First 5 San Diego would like to recognize Shana Wright Bruno, MPH, CCHS, Director of Lactation Supportive Environments at UC San Diego Center for Community Health. She recently received a “Rising Star Award” from the California Breastfeeding Coalition. The California Breastfeeding Coalition mission is to improve the health and well-being of Californians by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
Shana Wright Bruno is a member of the IMPACT Breastfeeding-Friendly Environment program First 5 San Diego funds. The goal of this program is to increase access to environments that support the initiation and duration of breastfeeding. IMPACT works to increase the number of baby-friendly childcare facilities helping them adopt and implement policies supportive of breastfeeding and lactation accommodation.
We commend Shana Wright Bruno for working hard to ensure those who breastfeed feel comfortable and supported. Thank you, Shana!
Shana Wright Bruno entered the breastfeeding world as an MPH intern at SDSU with UCSD Center for Community Health’s Lactation Supportive Environments program under Anne Kashiwa’s mentorship. At that time in 2011, Shana learned from and assisted Anne in developing assessments, resources and tool kits, and technical assistance to workplaces and school districts in breastfeeding-friendly policy, systems, and environmental–better known as PSE–changes most specific to lactation accommodations. That internship was a turning point for Shana serving as a catalyst to focus her attention more on breastfeeding as the best means for health promotion and obesity prevention. After interning, Shana joined the LSE team and continued to work on subsequent grants around Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Health Centers which offered technical support for what is commonly known today as the 9 Steps for BF-Friendly Community Health Centers and Outpatient Settings. Shana and Anne were a progressive team making changes in the breastfeeding landscape of San Diego County. Upon Anne’s retirement in 2016, Shana took the lead and humbly credited her knowledge, success, and potential to continue LSE to Anne. Most recently, Shana directs the BFSD Childcare Project, is an Advisory Board Member on the SDCBC, and is a key organizer for the SDCBC’s Breastfeeding Task Force which is in its seedling stages to assess the county landscape of all partners in all sectors who have an interest in education, outreach, advocacy and research in breastfeeding and human milk as the biologically normal way to nourish and nurture our children. Shana is instrumental in guiding those with a passion for supporting breastfeeding with the tools necessary to create upstream PSE changes, all while taking a special interest in supporting mothers and babies on a more downstream and personal level. She is a recent CLEC graduate from UCSD’s Global Lactation Alliance, mother of Oliver, and wife of Leonard. Shana’s rising star trajectory is now reaching the position of shining star for San Diego County! We can’t wait to see what she does next.
Submitted by Kim Speckhahn, IBCLC, Secretary & Immediate Past-President of SDCBC
Shana directs the BFSD Childcare Project, is an Advisory Board Member on the SDCBC, and is a key organizer for the SDCBC’s Breastfeeding Task Force which is in its seedling stages to assess the county landscape of all partners in all sectors who have an interest in education, outreach, advocacy and research in breastfeeding and human milk as the biologically normal way to nourish and nurture our children. Shana is instrumental in guiding those with a passion for supporting breastfeeding with the tools necessary to create upstream PSE changes, all while taking a special interest in supporting mothers and babies on a more downstream and personal level.