Eiben, Instructor
Carrie Hillen, Instructor
Amy O'Brien, Instructor
Beth Hammond, BA, Instructor
Ksenija Soster Olmer, Instructor
Gena McCarthy, Instructor
Erin Freschi, Instructor
Laurie Lund, Center Manager
Laurie is the Day One Walnut Creek Center Manager. She joined the DayOne team because she loves the idea of being in a position where she can educate parents and help ease their transition into parenting. Prior to working with DayOne, Laurie mentored female refugees in Boise, Idaho as they acclimated to their community and new language. While in Boise, she also mentored moms returning to college. Previously, Laurie was a licensed and certified massage therapist in Los Angeles, where she owned a massage therapy business. She earned her Bachelors in Sociology with an emphasis in women’s studies from Boise State University. Laurie lives in San Ramon with her husband and three sons.
Lindsey O’Connell, CLA, Service Coordinator
Lindsey is the Service Coordinator for the Walnut Creek DayOne center, overseeing the instructors and functioning as a Lactation Assistant, answering breastfeeding and new parenting questions. She joined DayOne after learning about the resources and lactation support that are offered to new families. In addition to her role at DayOne, Lindsey, a certified postpartum doula through Doulas of North America International, provides postpartum care to private clients through Mother Baby Connection. In both roles, Lindsey loves interacting with different types of families and says she learns something new from every parent she meets. Lindsey earned her degree in Social Science and Human Development. She and her husband reside in Walnut Creek.
Linda Brooks R.N., I.B.C.L.C, Lactation Consultant, Facilitator
Linda, an RN with over 20 years’ experience in maternal child nursing, has attended hundreds of births, beginning her career as a neonatal intensive care nurse at UC Davis Medical Center. After training at the University of San Diego, Linda became a board-certified lactation consultant and was a leader in establishing a world-class lactation program at the Long Beach Memorial Hospital. Before joining DayOne, Linda was a lactation consultant at John Muir Hospital and the Walnut Creek Women’s Health Center, where she earned great praise for her knowledge and personable, nonjudgmental manner. Linda is delighted to work at DayOne, a place she calls her second home, where “you can just drop in anytime for a quick diaper change or feel comfortable staying all day to chat with other mothers.” At DayOne, Linda facilitates a weekly Breastfeeding Support Group, several New Parent Groups and sees new parents for one-on-one lactation consultations. She also teaches the informative workshop All About Pumping workshop. Linda lives in Alamo with her husband, Mike. They have two college-age children.
Carrie Finger, BFA, IBCLC, LCCE, Lactation Consultant and Instructor
After graduating from San Francisco Art Institute, Carrie spent several years as a successful abstract painter, before turning her creativity to being a parent, and supporting other parents. Carrie developed a passion for breastfeeding after becoming a mother. She worked for 12 years at a busy hospital in North Carolina, consulting with hundreds of mothers each month. She was a founding member of the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition, board member with Mid-South Lactation Association for a decade, and owned a private consulting practice, Blue Ridge Lactation, for 8 years. When her family left North Carolina and moved to the Bay Area in 2008, Carrie discovered DayOne. “I never knew a place like this existed. It is the environment that every new family deserves. I would have loved to have had the knowledge and non-judgmental support offered at DayOne when I was starting out as a new parent.” Carrie enjoys Lactation Consulting with new families at DayOne, facilitating New Parent Groups and teaching the Prenatal Breastfeeding class. Carrie is also a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, and Lactation Program Director at Aviva Institute, where she designs and teaches several online courses in advanced lactation studies. Carrie lives in the Oakland hills with her husband and their 2 teenagers, who keep them active and texting.
Sandi Smith-Grove, Instructor
Sandi is a licensed midwife and an ICEA-certified childbirth instructor and certified lactation educator with over 17 years of experience working with birthing families. She recently retired from her home-birth practice to focus on her love of educating families in all things birth related. She is married and the parent of two college students. Sandi currently teaches the Childbirth Preparation class at DayOne.
Chrissy Jordan-Smith, Instructor
Music and child development are Chrissy’s focus, and at DayOne she teaches Musical Play. She loves teaching music and assures parents that they do not need to be a musician to share music and its developmental benefits with their little ones. Passionate about children, music and dance, she has incorporated all three in her life and enjoys bringing music into the lives of her two small children. She holds an associate’s degree with an emphasis in early childhood education and psychology and is the mother of three young children.
Arika Larson, Instructor
Arika educates and empowers women and their families to manage their finances as a means for ensuring future financial well being, and at DayOne teaches the Wills, Trusts, and Life Insurance workshop. She holds life and health insurance licenses, her Series 7 and 63, and Long-Term Care insurance certification, and sits on the Agent Advisory Board to the State of California's California Partnership for Long-Term Care program. She is a member of the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers (NAIFA) and has launched a company called Women Be Wise, which focuses on supporting women and their families in creating a secure financial future.
Shannon Jorgensen, Instructor
Shannon, an associate of Touch Blue Sky's baby sign language program, is dedicated to educating parents and parents-to-be how to easily integrate sign language into their already busy lives—and have fun doing it. She received her BA in psychology from Chapman University, has completed coursework for her graduate degree in education, and studied ASL at Diablo Valley College. She became a baby sign language instructor for Touch Blue Sky's East Bay Region after experiencing firsthand the importance of baby sign language through interacting with her hearing son. Shannon teaches the Signing With Your Baby workshop at DayOne.
Angela Imhoff, RYT, CMT, Instructor
Angela, who relocated to the Bay Area from New York City in January of 2009, has a MFA degree in dance. She has been teaching Yoga since 2005 and working with prenatal women as a massage therapist since 1997. She gave birth to her first child in December 2007 and is constantly in awe of the changes the body goes through during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Her teaching is informed by her training in multiple somatic disciplines, including therapeutic massage, craniosacral therapy, Body-Mind Centering and Laban Movement Analysis. She teaches Prenatal Yoga at DayOne.
Dr. Randall Chang, Instructor
Dr. Chang was born in Walnut Creek, and grew up in nearby Lafayette. After graduating from Acalanes High School, he attended the University of California, San Diego. He then went to the UCLA School of Dentistry, where he earned a Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS). While at UCLA, he was also a Dean's Scholar, and received an Exceptional Performance Report (given to the top 10% of the class) in Pediatric Dentistry. Since he most enjoyed working with children and young people, Dr. Chang went on to a residency program specializing in children’s dentistry at the University of Southern California, where he received his specialty certificate in Advanced Pediatric Dentistry. After his residency, Dr. Chang has practiced in Contra Costa County. His passion has always been to be able to come back to where he grew up, and become a part of and contribute to the local community. Much like his father, who has been a pediatrician caring for the children of Contra Costa County for over 32 years, Dr. Chang wants to be able to care for their dental health. Dr Chang teaches DayOne Walnut Creek’s All About Your Baby’s Teeth workshop.
Lisa Eiben, Instructor
Lisa has a passion for and a strong commitment to helping children and families during the foundational first years of a child's life. She has a master's degree in child development and is a licensed clinical social worker as well as a certified instructor of infant massage. Eight years ago she sought out infant massage as another way to support the parent-child relationship and to promote positive child development, and has been having a great time instructing both moms and dads in infant massage. She combines all of her knowledge and experience to help parents in a supportive and fun environment when she instructs DayOne Walnut Creek’s Infant Massage and Dad and Baby Massage classes.
Carrie Hillen, Instructor
Carrie Hillen and her husband, Jens, acquired Town & Country Resources in 2008 and both work in the business full time. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Town & Country is one of the nation’s largest in-home staff placement agencies. Mrs. Hillen earned her BA from U.C.L.A., and her MBA from the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley. She is a Certified Public Accountant, and worked for Price Waterhouse, PHB Hagler Bailly, Charles Schwab Bank, and later worked with Charles River Associates. Carrie enjoys the time she spends at Day One talking with new and expecting parents about different childcare options when she teaches the Finding Quality Childcare workshop. Mrs. Hillen and her husband live in Orinda with their two young children.
Amy O'Brien, Instructor
Amy O'Brien is a Certified Personal Trainer and a Baby Boot Camp instructor. She received a teaching credential at Chico State after majoring in Journalism at San Diego State University. As DayOne Walnut Creek's Mom and Baby Fitness instructor, Amy tries to make each class a challenging workout for mom while creating a safe, happy space for baby. Amy believes doing something active each day keeps one energized and strong throughout the day, which is very important for new moms adjusting to the demanding life of being a parent. Amy says of DayOne "I think Day One Center is a wonderful place for new moms to build community, whether it is by attending a fitness class or any of the other classes that are offered. I have watched several women create and build friendships and support while meeting through Day One. Take are of yourself so that you may care for others!" Amy has two wonderful kids that she is encouraging to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle. Her 10 year-old-son has just completed his first 5k run this year and her three-year-old daughter loves her gymnastic classes.
Beth Hammond, BA, Instructor
Beth Hammond has been a birth and postpartum doula for 14 years and has helped hundreds of families adjust and transition to parenthood. Beth received her B.A. in Psychology from Cal State Hayward and trained as a doula with Doulas of North America and Newborn Connections. Beth began teaching in 1998 and has attained her California Adult Teaching Credential. A mom to 2 boys, Beth knows the challenges new parents face and what support is needed. Her practice includes educating new parents on how to care for their babies, sleep and fussy baby issues and lactation support as well as giving parents the nurturing they need after the birth of their baby. Beth helps many twin and triplet families and is an expert in the special issues that multiples present. Beth has been teaching a variety of parenting classes since 1996 and teaches DayOne Palo Alto's Grandparenting 101 class.
Ksenija Soster Olmer, Instructor
Ksenija is a parent educator with 20 years of experience working with parents and babies on two continents. She has written articles and books for parents and children. She is a mother of three daughters and a step-grandmother to baby Lilly. She works internationally to improve the lives of children in orphanages and rural communities.
Gena McCarthy, Instructor
Gena (RN, MFT) is a Perinatal Psychotherapist, specializing in birth, relationships and creativity issues. She is a certified EMDR therapist, a Perinatal Support Group Facilitator and Staff educator in self-care. She has facilitated and developed many moms support groups and always enjoys what women coming together with the intention of mutual support can do. She is a member and founder of the Contra Costa Perinatal Depression to Wellness Network, and a member and workshop facilitator of the Association of Pre and Perinatal Psychology and has worked many years as a maternal-infant public health nurse.
Erin Freschi, Instructor
Erin Freschi holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked in the field of early childhood education throughout the Bay Area for nearly 20 years. Her professional experience includes positions as a Preschool Teacher and Director, Regional Manager of a large early childhood program and Program Administrator at a local agency serving children prenatal to age 5 and their families. Erin has taught Early Childhood Education and Child Development courses at several community colleges and universities and is currently on the adjunct faculty at Diablo Valley College. Erin has facilitiated parent education programs, conducted teacher training and provides consultation to a number of early childhood programs. Most importantly, Erin is the proud mother of a 4 1/2 year old son and a 7 month old daughter.
