Tammy Masut, APRN, CNM—Clinical Director and Founder of GS Tampa Bay
Tammy Masut, ARNP, CNM, graduated in 1997, from Oklahoma University, with academic and clinical honors. She worked in Labor and Delivery for over 19 years and finally followed her life-long dream of becoming a Certified Nurse-Midwife in February of 2013. After graduating from Frontier Nursing University with honors. Tammy gained experience with different populations of women from her work in Indian Health Services and as a travel nurse working across the country. She recently remarried and her and her husband have a blended family of 17 children and 22 grandchildren (and growing).
Tammy has always felt a desire to work with women and their families to help them become the best versions of themselves. She is a certified Creighton Fertility care practitioner and loves helping women learn more about their fertility and natural family planning options. Tammy has made Tampa her home since 1999 and enjoys the beach, books, and spending time with her husband, family, and friends.
Shannon Rivers—Certified Lactation Consultant
Shannon Rivers is a Texas native who graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science (BS), Human Development and Family Studies. She is a Certified Child Life specialist who spent seven years working at the local children’s hospital and as part of the children’s hospice and palliative care team. To focus more on her family, Shannon transitioned away from the hospital and into her role as a Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, and stay at home to be her three children. Shannon has been a member of the Child Life Council since Jan 2008, and the Florida Association of Child Life Professionals since Jan 2011, and is still active in both organizations. Shannon has been serving pregnant and postpartum families for over fifteen years. When she’s not attending a birth, her focus is on being a supportive wife to her husband Chris and creative homeschooling mom to her children. As a family, they love trips to Disney World and enjoying the mountains in North Carolina.
Madeline Nierenhausen—Social Media Intern
Originally from a small town in Minnesota but attended undergraduate at Ave Maria University near Naples, FL and is now currently attending a nursing school in Tampa. Plans to stay after graduation as love for Florida has grown especially after moving to Tampa. She has always had a desire to work with women and their health and well-being and is interested in holistic health and plans to pursue holistic/integrative medicine. She has always grown up surrounded by children and firmly believes in the beautiful gift that a human life is to a mother and family. She is looking forward to growing and spreading awareness about the Guiding Star Project and helping women of all ages understand and love their bodies, especially those becoming new mothers.
Board of Directors
Jennifer Ellis—Board Chair
Jennifer was born and raised in northeastern Ohio. She attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago after high school, where she studied Educational Ministries. Later, she attended Ohio Christian University, graduating with a BA in Leadership and Ministry. While at Moody, Jennifer met and married her husband, Steve. They have four grown children, a daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and a granddaughter. Jennifer had varied pregnancy and birth experiences which led her to pursue becoming a Childbirth Educator and Doula while her children were growing up. She desired women to have the opportunity to go through pregnancy and childbirth holistically, without being treated like pregnancy or birth was an illness or a problem to be managed. She also served beside her husband in youth ministry for over 20 years, having a heart for serving young women. While still in Ohio, Jennifer served at Elizabeth’s New Life Center’s Women’s Center Kettering for eight years, first as Lead Consultant, then becoming Manager of the pregnancy center after a few years. Then in 2019, Jennifer moved to Florida to become the Director of Client Services for A Woman’s Place Medical Clinic’s four locations here in the Tampa Bay area. After three and half years in that role, Jennifer took a remote position with Heartbeat International and now can serve pregnancy help organizations around the world. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys working out, especially running and loves being outdoors. She also enjoys singing and reading. She is thankful for the opportunity to assist Guiding Star Tampa in fulfilling their Mission, Vision, and Purpose because all women deserve life-affirming options and a holistic approach to women’s health care.
Cindy Attkins – Board Vice Chair
Is a stay at home mom with two Seniors in high school. She also helps her husband with his Title Company in Tampa. She volunteered at Lutz/Land O Lakes Pregnancy center when they opened and continued volunteering there, even serving on the Board for three years. The Pregnancy center changed its name to LifeChoices Family Medical to better define the demographic and services they intended to provide. Cindy volunteered a total of ten years and was instrumental in starting the Mommy Group with a co-worker. To this day Cindy ministers to and visits several moms that were former clients at the Pregnancy center. She is dedicated to the moms, helping, listening and loving them and their children.
Jean Marie Armenia CPA—Treasurer
Jean Marie grew up in Tampa and earned her accounting degree from the University of South Florida. Instead of pursuing a career she chose to be a stay-at home mom with her two children. “It is still the best decision I ever made” she says. After her children grew up, she started her career and became a CPA. She always prayed that God would provide a way for her to help others with her financial knowledge. And prayers were answered when she was asked to be a part of Guiding Star Tampa. To help others financially and as a woman makes her heart happy. She lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband George and golden retriever Melody. When she is not crunching numbers or playing with her golden, she is singing in the church choir and learning how to play the piano. As my involvement with Guiding Star Tampa has increased, so has my passion for their mission to empower and educate women about the beautiful and natural way our bodies were created.
OPEN POSITION—Secretary
Most assume that the title “board secretary” is synonymous with “note-taker” and that the secretary’s duties are focused solely on recording the minutes of the board meetings. A nonprofit board secretary’s duties focus on information management. In an increasingly fast-paced and connected world, smart, thorough, and secure information management is the backbone of strong organizations. Concise and transparent records not only improve communication and efficiency but also protect an organization from legal liability. Strong record keeping provides insight into the past as well as a foundation for future growth. This is especially critical when an organization’s board and staff are not fully aligned on where the organization is going. This happens more than you might expect!
The top 7 duties of an effective board secretary:
1. Record minutes and the roll at meetings
2. Maintain records
3. Oversee Membership lists
4. Provide Safekeeping of all official contracts and records 5. Publish notices of scheduled meetings
6. Track board member terms
7. Ensure accurate contact information for leadership team
For more information about joining the board, contact chair@guidingstartampa.org.
Alfredo ‘Fred” Baryol—Member at Large
Fred Baryol and wife Faye, began their involvement with Guiding Star In 2016 when our daughter Tammara Taylor, was hired as an advanced practice nurse practitioner/midwife and started providing medical care.
Tammy has continued to work towards bringing the Guiding Star mission and philosophy to the Tampa Bay area by establishing a new Guiding Star Tampa.
Many years ago, our teenaged daughter became pregnant. We found a Pregnancy Resource Center, somewhat like Guiding Star; it focused on our daughter as well as her unborn child.
I believe Guiding Star Tampa is that kind of life affirming and wonderful opportunity for any woman looking for a caring facility to help them navigate their healthcare needs from adolescence through the advanced stages of life.
That’s why I am honored to be a member of the Board of Directors.
Alfredo ‘Fred” Baryol—Member at Large
Faye has been involved in administrative activities in both hospital as well as for profit corporations. From executive secretarial duties to records management responsibilities, she has always enhanced the workplace environments. Since moving to Tampa in 1988, with her husband and youngest son, she has been involved in several religious affiliations. Faye is very involved with the Pope Saint John XXIII Religious Retirement facility at the Angels Senior Living complex in Lutz, Florida. Faye has always had an affinity for reaching out to those in need. Whether it is family or strangers in need, her compassion and helping hand will be demonstrated. “I believe Guiding Star Tampa is a life affirming and wonderful opportunity for any woman looking for a caring facility to help them navigate their healthcare needs from adolescence through the advanced stages of life.” That’s why I am honored to be a member of the Board of Directors.
For more information about joining the board, contact chair@guidingstartampa.org.