Advisory Council

Camille Smith

D. Camille Smith, is an Educational Psychologist, Certified Postpartum Doula and Lactation Educator with the “Learn the Signs. Act Early Program.” in the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. She is currently working on a program that aims to increase early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities by improving parents’ awareness of early development, increasing healthcare and childcare provider awareness of the importance of developmental monitoring and screening, increase parent-provider dialogue about development and encouraging early action on childhood developmental concerns. Her research interests include the study of caregiver/child interactions, improving child health and developmental outcomes through programs designed to influence parenting behavior, and the social determinants of health.

Kate Woeber

Kate Woeber is a nurse-midwife and a faculty member at Emory University’s School of Nursing. She began working with Embrace in 2015 (?) to make an opportunity for student nurses and student midwives to learn from refugee families by providing pregnancy and labor doula support. Raised in Buffalo, New York, she has lived in Atlanta since she began studies at Emory in 1997. She has practiced as a midwife since 1999, and has enjoyed teaching nursing and midwifery since 2004. Currently working to complete her PhD, she is also married and raising two wonderful, active children.

Virginia Tester, CNM, FNP-C
Friends of Refugees, Board Member

Virginia Voyles Tester is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner who has been volunteering with Embrace since 2014. Virginia studied International Studies as a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she had the opportunity to work in east Africa with women and their families. It was there that she developed a love for maternal-child health, and realized that all women deserve access to culturally sensitive healthcare. As a Fuld Fellow at Emory University’s School of Nursing, Virginia recognized that Nurse Midwives have a unique opportunity to walk alongside women in pregnancy and childbirth, empowering them with knowledge to make healthy choices for their families. Embrace has given Virginia the opportunity to connect with and continue to learn from women from around the world, broadening her understanding of and appreciation for culturally-sensitive care. Virginia also serves as an Executive Board Member for Friends of Refugees.

Gregory S. Noland, PhD

Dr. Noland is an epidemiologist with The Carter Center, where he has supported the Center's programs to control/eliminate malaria and other neglected tropical diseases since 2011. He received his doctoral degree in molecular microbiology and immunology in 2007 from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Davidson College and has completed training for a Master of Public Health in global epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.
From 2008-2010, Dr. Noland lived with his family in Western Kenya, where he managed a malaria research program for the University of Minnesota in partnership with the Kenya Medical Research Institute. He began his professional career working as a guest researcher at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Parasitic Diseases.

Ghenet Besera

Ghenet Besera is a PhD student in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. As a daughter of refugees, Ghenet feels a deep connection to the refugee community and understands the many challenges they face. She has been a volunteer with Embrace since 2013 and prior to that, she provided support to pregnant refugee women in the Washington, DC area. Ghenet has a strong interest in reproductive health both domestically and globally, and has several years of experience working in both the nonprofit and federal sector. She graduated with her Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Global Health from the George Washington University in 2013 and prior to that obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Cincinnati.

Katherine Clay,
M.A. International Administration

Prior to moving to Atlanta, Katherine spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, Africa working with orphans and vulnerable children in the town of Ghanzi. Her focus was on building the administrative and fund-raising capacity of the local organization she partnered with. After her tour ended Katherine moved to Washington DC and worked at both the Department of Education and Department of State. Currently, Katherine is an auditor with the Office of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General. Katherine first became interested in volunteering within the refugee community when she began visiting Elmira, a Meskhetian Turk women in 2007. She will never forget the fun she had at Elmira's youngest sons first birthday party. Katherine continues to enjoy the vibrancy of cultures found in Clarkston, and enjoys seeing the transformative work Embrace does.

Tracy Noland

Tracy Noland has been a volunteer at Embrace since 2014. After a career in HIV research, she lived in Kenya for two years with her husband and two small children. It was there that she realized her life's work would be in serving new moms. Once she and her family returned to Atlanta, she knew her heart was in Clarkston and with Embrace. When she first started volunteering with Embrace it was to help mothers get to and from doctor's appointments as well as attending births to provide labor support. It wasn't long before she noticed the need for basic newborn items so she began collecting items from around the community. Tracy now coordinates the receiving and distribution of donated baby supplies such as clothing and gear for the new arrivals and still volunteers her time with doctors appointments and labor support.