Founding Member and Treasurer

Pat Bilyk, MPH, MSN, RN, IBCLC (Retired) was instrumental in the beginning of Breastfeeding Hawaii and now serves as Board Treasurer. She has been a registered nurse since 1969 (graduating from University of Michigan) and APRN (Maternal-Child) since 1976 (graduating from University of Hawaii). She obtained her IBCLC in 1989. She has practiced as an Lactation Consultant in Hawaii hospitals such as Kaiser Medical Center and Kapiolani Women and Childrens Medical Center-first lactation consultant in Hawaii, at Hawaii Mother's Milk and in her own private practice Breastfeeding Consultants of Hawaii. Presently she is retired from active lactation consultant practice. She helped with the creation and passage of 3 major breastfeeding laws in Hawaii: Breastfeeding in Public, Working and Breastfeeding, and Exemption from Jury Duty. Pat is a member of ILCA and USLCA, serving in the past on the Reimbursement and Licensure Committee. She is a Friend of the US Breastfeeding Committee.

President

Amber Kapuamakamaeokalani Estelle Wong Granite, IBC, GPCE is the current Board President of Breastfeeding Hawaii, the state’s only breastfeeding coalition. She works at the Waimānalo Health Center as the WIC Program Supervisor and is passionate about helping pregnant and birthing persons, particularly those of Native Hawaiian, Pacific islander and Asian ethnicities by empowering them and their ʻohana through education and advocacy. In October 2019 she helped coordinate and facilitate the Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor (IBC) Training where 32 indigenous wahine from across the pae ʻāina received the IBC designation after an intensive 5-day native lactation training course. Amber is also the co-founder of The Hawaiʻi Indigenous Breastfeeding Collaborative and in 2021, together with other mana wahine, created ʻŌiwi Breastfeeding Week, the first kanaka maoli-themed breastfeeding educational week sharing ʻōlelo noʻeau, hua ʻōlelo and ʻike Hawaiʻi of breastfeeding, as our kupuna once practiced and taught. Amber was recently elected to the board of United States Breastfeeding Committee where she hopes to bring Native Hawaiian voices to the table. She is a mother of four and enjoys dancing hula and going to the beach in her free time.

Secretary

Tyra Maukaʻa Fonseca-Smith, is the Board Secretary of Breastfeeding Hawaiʻi. She was born and raised in Puʻuloa, Oʻahu and currently resides in the ahupuaʻa of Waiau. She is a wife and Māmā to her daughter Emalani. She is an Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor and a Birth Doula. Tyra is passionate about Native Hawaiian cultural practices such as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, pule and oli and is currently taking an in-depth look at traditional Native Hawaiian birth and breastfeeding Practices while obtaining her Masters in Public Health at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, specializing in Native Hawaiian & Indigenous Health. Her kuleana on the board of Breastfeeding Hawaiʻi is to serve as an advocate for breastfeeding families in the state of Hawaiʻi and empower the voices of the community. She is also passionate about perpetuating the legacy of her kūpuna through education and remaining grounded in cultural traditions.

Elizabeth Kehau Kealoha is a mother of four grown sons, each with their own breastfeeding successes and challenges. She shares this story of her journey in lactation:

I can relate to the victories and struggles families encounter. While working with families in the hospital setting, I knew it was my call to become a lactation consultant, after attending a Certified Lactation Counselor training. In 2015, I had the privilege of championing the 2nd Baby Friendly Hospital in Hawaii. In 2018, I decided to pursue my private lactation practice, thus, the birth of Mother's Milk LLC. I feel honored to be a part of Breastfeeding Hawaii and look forward to supporting breastfeeding advancements across the state.