Kallen Korin

"I decided I was going to be a nurse when I was five," says New Jersey native Kallen Korin, who grew up in Burlington, earned a BS from Rutgers College of Nursing in Newark, and married Joel Korin of nearby Camden. They lived for 35 years and raised two sons in Haddonfield, where he was a trial attorney and she was a public health nurse. "Since 1978, I've been a childbirth educator, working in doctors' offices and hospitals," she says. "I've taught classes on early pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding; as well as classes for siblings, fathers, and grandparents. I've been very involved with perinatal mood disorders." Korin has also worked as a doula for 12 years, and she was trained and certified as a lactation consultant in 2010. A year later, she and newly retired husband Joel left New Jersey to join their son Steven, his wife Sarah, and their granddaughter Ayla, in Eugene, where she quickly launched her new business, Willamette Valley Lactation Consultants. "I work a little less than half time," says Korin, who shares the load with co-worker Kirsten Stock. "A home visit takes about two hours. We set up a plan of care, then follow up by phone or a second visit, as needed." Korin also volunteers with WellMama and Baby Connection support groups. She serves on the board of Ballet Fantastique Dance Studio and regularly babysits granddaughter Ayla.