USBC Membership Meeting Mission Moment with Andrea Serano

Andrea Serano, MPH, CLC, IBCLC, CHES
Executive Director, Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee hosted a Membership Meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026. The biannual event brings together the more than 150 member organizations that comprise the USBC to work collaboratively to drive policy and practice changes that create a landscape of breastfeeding support.

​At the opening of the meeting, Andrea Serano, Executive Director of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (R.O.S.E.) delivered the "Mission Moment." This is a practice to connect our work to the lives we serve and the positive and impactful change we seek. 

​Thank you, Andrea, for reminding us of the growth and evolution of the USBC and the role we all play in collectively protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. Read the transcript of Andrea's Mission Moment below:

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I am truly honored to lead today’s Mission Moment as your Chair-Elect of the United States Breastfeeding Committee.
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About 12 years ago, in 2014, I attended my first USBC meeting as Dr. Kimarie Bugg’s guest. At the time, I questioned whether I fit into the mold of USBC. I imagine many of us have felt that same uncertainty when stepping into a new space, that quiet question of, “Do I belong here?”

The answer is: yes.

Since that first touchpoint, the mold of USBC has continued to grow and evolve being shaped by its members, staff, and board. Each of us serves as a sculptor, contributing to what this organization becomes.

Every person in this space holds an essential role in how we collectively protect, promote, and support breastfeeding for families. It is through these shared efforts that we continue shaping USBC into what it is meant to be.

​My journey in this work has been grounded in a guiding belief: that families and communities hold the wisdom and power to drive meaningful change. Along the way, I have witnessed the transformative impact of collaboration in how strategy, advocacy, and compassionate care come together to build lasting support for families.

I am also mindful of the ongoing shifts in our landscape, and what they mean for all of us and the communities we serve. I hold space that over the past six years, we have been in a constant state of pivoting through adapting, responding, and continuing forward with purpose.

​In moments like these, we are reminded that the USBC mission is rooted in the spirit of collaboration. We thrive when we move together by strengthening regional, cross-state, and territorial partnerships in this work.

I am humbled to continue this journey with all of you. Together, I know we can rise to the challenges ahead and advance community-driven solutions that ensure every family has the support they need to meet their first food goals.
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Thank you for this opportunity to serve. I look forward to the work ahead, together.