An ethical agency putting care first

Nancy Block, RN

Founder and Director of Operations of Private Label Surrogacy (PLS), Nancy Block began her career as an OB/GYN and fertility nurse and staff educator at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In 2000, she founded The Center for Egg Options Illinois, a highly respected egg donor and surrogacy matching agency. After 15 years of helping families grow, Nancy sold her company to a national agency, where she remained to support business development efforts. While she valued that experience, her passion for working directly with intended parents and surrogates ultimately led her back to hands-on care and advocacy.

A mentor to many, Nancy has built enduring relationships and friendships throughout the third-party reproduction community. She is a current member of the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS). Her leadership within SEEDS also includes prior service as a board member and active participation on committees from 2015 to 2019. In recognition of her lifelong commitment to ethical best practices in the field, Nancy received the SEEDS Shining Star Award in 2018.

Nancy currently serves on the Advisory Board of Parents Via Egg Donation and remains deeply committed to ethical, compassionate, and transparent family-building practices. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family and enjoys cooking for friends and loved ones whenever she can.

Mark Silverberg, DDS, MD

Executive Director Dr. Mark Silverberg comes to PLS with over thirty years of medical experience and knowledge in a number of significant specialties. As an anesthesiologist working in multiple operating facilities, he has reviewed countless patient records to evaluate suitability for procedures. Many of the patients he has anesthetized were having obstetric and gynecological procedures. The physicians he has worked with are from several locations in the US, specifically the Chicago metropolitan area. Dr. Mark has also been requested to train new physicians in his techniques on the safe practice of medicine in the operating room when administering anesthesia.

Dr. Mark is imaginative and a creative thinker with four patents to his name. As a result, he is able to summarize prenatal and delivery records for individuals wanting to be gestational surrogates in a succinct fashion. He supports growing families and contributing to the happiness of all deserving parents-to-be going through third-party fertility treatment.

Jan Telman Berman

Our Global Surrogacy Coordinator, Jan began her career while in a post-graduate counseling psychology program in Chicago. Her passion is educating and guiding all involved in the surrogacy process.

Jan’s 18+ year career has involved working for a women’s health clinic and more recently in the egg donor / surrogacy arena. She has extensive experience managing cycles for national and international clients. Jan sees herself as a team player and abides by the highest standards. Her goal is to coordinate the many moving parts of the surrogacy process with the end resulting in a healthy baby.

Jan lives in the Chicago suburbs. In her free time she travels the world, takes Pilates classes and spends time with her adult children, family and friends.

Natalie Gaudio-Fricano

Natalie, our Case Manager, comes to us as a former egg donor and successful gestational surrogate. She has been working in the medical field since 2002 and at fertility-based companies for over 5 years. Natalie’s passion for helping people build their families began in 2003 when a friend educated her on surrogacy. She went on to become a successful egg donor for three different families over the next few years, and surrogacy was put on the back burner until she had completed her own family. Fast forward to 2015, when her youngest was in preK, she decided to look into becoming a surrogate again. She delivered a healthy baby for an international couple in 2016. They have continued to remain friends, texting often.

Natalie’s professionalism, compassionate heart and personal experience in reproductive medicine make her a great addition to the PLS team. Her past experience includes being a Surrogate Intake Coordinator and then an Intended Parent Coordinator for egg donation. Her favorite part about her time as a Surrogate Intake Coordinator was when she was able to present potential surrogates to intended parents and the excitement and hope that came with that moment.

Natalie resides in Woodstock, IL along with her family. She is an avid reader, averaging about 100 books annually. When the weather is warm and the river waters are up, she and her family can be found kayaking — that is, when their busy soccer schedule allows for a Saturday or Sunday off!

Jenni Symons

Jenni is our Case Manager and a well-seasoned surrogate. She was born and raised in Idaho and is a lover of all things Disney. Her first glimpse into the world of surrogacy was when a dear friend suffered pregnancy complications that led to an inability to carry on her own. From there, she was hooked. Fast forward a few years, Jenni realized her calling and became a surrogate for a lovely single dad in Spain. She delivered a sweet-as-can-be baby boy in 2019. They still stay in touch and Jenni plans to visit them in Spain. Then, in 2021, she delivered another baby boy for a wonderful California couple, who she loves to get together with for “family reunions.”

Jenni’s optimism, compassion, and personal experience make her a natural fit for Private Label Surrogacy. She has previously worked as a Surrogacy Intake Coordinator, which led to her becoming a full-fledged Case Manager. Jenni has now been working in the family-building industry for 4 years and has found working in surrogacy to be fulfilling and extremely rewarding. She has even cultivated lifelong friendships with former surrogates she’s guided.

When Jenni is not working, you can find her spending time with her husband and 3 daughters, enjoying all that Idaho has to offer with hikes, bike rides, and walks. Although, most of her free time is filled with all her daughters’ dance activities.

Julie Bendix, MPH, RD, LD, CLC

Julie serves as our Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). Julie counsels surrogates throughout their pregnancy to optimize their prenatal health and nutritional status and, subsequently, the health of the fetus. As the founder of Julie Bendix Nutrition Consulting, her areas of expertise include nutrition counseling for fertility and preconception, pregnancy and postpartum, gestational diabetes, lactation and breastfeeding, infant and child nutrition, and food allergies.

Julie earned a BS in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin, and an MPH (Master of Public Health) from the University of Michigan. In addition to her private practice, she has worked as a public health dietitian for Heartland Alliance in Chicago, the Chicago Department of Public Health, Food & Friends in Washington D.C., and the Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington.

Julie currently lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three young children. In her free time, Julie stays active with yoga, cycling, hiking, traveling, and cooking.

Jo Ann Levitan

Jo Ann Levitan, Director of Operations at Private Label Surrogacy, is not only a seasoned marketing professional but also a courageous cancer survivor. Overcoming an aggressive form of cervical cancer, she navigated years of fertility treatments, resulting in the joyous arrival of her daughter Skylar in 2011. This personal journey ignited Jo Ann’s passionate commitment to fertility advocacy.

From 2017 to 2025, Jo Ann served on the SEEDS (Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy) committee, playing a key role in advancing ethical standards in the field. With a hands-on approach, she brings over eight years of global marketing experience, specializing in strategic partnerships and demonstrating proven success in customer acquisition and retention. Her 15-year career spans both B2B and B2C environments, where she has consistently exceeded expectations and built lasting client relationships.

Jo Ann stands out as a relationship-builder, dedicated to understanding target audiences, earning their trust, and surpassing expectations in the dynamic field of fertility advocacy.