At Fairfax Surrogacy, our goal is to provide education and support to all aspiring parents and surrogates. In addition, we offer a high standard of credibility, transparency, diversity, and compassion to all who seek our services. Our highest level of integrity is demonstrated through our extensive screening process before matching and our commitment to having safeguards in place to protect and honor all persons involved.
Fairfax Surrogacy was founded by a group of experienced professionals in third-party reproduction and is the affiliate company to the Genetics & IVF Institute, Fairfax Cryobank, and Fairfax EggBank.
As part of GIVF’s family of Fairfax companies, we are backed by decades of experience and expertise in reproductive science and compassionate patient care.
We know your story is like no other, yet we understand so much of what you are going through. Our team members have walked through the challenging world of infertility, and we also have experienced surrogates on our team who can offer unique insight and support.
We see you, and we empathize with the multiple facets each family must consider. We are so honored to support and care for surrogates and intended parents as you navigate new waters both physically and emotionally. Be a part of something amazing, and trust in us to hope with you.
We believe that nothing is more important than helping fulfill the desires of those who long to be parents or help expand a family. The joy we receive in return to witnessing the gift of changing a family’s legacy is the most cherished gift.
We stand apart for our quality screening process, assuring that all surrogates will be thoroughly vetted before matching versus many traditional models. This is an important part of this process to consider on your journey to becoming a parent through surrogacy. Pre-screening surrogates add an invaluable safeguard for you.
Our services provide support, resources, and connections to help connect all of the needed puzzle pieces together on your journey. Whether you are an intended parent or a courageous gestational carrier/surrogate, you are treated like extended family here. Every person and couple is welcome with open arms at Fairfax Surrogacy. If you long to grow your family or you want to help others grow their family, we are here to help every step of the way!
Our people are what make the difference.
Director of Growth & Engagement
Surrogate Program Manager
General Counsel
Assistant General Counsel
Surrogate Financial Coordinator
Case Manager
Legal, Insurance, and Escrow Services
Legal Services
Legal, Insurance, and Escrow Services
Legal Services
Legal Services
Legal and Escrow Services
Bilingual Legal Services
Legal Services
Legal Services
Legal Services
Legal Services
Counseling Services
Counseling Services
Counseling Services
Bilingual Counseling Services
Escrow Services
Insurance Services
Insurance Services
Fairfax Surrogacy is proud to support
Fairfax Surrogacy is a full-service surrogacy agency that helps intended parents worldwide find a gestational surrogate to carry their baby, while also providing comprehensive support services for surrogates. Fairfax Surrogacy is the newest addition to the Genetics & IVF Institute (“GIVF”) portfolio of assisted reproduction enterprises, which dates back to 1984. Among many accomplishments, GIVF was the first clinic to achieve a frozen embryo twin birth in America. GIVF’s founders also started Fairfax EggBank and Fairfax Cryobank, both leaders in the industry. At Fairfax Surrogacy, our goal is to provide education, support, and a high standard of credibility, transparency, diversity, and compassion to all who seek our services.
We are looking for a full-time Surrogate Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator to join our team. The Surrogate Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator will play a key role in providing guidance and a high level of customer service to gestational surrogates throughout the application and matching process. You’ll act as a strategic partner to the applicants and the team, ensuring they are educated on the expectations, level of commitment, and requirements of the process.
This role entails a comprehensive approach to engaging with potential surrogates, managing their documentation, ensuring compliance with program requirements, and supporting the logistical aspects of their journey while upholding the agency’s quality standards. You will be responsible for assisting the gestational surrogates, third-party professionals such as fertility clinic staff, insurance counselors, and the Fairfax team throughout the phases of the application process.
The Surrogate Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator will be the main point of contact for gestational surrogates from the moment they inquire about our program until they are officially matched.
Primary Responsibilities:
Recruitment:
Admissions, Coordination, and Support:
Qualifications and Experience:
This position is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated professional to assume a pivotal role in the evolution of a start-up organization.
Additional Information:
GIVF provides competitive compensation and generous benefits to our employees, including:
Fairfax Surrogacy is a proud, equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive work environment and to building a team that reflects the rich diversity of our community. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities are encouraged to apply.
To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to [email protected] and note “FSSRAC” on the subject line.
EOE/M/F/D/V
We are the first to innovate in the fertility industry. Our experience allows us to care for the health of women while advancing success rates in IVF.
Surrogates, we’re with you from the beginning to protect and support you physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Intended Parents, we minimize your match time with comprehensive and intensive screenings before you’re introduced to your surrogate.
Director of Growth and Engagement
Meet our Director of Surrogacy Program Growth and Engagement, Perla Piekutowski. Perla has over 14 years of experience in the ART field, including operations, case management, program administration, accounts administration, office management, and executive leadership. She is known for her first-class level of service to intended parents and surrogates, her stellar management skills, and her global networking.
Perla and her husband also needed assistance growing their own family through IVF. Her journey to having her children has gifted Perla with more empathy and appreciation for intended parents. Between her professional and personal experiences, Perla serves everyone she meets with enthusiasm and compassion for their goals and understanding their trials.
Perla was born and raised in Peru, where she studied communications and public relations. Since then, Perla has compiled a unique and diverse body of experience that helps her understand a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and beliefs. She is bi-lingual in English and Spanish.
Surrogate Program Manager
Meet our Surrogate Program Manager, Susan Taylor.
Susan has been a gestational surrogate twice. She has helped two families to grow through gestational surrogacy in 2015 and 2017. She quickly knew she had a passion for helping others build their families through egg donation or gestational surrogacy.
Susan has served as a support coordinator for surrogates, where her passion for educating and guiding women through surrogacy began. Susan previously hosted a podcast regarding various ART topics.
Additionally, Susan is a Licensed Midwife. She has a big heart for women who have experienced infertility. Occasionally her two worlds will collide, and she can be a Midwife for gestational carriers and their intended parents.
Susan’s experience enables her to understand and care for intended parents and gestational surrogates on various levels. She is married with four beautiful children.
General Counsel
Sara has worked in health care law her entire career. At first, she worked doing health regulatory work at a major international law firm, followed by joining a large local health system as in-house counsel. Sara started her involvement in the ART industry in 2019 and she is the General Counsel for GIVF and all of the Fairfax Family of businesses. She is also an honorary ART fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Law Attorneys.
Assistant General Counsel
Michelle has extensive experience in health care law and assisted reproductive law. She spent the first four years of her career in hospital administration and research and then worked at a surrogacy agency in varying roles including leadership for nine years. Prior to joining GIVF, Michelle came from private legal practice focusing on assisted reproductive law and adoption. She is excited to be a part of the GIVF family of companies and to continue to support those building their families through assisted reproduction.
Michelle is licensed to practice law in Maryland and Washington, DC and is a member of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproductive Attorneys.
Surrogate Financial Coordinator
Kim is a married mother of three and a three-time experienced surrogate. Her incredible journeys have resulted in four beautiful children and have brought immeasurable joy to three loving families. Kim’s profound connection with surrogacy began in 2014, igniting a passion that continues to inspire her to this day.
While embarking on her first surrogacy, Kim pursued her educational aspirations, successfully completing her bachelor’s degree in Accounting. This academic achievement propelled her into a fulfilling career in that field. However, the calling of surrogacy remained strong, compelling Kim to expand her impact. Building upon her two additional successful surrogacy journeys, Kim embraced a new role in 2020, assisting Surrogates and Intended Parents as they embarked on their own surrogacy journeys.
Kim is delighted to combine her passions by serving as our Surrogate Financial Coordinator. In this capacity, she expertly combines her accounting expertise with her deep understanding of the surrogacy process. Her role ensures that Surrogates and Intended Parents receive comprehensive support and guidance throughout their financial journey, fostering trust and peace of mind.
With unwavering dedication and a unique blend of knowledge, Kim proves to be an invaluable asset to our team. Her commitment to building families through surrogacy shines through every interaction as she embraces her role with warmth, professionalism, and an unwavering desire to make a difference.
Case Manager
Joyce Wheeler has dedicated her career to helping couples struggling with infertility. She is a loving mother of three children and married to her high school sweetheart. Joyce has also been a two-time gestational carrier, which has given her a unique and empathetic perspective and understanding of the surrogacy process.
Joyce’s passion for Surrogacy and Infertility Education led her to pursue a career in Surrogacy Case Management. She has been instrumental in helping couples navigate the complex and emotional journey of surrogacy. Her compassion and dedication have helped many families achieve their dream of having a child.
Joyce’s personal experience as a Gestational Carrier has given her a deep understanding of the challenges and joys of the surrogacy process. She is a strong advocate for the rights of surrogates and works tirelessly to ensure that they experience all the joys of their journey as well as have a sounding board for any hurdles they encounter along the way. In addition, Joyce advocates for Intended Parents, providing them with guidance and support throughout the surrogacy process, helping them to navigate the legal, financial, and emotional aspects of their journey toward parenthood.
Case Manager
With over a decade of dedicated involvement in the surrogacy industry, Ronda’s journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to building loving families. Her journey is a unique blend of personal experiences and professional expertise, driven by a deep desire to help others create loving families.
As an adopted child, Ronda felt a desire to pay forward the love and support she received from her own family. In 2014, she embarked on her first gestational surrogacy journey, an experience that set her on an extraordinary path. Throughout her surrogacy journeys, Ronda has selflessly carried the dreams of others, bringing five beautiful babies into the arms of three loving families. Her surrogacy journeys have included pregnancies with twins and singletons, supporting international and domestic couples, as well as both same-sex and heterosexual partners.
Ronda’s passion for gestational surrogacy blossomed during her initial journey, leading her to seek deeper involvement within the surrogacy community. She became an active member of surrogacy support groups, paving the way for her official entry into the surrogacy and egg donation industry in 2016 as a Case Manager. Over the years, she has risen through the ranks, holding positions such as Senior Case Manager and Director of Case Management. Through these roles, Ronda has established enduring relationships with legal experts, escrow companies, fertility centers, intended parents, and fellow gestational surrogates.
Ronda’s wealth of experience and genuine compassion make her a tremendous source of support for intended parents and gestational surrogates alike. She guides them through the journey of surrogacy with empathy, hope, and steadfast support. Beyond her professional life, Ronda is a devoted wife and a loving mother to four beautiful children.
Marketing Manager
Angel Carlson is a dedicated Marketing Manager with a passion for both surrogacy and technology. Her journey into the world of surrogacy began when she married her high school sweetheart and became a mother to two children. Her pregnancies were smooth and joyful, but she knew her family was complete. This realization led her to take the path of becoming a gestational surrogate twice for the same family. In 2003 and 2005, Angel gave birth to their daughters, an experience that would shape her future career.
It was the combination of her surrogacy experiences and her interest in design and technology that inspired her to pursue a career in marketing within the surrogacy industry. Building strong professional connections during her surrogacy journey made this transition a natural fit. With over two decades of experience in the surrogacy industry, Angel has proven herself as a true “Jill of All Trades.” She has honed her skills in diverse areas, from social media management to website design and management to CRM development.
Angel’s dedication extends beyond her role as Marketing Manager. She is always eager to support her team and their clients in any way possible and takes pride in providing education and guidance to both surrogates and intended parents through various channels, including social media, informational videos, and the Fairfax Surrogacy blog.
Angel’s unique blend of personal experiences and professional expertise allows her to provide knowledge and support to surrogates and intended parents to help them make informed decisions as they pursue their surrogacy journey.
Legal, Insurance, and Escrow Services
Meet another one of the trusted Fairfax attorneys, Andrew W. Vorzimer. Mr. Vorzimer is recognized worldwide as the foremost expert in the legal field of Surrogacy, Egg Donation, and Reproductive Law. Mr. Vorzimer is an expert author in ART, a multi-award recipient in the industry, and well known for his work in various high-profile litigation cases and appearances in numerous news shows. In addition, he has been instrumental in making positive legal changes regarding best practices regarding surrogacy.
Mr. Vorzimer graduated Magna Cum Laude (J.D.) from Whittier College School of Law in 1988. Mr. Vorzimer completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University and the University of Miami.
Legal Services, Insurance Reviews, Escrow Services
Lila M. Seif provides family building legal services through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) including surrogacy, egg donation, speed donation, embryo donation, parentage, and related matters. Lila is known for her thorough evaluation of matters, attention to detail, strong legal writing and analytical skills, and innate moral compass, all of which is demonstrated in her work product. She treats others with honesty and integrity and looks forward to working with like-minded professionals who share the goal of helping make new families with warmth and excellence.
Legal Services
Meet legal expert, Sharna Caceres. As an attorney, Sharna helps families grow through artificial reproduction technology using her expertise in legal services. In addition, she has over a decade of public relations, executive communications, and crisis management strategy and execution. As the former owner of a surrogacy agency and an attorney practicing artificial reproduction technology, Sharna counsels private individuals, healthcare practitioners, and healthcare organizations on legal requirements and best practices for growing families.
A graduate of the University of the Incarnate Word and St. Mary’s University, Juris Doctorate, she also attended the National Institute of Adoption Law & Policy and the Dispute Resolution Institute at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. In addition, Sharna actively volunteers with organizations that develop youth and other local communities. She is married to her college sweetheart, and they have three small children and a myriad of rescue pets.
Legal Services
Meet another one of our attorneys, Meryl Rosenberg. She is the director of ART parenting’s comprehensive program devoted exclusively to arrangements and all legal aspects of surrogacy, egg donation, embryo donation, and other matters involving ART. Meryl has a depth and breadth of experience in the ART field, starting back in 1993.
An active participant in furthering the education, development, and expansion of reproductive law, Meryl is an innovator and leader in the field of ART. Meryl assisted in drafting both Maryland and District of Columbia legislation, where she addressed ART and third-party reproduction. In addition, Meryl works closely with other attorneys, medical professionals, and organizations to create positive change to the law, to protect all parties involved in ART.
Legal and Escrow Services
Brian Klein joined Falletta & Klein in 2011, where he practices exclusively in the area of fertility law.
Brian currently manages Falletta & Klein’s contract team, where every year, he assists hundreds of families through the surrogacy and egg donation process.
Bran also leads Falletta & Klein’s team for international relations. Brian Klein is a frequent guest speaker at international surrogacy seminars to provide guidance on cross-border surrogacy and egg donation issues, and to provide insight on California’s laws. He is a member of the legal committee in the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS).
Brian is licensed to practice law in the State of California.
Bilingual Legal Services
Infertility is a long road filled with uncertainty and emotional turmoil. I understand this and will capably advocate for my clients, skillfully draft or review as well as negotiate the necessary agreements on their behalf, and effectively navigate them through the legal process from beginning to end. Additionally, I am bilingual and can provide Spanish speaking clients the comfort of ease in communication and an effective representation.
Whether it be through surrogacy, egg or sperm donation, embryo donation, pre-planned adoption, or in matters of step-parent or relative adoption, the firm has the knowledge, experience and resources to safely and expertly assist and protect the clients in the legal formation of their family.
My Story
Stephanie has dedicated her career to assisted reproductive law. She began her work in assisted reproductive technology as a legal intern, while she was still a law student at Stetson University College of Law. She fell in love with the combination of medicine, technology, an emerging legal landscape, and most importantly… family. After graduating, her experience in the field and her commitment towards the clients led her to a full time position as an attorney, working exclusively in assisted reproduction, where she remained as an attorney for over 5 years before starting Stephanie Favilli Bodolay, P.A.
Since the start of her career, Stephanie has been able to compassionately help hundreds of Parents, Donors, and Surrogates in their journeys of family building both domestically and abroad. She routinely represents clients from countries such as Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, Germany, and Russia among others. Born to Nicaraguan parents, Stephanie is fluent in Spanish and can provide her Spanish speaking clients comfort in knowing they can communicate effectively with her in Spanish, as well as have a thorough understanding of the process and the legal documents. She is very proud of her connection with her clients and the relationships she builds with them. Her favorite part is knowing she has not only helped with legal, but also made the clients comfortable and safe, making the process a more positive one… and, of course, receiving baby pictures and emails from the clients long after the legal process has ended.
To provide the very best legal representation, it is a priority for Stephanie to stay current on the constantly evolving legal framework of assisted reproductive cases in order to provide the best and most ethical representation. She continues to educate herself through, as well as actively participate in, continuing education through organizations like the American Bar Association (ABA) and as a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproductive Attorneys.
Away from the office, Stephanie is a member of various professional organizations, a proud supporter of the LGBT community, enjoys cycling and yoga and is the proud mother of two beautiful daughters. Together with her husband, they enjoy traveling with their daughters as much as possible to hike, canoe, and camp all over the world and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer.
Legal Services
Marla Neufeld is a partner in Greenspoon Marder’s Surrogacy and Assisted Reproductive Technology practice group, which she founded, and represents parties working with a surrogate, egg, sperm or embryo donor. Ms. Neufeld experienced her own infertility journey for many years and ultimately worked with a gestational surrogate to build her own family. She co-authored a book published by the American Bar Association titled, The ABA Guide to Assisted Reproduction: Techniques, Legal Issues and Pathways to Success and was the winner of the Law360, Distinguished Legal Writing Awards, Burton Awards- for her article she co-authored titled, The A, B, Cs (along with CDCs and FDAs) of Regulatory Implications over Assisted Reproductive Technology” published in the ABA Health Law Journal, December 2019.
Drawing from her own personal journey with infertility and the use of a gestational surrogate, Ms. Neufeld utilizes her transactional law background and combines it with her compassion and understanding of the surrogacy and adoption process. She focuses on helping others start a family using the available third-party reproductive technologies and adoption laws. Legal services offered include representation on behalf of intended parents, surrogates, egg, sperm, and embryo donation agreements, finalization of parental right proceedings and adoption proceedings in Florida (same sex adoptions, stepparent adoptions and second parent adoptions).
Ms. Neufeld is honored to represent married couples, both heterosexual and same sex couples and individuals seeking to utilize various reproductive technologies. She treats each client with her own experience in mind and is sensitive to the fact that reproductive technology and the adoption process can be intimidating and overwhelming, which she can help guide clients through.
Click here to learn more about Ms. Neufeld.
Phone: (954) 761-2929
Direct Fax: (954) 333-4129
[email protected]
200 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 1800, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Legal Services
Lisa and Lynn formed The Baby Lawyers because they wanted to protect growing families throughout one of the most important and exciting journeys of their lives. Focusing on all aspects of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) law, Lisa and Lynn utilize their decades of experience to ensure their clients’ families are built on a strong legal foundation. The Baby Lawyers is committed to providing its clients with expert legal care, personalized attention and reasonable pricing.
Lisa R. Brant graduated magna cum laude from UCLA in 1991 and from UCLA School of Law in 1994. Before opening her own practice in San Diego in 2007, Lisa served as a partner at several prestigious law firms in Los Angeles, including the International firm of Hunton & Williams and the trial and litigation boutique of O’Donnell & Mortimer.
Lynn R. Levitan graduated from University of Baltimore School of Law in 1993. After moving to California in 1994, Lynn practiced at several AmLaw 100 law firms, including Steptoe & Johnson and Crowell & Moring, and served as Global Product Safety Counsel for Apple Inc. Lynn is licensed to practice in California, Maryland, District of Columbia, New York, Virginia, and Texas.
Legal Services
Ellen Essig is an accomplished lawyer with extensive experience in surrogacy and collaborative reproduction law. She began practicing law shortly after the first surrogacy birth occurred. Ellen has seen surrogacy grow from infancy to reality and has spearheaded its development in the state of Ohio. Ellen is a founding partner of Essig & Evans LLC. now known as The Family Law and Fertility Law Group.
Ellen’s undergraduate degree is from The Ohio State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1972. Ellen returned to Ohio after teaching science in Toronto, Canada, for six years. She then earned her Juris Doctor in 1986. Ellen is admitted to practice in the US Supreme Court, the US, District Court, Southern District of Ohio, and the State of Ohio. Ellen has been certified as an Ohio Specialist in Family Law since 2000. She has been ranked an AV Preeminent Attorney by Martindale Hubbell since 2000 and has been named a Top Attorney in Ohio by Super Lawyers since 2004. Since 2018, she has been named Top 50 Cincinnati Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers and Top 25 Women Cincinnati Super Lawyers.
Ellen has had a distinguished career, with many notable achievements to her credit. She is most proud of her service as co-counsel on the important marriage equality case argued to the US Supreme Court, which resulted in the landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage across the country. Ellen represents hopeful parents building their family through surrogacy and gamete
donation and those who are helping those hopeful parents by acting as gestational carriers and donors. Her clients are single and coupled, come from the United States and around the world, and
represent all sexual orientations and gender identities. Her dedication to her clients and her expertise in these areas of the law have earned her a reputation as a trusted and respected advocate among her clients and her peers. Learn more about Ellen and her practice at www.FamilyAndFertilityLaw.com.
Legal Services
Melissa B. Brisman graduated Valedictorian from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. She is an attorney admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and is a licensed certified public accountant.
Melissa first started helping couples become parents in 1996. She was her own first client, guiding and directing the process in which she and her husband, Dan, became parents of twin boys carried by a gestational carrier. A few years later, they had a daughter who was also carried by a gestational carrier.
Melissa’s excellent reputation is based on her compassion and empathy for each intended parent. Her expansive knowledge and experience have allowed her to create a staff that is prepared to successfully help parents build their family. Melissa is considered a true pioneer in this field who advocates for changes in the law in this area and lectures to physicians, potential parents, universities, and lawyers around the world.
Melissa is the first attorney to obtain court orders directing that the genetic parents be placed on the original birth certificates of their children born to gestational carriers in the State of Maine, in 1997, and the State of New Jersey, in 2000. She also argued and won landmark gestational carrier cases before the Supreme Court of Massachusetts in 2001 and the State Supreme Court of New York in 2004, setting legal precedents for birth orders in these states. In 2003, Melissa was the first attorney to obtain a court order placing two women on the birth certificate of their child, without an adoption, in the State of New Jersey; and, in 2005, to place two men on the birth certificate of their children, born through a gestational carrier, without an adoption, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 2008, she was also able to have two women who were validly married in Canada placed on the birth certificate of their child in the State of New York. Since 2012, Melissa joined government officials and other attorneys in lobbying for legislation in New Jersey to promote and regulate compensated surrogacy. In May 2018 these efforts were realized when NJ Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey Gestational Carrier Act.
Melissa has been a keynote speaker at numerous events and organizational activities and for prestigious institutions across the country, including the New Jersey Society for Reproductive Nursing Specialists, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Cornell Hospital, and the Donor Egg Conference held each year in Charleston, South Carolina. Melissa has also served as a faculty member for the 2010 International Nursing Conference on Reproductive Health & Infertility. Melissa is a Notable Contributor for GayParentstoBe and has served on the Boards of the American Fertility Association (AFA)/ Path2Parenthood, Fertile Dreams, and Conceive Magazine and has also been the legal advisor and a Board Member of Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED) and the LIVESTRONG Fertility Advisory Committee. Melissa is a professional member of Resolve, Path2Parenthood, the American Bar Association-Family Law Section-Reproductive and Genetic Technology Committee (ABA), the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAARTA).
Melissa was the recipient of the 2017 Advocacy Award from P2P (Path to Parenthood), the 2015 Infertility Hero Award and the 2004 Star of Resolve Award. She is a chapter author of Reproductive Medicine Secrets by Zev Rosenwaks, Fertility Preservation in Male Cancer Patients by John P. Mulhall, and Principles of Oocyte and Embryo Donation by Mark V. Sauer. In 2006, Melissa B. Brisman’s law firm, Melissa B. Brisman, Esq., LLC was named as a finalist for the prestigious 2006 Forbes Enterprise Award. Melissa is also the author of numerous articles on the subjects of gestational carriers and reproductive law.
In 2010 Melissa was invited to Taiwan to assist the government in drafting surrogacy legislation.
Melissa’s law firm drafts and negotiates contracts for many types of reproductive arrangements including gestational carrier contracts, ovum, sperm, and embryo donation contracts and adoptions; works with international couples; finalizes same sex and step parent adoptions; obtains court orders for gestational carrier arrangements to allow the intended parents to go directly on the birth certificate of their child at birth; and reviews insurance books on behalf of intended parents and their gestational carriers.
Counseling Services
Lisa Schuman, LCSW, is a leading expert in family building and has helped people around globe build the families of their dreams.
She has lectured extensively and has written numerous articles on a variety of family building subjects including LGBTQIA+, and single parent family building. Ms. Schuman also runs workshops and offers counseling for parents and children who have formed their families through sperm and egg donation or adoption.
Ms. Schuman has been working as a licensed therapist for more than two decades and is currently the Director of the Center for Family Building. She is a consultant for schools and corporations and has worked with groups such as Memorial Sloane Kettering, The Gay and Lesbian Community Center, The Family Equality Council and sits on the board of Single Mothers by Choice.
Ms. Schuman was chosen as the only therapist to testify to the State Senate Judiciary Committee on the subject of legalizing compensated surrogacy in New York.
In her many years of treating patients who need assistance to build their families, she came to understand that the guidance, support and education she provided could make their paths to parenthood easier. To fill that need, in 2015, she founded the Center for Family Building, a trusted comprehensive resource offering products, videos, coaching services, support programs and more.
Ms. Schuman’s My Lifebook was created to capture special memories and moments from the journey to have a child. Says Schuman, “Children love hearing about how they came into the world and the Lifebook can help them feel connected to their beginnings.”
As the principal investigator for many research studies, Ms. Schuman was honored with three awards by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society. She is the former Chair of the Egg Freezing Task Force for the Mental Health Professional Group of the ASRM. Ms. Schuman sat on the board of the American Fertility Association and was a group leader for RESOLVE. Ms. Schuman received her Undergraduate degree at Northeastern University and her graduate degree at Yeshiva University.
Ms. Schuman, who lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children, has personally experienced almost every facet of family building including fertility treatment, surgeries, alternative therapies, surrogacy and adoption and has lived through the struggles raising mainstream and special needs children. This has given her special insight into the trials, tribulations and joys of the families she counsels. Says Schuman, “I can talk the talk but I have also walked the walk.”
Counseling Services
Kim Nadler has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino. She was the Director for Family Therapy Institute for over 15 years providing counseling services to children, families and couples. She has been assisting families with their counseling needs since 1979, in several states across the United States.Her experience includes couple’s counseling and offering screening and psychological support in a variety of third party reproduction situations.
Kim has been evaluating gestational carriers for over 25 years. She has been a team member in offering clinical services to intended parents and gestational carriers privately and with surrogacy agencies. Kim has personal experience with infertility which allows her to offer personal and professional experience.
Kim has been an instructor with the University of California, Riverside California, Parenting after Divorce, Family Therapy Institute, University of Redlands and other lectures in the United States.
Kim has been a group facilitator for Resolve, Orange County California.
One passion Kim has is a program in southern California that provides residential and outpatient treatment for children. She was instrumental in creating a multifaceted program for children with the Menninger Foundation. She remains active on their Board of Directors.
Presently Kim divides her time between Montana and Florida, fishing and dressage riding. She has one son, three step children, three step grandchildren all of whom contribute to her joy of family life.
JSRC Relationship Consultants
Making the decision to see a therapist can be difficult. As a relationship therapist, Samantha dedicates herself to her clients with complete transparency and authenticity. She works with clients to find their inner strengths and resources to overcome the obstacles that may be keeping them ‘stuck’. Samantha works with clients to ‘zoom out’ and see the big picture: how the relationships in their life, including friends, intimate partners, family members and colleagues, impact the relationships they have with themself.
Samantha spent the first half of her career working in healthcare, including 19 years in the field of reproductive medicine. Working directly with infertile couples and LGBT growing families, she engaged with numerous fertility programs, surrogacy and egg donor agencies throughout the tri-state and worked with clients from all over the world. The decision to pursue a career in Marriage and Family Therapy made sense, as the guidance of a relationship therapist is an essential component of the process of fertility struggles.
As a daughter, wife, mother and stepmother, Samantha understands the unique and special roles we play in people’s lives. She has a passion for helping clients through strengthening relationships and navigating significant life changes to support happier, more connected lives.
Bilingual Counseling Services
Maria Eugenia (Mayu) Quevedo is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LPC, and Registered Play Therapist in the State of Texas. Mayu began her journey in Psychology at the University of Texas in El Paso and pursued he graduate training in Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy and Play Therapy at Texas State University. Mayu is co-author of the Fertility Workbook, FindingYOUinFertility: A Step-by- Step Wellness Workbook for Family Building Through IUI and IVF.
Mayu holds a special passion for working with individuals and couples living through infertility for more than 10 years from, both, a personal and professional perspective. Mayu values how counseling can provide a supportive environment that helps those navigating the challenges of building a family find the resources for wellness in mind, body and spirit.
