Team

Quintana Stewart has over twenty years of experience in the field of Public Health. She has worked as a Health Educator, Community Coalition Coordinator, Emergency Management Planner, Agency Accreditation Coordinator and an Assistant Health Director. Quintana currently serves as the Health Director for Orange County, NC. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the county health department. The department operates two health clinics, a dental clinic and provides nutrition, family planning, maternal health, refugee health and communicable disease services as well as screening for adults, teens and children. In addition to these services, the department is also home to the county’s environmental health services. Stewart also serves on the NC State Health Coordinating Council, which directs the development of the Annual State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP) with an overall goal of promoting cost-effective approaches to expand quality health care services to the medically underserved throughout the State. Stewart has received the following honors and awards: 2020 UNCG Pacesetter Alumni Award, January 2021 WCHL Chapelboro Hometown Hero, 2021 Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award, and 2022 Ron Levine Legacy Award.

Prior to working in Orange County, Quintana worked more than 16 years at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. She earned her Bachelor’s in Public Health Education, with a concentration in Community Health Education, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2001. She earned a Master’s in Public Administration, with a concentration in Healthcare Administration, from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2013. 

Contact: qstewart@orangecountync.gov

Alison Stuebe is a mother of three and a high risk pregnancy doctor living in Chapel Hill, NC. She is the academic co-PI of Thriving Hearts, and she works with community co-PI Quintana Stewart as a member of the Orange County Board of Health.

Alison completed her residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, she joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina. She is currently a Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the School of Medicine and Distinguished Professor of Infant and Young Child Feeding at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She has been awarded grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the American Heart Association. She has published more than 230 peer-reviewed articles. Her current research focuses on advancing justice, belonging, and humanity for mothers and birthing people.

Kennedy Bridges (she/they) is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill’s Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health programs. She was also a trainee in the Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative, housed in the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute. An intensive clinical program where students gain foundational skills in breastfeeding and human lactation support through didactic instruction and practice in a variety of clinical settings.

Her career has focused on ending the Black Perinatal Health Crisis and reducing racial inequities in maternal and infant health. They are also a trained lactation consultant, full spectrum doula and a reproductive justice advocate that supports birth, postpartum, lactation, pregnancy loss, abortion, and gender-affirming surgeries. Her extensive community work includes research and policy advocacy, lactation support, violence prevention and harm reduction, peer education, and counseling.

Currently, Kennedy Bridges serves as the Senior Project Manager for the Thriving Hearts. Her role involves fostering collaboration amongst partner institutions including universities, health systems, local health departments, and community-based organizations to advance birth equity in North Carolina. She is a North Carolina native; a true Tar Heel who loves to cook, play video games, and support growing families.

Contact: kbridg19@email.unc.edu

Christin Hayward, MS, CHES has a background in health education and behavior, with an interest in disease risk reduction. She received her degrees from the University of Florida, and has maintained her Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential for 12+ years. Prior to Thriving Hearts, she has worked in military wellness at Ft. Meade, MD and diabetes prevention at Johns Hopkins University. With my prior work and Thriving Hearts, I am able to continue utilizing skills in intervention management, facilitation, and implementation development.

Contact: christin_hayward@med.unc.edu

Joy McNeal, MPH, is a native New Yorker, wife and mother to two beautiful children. She started her career in Veterinary Medicine and humanitarian aid work before earning her Master of Public Health from The Gillings School of Global Public Health. Since then she has been dedicated to improving health outcomes for mothers and their families. When she’s not working, Joy loves spending time with her family exploring new places through travel.

Contact: joy_mcneal@med.unc.edu

Dr. Pettigrew is currently the Medical Director of the Orange County Health Department and the Medical Director of Occupational Health at UNC Health Care. She is also an Assistant Professor in UNC’s Department of Family Medicine. She graduated with honors from the University Of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 2012. Since then, she has had 11 years of many diverse experiences and believes that practicing full- scope family medicine is a way to be a social justice advocate.

Contact: Erica_Pettigrew@med.unc.edu

Ms. Harper is a registered nurse with over 16 years of experience in Maternal and Child Health. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Perinatal Neonatal Outreach Project for UNC Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health. Her breadth of experience ranges from leadership and nursing roles in labor and delivery units, postpartum care, public health home visiting programs, and hospital administration. Ms. Harper developed processes and workflows to open a women’s hospital in 2015. The combination of her experiences enables her to integrate evidenced based practice into standards of care. A mom of two, Ms. Harper has a wealth of knowledge about mom-centered postpartum healing and recovery.

Contact: kimberly_harper@med.unc.edu

Janiya Mitnaul Williams, MA, IBCLC, CLC (she/her) is a renowned lactation consultant and advocate for perinatal health equity. With over 15 years of experience, Janiya has dedicated her career to supporting nursing families and transforming lactation practices.

Her diverse educational background includes degrees in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, as well as Health & Wellness with a focus on Human Lactation. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, further strengthening her expertise in maternal and child health policy and leadership.

In 2020, Janiya pioneered the Pathway 2 Human Lactation Program at NC A&T, the first public HBCU to offer such a program. As its Director, she’s redefining lactation education and runs an Outpatient Community-Based Lactation Clinic, providing support to local families.

Janiya’s leadership extends to Co-Chairing the Perinatal Health Equity Collective for the Department of Health and Human Services in North Carolina, where since 2022, she has helped address disparities in perinatal services. She also assisted with the implementation of Doula Services at Cone Health, ensuring compassionate care for birthing individuals and their families.

Notably, Janiya founded Mahogany Milk Support Group in 2015, promoting nursing for Black and Brown families. Her trailblazing efforts also include being the first person of color and Non-Registered Nurse hired as a Lactation Consultant at her community hospital.

Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in lactation, Janiya works to improve health outcomes for underrepresented families. Her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment are reshaping perinatal health equity, creating a more inclusive environment for all nursing families.

Contact: jtmitnau@ncat.edu

Dr. Kristin Tully is a medical anthropologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also Associate Faculty at Ariadne Labs, which is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her expertise is engaging perinatal patients, family members, and clinicians to understand and address their health needs. Broadly, this work strengthens systems of care to address what individuals need to know, feel, and have happen to be safe and well.

Contact: kristin.tully@unc.edu

Contact: ckelley@orangecountync.gov

Madlyn Morreale, JD, MPH, is a public health attorney with more than thirty-five years of experience working in a variety of legal, public policy, academic, and non-profit settings. 

Since 2008, Madlyn has led Legal Aid of North Carolina’s statewide Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Program which includes a wide range of partners including hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, federally-qualified community health centers, and other community-based clinic settings. 

For the past seven years, Madlyn has directed Legal Aid of North Carolina’s work with the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program, the nation’s first comprehensive program to test and evaluate the impact of providing select evidence-based, non-medical interventions related to housing, food, transportation and interpersonal safety and toxic stress for Medicaid managed enrollees.

Prior to joining the staff of Legal Aid of North Carolina, Madlyn co-founded the Center for Adolescent Health & the Law, served on the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and was Professional Staff for the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Contact: madlynm@legalaidnc.org

Erin Bennett is a Supervising Attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Medical-Legal Partnership Program (“MLP”) and Healthy Opportunities Pilot program team and is the project leader for the Thriving Hearts Loving Connection Medical-Legal Partnership. Prior to her current role, she was a staff attorney splitting time between Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Medical-Legal Partnership team and Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief project team. In that role she provided holistic legal support to client-survivors of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. In her professional life outside of Legal Aid, Erin is a serving member of the Care Share Health Alliance Board. Erin completed her J.D. at the University of North Carolina School of Law, and her M.P.H. (Health Policy and Management) from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her Masters program, she was the Pam Silberman Health Policy Fellow at the North Carolina Institute of Medicine where she helped support the development of the Healthy North Carolina 2030 project, and task force reports related to Perinatal Systems of Care, services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations, and publications related to the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Erin lives in Durham, NC with her husband and two dogs, Foxy and Chance. 

Contact: erinb@legalaidnc.org

Dr. Knox-Kazimierczuk, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise, & Nutrition Science at the University of Cincinnati. She is a staunch advocate for women’s health, working to improve birth outcomes for pregnant women and their infants through her research and community outreach. Dr. Knox-Kazimierczuk has worked supporting women on their health journeys for nearly two decades. Her work as a clinician and her experiences with the healthcare system as Black woman led to her research interest in Black women’s health. 

Dr. Knox-Kazimierczuk began her educational journey at Concordia University Chicago where she graduated with a double major in Exercise Science & Fitness Management and Psychology. She completed her master’s degree in Kinesiology and Health from Illinois State University and two additional master’s degrees in Dietetics and Chemistry from Ball State University. She completed an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Health Promotion with an emphasis in cultural studies from Miami University. 

She continues to pursue trainings and certifications to improve her knowledge and skills. Dr. Knox-Kazimierczuk is a certified lactation consultant, prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher, and has been trained as a full spectrum doula through DONA. These trainings and certifications have become an integral component of her private practice and research.

Dr. Knox-Kazimierczuk believes that change occurs at the individual, community, and systems level, therefore as Associate Professor and Public Health Researcher, she has focused on understanding the barriers and facilitators to positive health outcomes for women in all phases of their lives as whole people. To this end, she has framed her research using Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR). Her studies aim to use her findings to develop and advocate for policy at the local and national levels through service on local, state, and national boards. Her goal is to provide women with the support and resources they need to assert their power and find their way along their health path.

Contact: dr.fran@wisewomanhc.org

Jess Rhodes (she/her) is a Public Health Education Program Manager at Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH). She previously served as the Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Coordinator at (DCoDPH). In her current role she supports health education work related to maternal and child health, adverse childhood experiences, trauma-informed care, health literacy, and community resilience. She co-leads the Healing-Centered Engagement intervention of Thriving Hearts, which focuses on increasing health team wellbeing.

Prior to working at DCoDPH, she served as a trainer and coach for school staff to encourage behavior and attitude change to support more trauma-informed practices in classrooms. Jess has 15 years of public health experience, including in policy analysis, coalition-building, and health education. Jess is passionate about creating spaces that support community and family wellbeing. Jess has a BA International Studies from the University of California, San Diego and a MPH from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Contact: jmrhodes@dconc.gov

I am an Assistant Professor in the Program on Integrative Medicine within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a Family Medicine physician researcher, my main areas of clinical work and research include adapting integrative medical group visits (IMGV) for people with Long COVID and for people with chronic pain, increasing access to mind-body medicine techniques for patient and provider wellness, employing the framework of healing-centered engagement as a means of acknowledging and skillfully addressing trauma among and between patients and providers, and advancing the science and treatment options for people with Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions.

Contact: jbarnhil@email.unc.edu

Dr. Arlinda Ellison is a public health practitioner with over 20 years of experience. She is the co-author of manuscripts, conference presentations and a book chapter which focus on community-based participatory research and community-academic partnerships.

Currently, Arlinda serves the Thriving Hearts project as the Community Engagement Team co-lead, along with Dr. Alexandra Lightfoot. As a public health practitioner, Arlinda is the principal investigator of the Health Assessment, Consultation & Education (HACE) Program within the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch of NC DHHS. Additionally, Arlinda is a Mental Health First Aid and QPR (suicide prevention) trainer for the FAITH (Faith Alliance Intervention Towards Health) Project with NC Central University, and serves her church as an Associate Minister, Sunday School and Bible Study instructor, and Health Ministry Coordinator. Arlinda resides in Alamance County and in her “spare” time enjoys volunteering, traveling, and being “that aunt” for her nieces and nephews.

Recently, Dr. Arlinda Ellison published an anthology, along with five other authors, about the experience of caregiving- Embracing Grace: Lessons Learned in the Caregiving Journey.

Contact: arlindaellison@gmail.com

Alexandra Lightfoot, EdD, uses a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, collaborating with communities across North Carolina and beyond to address their health concerns. She is an associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior, where she co-leads the Health Equity and Social Justice MPH concentration.

She was also Co-Investigator on the Accountability for Cancer Care and Racial Equity (ACCURE) study, which used a racial equity framework to reduce gaps in cancer treatment and outcomes between African American and White breast and lung cancer patients, and Project IFE (I’m Fully Empowered), which built a community-academic partnership to adapt an HIV prevention intervention for and with African American women living in public housing communities in collaboration with partners at local universities, the Durham Housing Authority, and CAARE, a community-based organization. She also directed the photovoice component of Envisioning Health, exploring Latinx adolescents’ perceptions of barriers to health as part of a two-pronged visual intervention to reduce implicit bias among health care providers towards Latinx adolescents and their families.

Contact: alexandra_lightfoot@unc.edu

Stephanie Baker is Associate Professor and Chair of the Public Health Studies Department at Elon University. She is a scholar activist, and her work uses an anti-racism lens, combined with community-based participatory research approaches, to understand and address racial health inequities. Her recent work, in collaboration with community partners, has focused on maternal and child health and reproductive justice. She is co-founder and director of the HER Lab – Health Equity and Racism Lab, and enjoys mentoring undergraduate students in research and career development. 

Contact: sbakeract@gmail.com

LaToshia Rouse, is an accomplished birth and postpartum doula and owner of Birth Sisters Doula Services with a passion for supporting families through the transformative journey of childbirth and early parenting. With over 100 births under her belt, LaToshia brings a wealth of knowledge and a calming presence to every birthing experience. In addition to her doula services, LaToshia is a skilled lactation consultant, lactation educator and childbirth educator, offering invaluable support and guidance to new mothers navigating these new experiences. 

Her commitment to evidence-based practice is evident in her active participation in research studies. She collaborates with research institutions like Northwestern University, Northshore Research Institute, the University of Chapel Hill, and several others, offering insights in doula care, patient/ community engagement and health equity. She also is a subject matter expert on a PCORI funded research grant, “Impact of Doula Support During Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond (A Health Equity Systematic Review)” with RTI International. She has held several leadership roles, including currently serving on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) as well as Co-Chair of the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC). She is proud to be a Co-Principal Investigator for an AAMC Next grant, “Nurturing Empathy Among Obstetric Learners,” emphasizing her dedication to improving clinician-patient relationships and healthcare outcomes.

Contact: contact@birthsistersdoula.com

Ms. Burton is a Nutritionist Dietetic Technician Registered and an Advanced Certified Birth Doula. She is the Executive Director of the National Birth Coalition, which is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that contributes to research and public awareness initiatives, such as with the observational documentary “Bloom,” where she is the Executive Producer. The film explores the critical role of Certified Birth Doulas in North Carolina and the families they serve. NBC enhances its impact through Certified Birth Doula Trainings and Community Food & Nutrition Literacy Workshops.

Ms. Burton actively advises and consults with her expertise in the Piedmont Triad area with the Statewide North Carolina Doula Advisory Board, Food Coalitions, and as the newly elected NDTR for 2024-2025, with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, with the Commission on Dietetics Registration, reflecting her dedication to community nutrition, health and wellness for all. 

Contact: nationalbirthcoalition@gmail.com

Courtnie Carter is a passionate advocate for Black maternal and infant health, committed to ensuring Black and Brown families have access to the education, support, and culturally competent care they deserve. With a BA in Communications, a minor in Psychology, and certification as a Community Health Worker, Courtnie blends academic knowledge with lived experience to advance equity in perinatal health. She is currently working toward becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Through her work with Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) and Reaching Our Brothers Everywhere (ROBE), Courtnie has played a key role in promoting breastfeeding equity and delivering culturally relevant lactation support. She also serves on initiatives like the Uplifting Black and Brown Lactation Success Conference (UBBLS) and the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center’s Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), helping to amplify community-led solutions to maternal and infant health disparities.

As a champion for Black maternal mental health, Courtnie speaks openly about her own experiences with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and advocates for systems that prioritize mental health care that sees and respects Black women. She has been recognized and awarded for her impact in the field and continues to use her platform to break stigma, raise awareness, and push for policy change.

Her advocacy extends into media, where she shares her insights and stories through podcasts and public speaking engagements, helping others feel seen and supported.

Courtnie is also the proud mother of two boys—Phoenix, a high school student-athlete, and Memphis, ten years his junior. She understands the real-life balance of motherhood, career, and community work. Rooted in wellness, learning, and justice, Courtnie remains focused on creating spaces where Black families not only survive—but thrive.

Contact: courtniecarter2022@gmail.com

Contact: Mcarmichael32@yahoo.com

Contact: Nfspenc2@gmail.com

Maya is a multiracial, Black, queer mama, birth worker and Reproductive Justice organizer based in Durham, North Carolina. From 2020-2024 Maya was the North Carolina Coordinator with SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. They graduated in 2020 with their Master’s in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Since becoming a mama, they shifted their birth work to center postpartum support, lactation education and mutual aid. In 2021, Maya started Diapers for Black Durham, a mutual aid fund providing free diapers, wipes and lactation support for Black families across Durham County. They believe that we have the skills, ancestral knowledge and experiences to care for our babies, children and families.

Contact: mayakingsleyconsulting@gmail.com

Contact: Shontiarparker@gmail.com

Contact: tiffyllong1@gmail.com

Contact: lilinava7011@gmail.com

Joy Spencer is a proud mother and advocate with a lifelong commitment to promoting equity and authentic community engagement. She is driven by passion and knows firsthand the life-saving impact of sound, equitable and culturally affirming policies that help foster and sustain community-led services and supports.

Joy is a community leader and member of a dozen councils and boards that serve the community through advocacy, education and direct services. She is a Parent Researcher, Goodmon Fellow, Tedx speaker and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Joy is the Executive Director of Equity Before Birth (EBB), a nonprofit organization working to eliminate maternal health disparities and improve birth outcomes and experiences by wrapping families around holistic support, services and resources.

Contact: joy@equitybeforebirth.com

Contact: melissacmcgovern@gmail.com

Briana Smith is a Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Placenta Encapsulation Specialist and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Briana received her BS in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where her passion for maternal and reproductive health sparked. She went on to receive her MPH from East Carolina University. She has experience supporting a variety of family dynamics, including high risk families, families giving birth at home, single parents, and families who have experienced or are expecting a loss.

Briana has extensive experience working as a doula and an educator in the Triangle area of North Carolina, including all local area hospitals, birth centers, and in home. She is passionate about providing evidence based, unbiased education and helping her clients to make their own informed decisions.

Briana is in private practice as an IBCLC and is the current Chief Operating Officer of the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition (NCBC). She is the former President and Advocacy Director of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), and currently manages the ICAN of the Triangle support group. Lastly, Briana is a former NICU Parents and Fertility Challenges support group facilitator through Postpartum Support International (PSI). 

Briana sees herself as an open, direct, empathetic and compassionate person which allows her to be the most practical advocate and support person for families before, during, and after birth. Briana currently lives in Johnston County (though she’ll always be a Northerner at heart!) She loves the beach, but also loves snuggling up in a blanket with hot chocolate in a log cabin in the winter time. 

Contact: brs11493@gmail.com

Contact: bsparks123@gmail.com

Arrianna Marie Planey, MA PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 

Dr. Planey is a Faculty Fellow at the Carolina Population Center (CPC) and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Additionally, she is an associate member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC).

She completed her PhD in Geography from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, after earning her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees at the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley respectively

Contact: amplaney@email.unc.edu

Daniel Westreich is a Professor of Epidemiology at UNC-Chapel Hill with research interests in both reproductive health and infectious diseases. He is the author of the textbook EPIDEMIOLOGY BY DESIGN.

Contact: westreic@email.unc.edu

Tara Carr is a Research Program Manager at Abacus Evaluation. She earned her MPH and PhD degrees in Nutrition from the Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, with an emphasis in nutrition intervention and policy. Prior to joining Abacus, she was a Graduate Research Assistant with the Children’s Healthy Weight Research Group at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, working on evaluation for federally-funded, multi-level intervention studies in the early care and education setting. As an Early Care and Education Research Scholar, supported by the Office of Planning, Evaluation, & Research (OPRE), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), her doctoral research used mixed-methods to better understand predictors of child care teachers’ feeding styles, which have been implicated in the development of childhood obesity. While a doctoral student, she was also a member of the Evaluation Team for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded 100 Million Healthier Lives Campaign – Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation (SCALE) 2.0 initiative.

Her research interests include community-based participatory research and evaluation of complex interventions that address health and well-being disparities.

Contact: tara_carr@med.unc.edu

Jade Hollars (she/her/hers) is an Evaluation Project Coordinator for Abacus Evaluation. She graduated with her MPH in Maternal, Child and Family Health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her interest areas surround health advocacy, family planning, and access to education. She is passionate for improving community outreach and education while addressing gaps between programs and community engagement, especially within rural and underserved communities and populations. 

Jade also has a Bachelor’s in Biology from Western Carolina University where she participated in 4 years of cell culture research focusing on the regenerative effects of keratin on human embryonic kidney cells exposed to hypoxic environments. Her goal is to integrate these physical science skills into her public health research and efforts in the improvement of the health and well-being of families and communities.

Contact: jade_hollars@med.unc.edu

Rossana Roberts (she/her/hers) is an Evaluation Research Specialist with Abacus Evaluation and the UNC Center for Thriving Communities. She graduated from UNC’s dual degree program with an MPH concentrating in Maternal, Child, and Family Health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health, and an MSW with a concentration in Community, Management, and Policy Practice. Her prior work experience includes project coordination and program evaluation on a variety of projects that range from inclusive health education for adolescents, rural health, and maternal health promotion. Her research interests include addressing health disparities among underserved populations.

Contact: rossana_roberts@med.unc.edu

Michelle Song is the Associate Director of Data Science & Analytics in Abacus Evaluation, within the UNC Center for Thriving Communities. Michelle leads the data management, analysis, visualization and overall data solution design and advanced analytics for Abacus projects while developing infrastructure and project data management practices within the center. Prior to UNC-Chapel Hill, Michelle was a Technical Advisor with the Data Science, Impact, and Learning team at Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University and a leading global health organization. She has over 15 years of experience in data systems and use across domestic and international health systems and public health programs to improve health outcomes. She has designed and implemented economic and program evaluations for health systems, advocacy strategies, and improvement of internal operations. Michelle earned her MSPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and executive education Certificates in Business Communication and Management Development from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and is currently pursuing an MBA. Her health and non-health sector experience create a unique perspective from which to understand complex systems, how to make data work for the people who collect and manage it, and how to communicate clear messages data can contain. Her current work focuses on bringing data analytics and visualization to research and evaluation that is furthering the goal of improving health outcomes and equity.

Contact: michelle_song@med.unc.edu

Lindsey Yates is an assistant professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a health equity social scientist whose research, teaching, and practice sit at the intersection of family planning, maternal and child health services, and implementation science. Dr. Yates focuses on exploring the impact of systemic racism and other types of systemic oppression on racialized and other marginalized populations. She is also invested in identifying and implementing systemic solutions to racial health disparities in maternal and child health outcomes, specifically those most impactful to Black women, birthing people, and children.

Contact: lindseek@live.unc.edu

Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MSW, MPH, (she/her) is an advocate, leader, researcher, trainer, teacher, and program director. Her main areas of focus have been improving maternal and infant health outcomes, improving system supports for families, and advancing wellbeing for people in their reproductive years. Dr. Verbiest holds several leadership positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill including the Executive Director of the Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health in the School of Medicine and the Director of the Jordan Institute for Families in the School of Social Work where she is also a Clinical Professor. She is a co-founder of the 4th Trimester Project and has led work connected to the national Show Your Love Initiative for many years. She has authored over 50 journal articles and edited 4 books. She is a mom to two children who are now young adults and enjoys running, farming and reading fiction in her spare time.

Contact: Sarah_Verbiest@med.unc.edu

Joy McNeal, MPH, is a native New Yorker, wife and mother to two beautiful children. She started her career in Veterinary Medicine and humanitarian aid work before earning her Master of Public Health from The Gillings School of Global Public Health. Since then she has been dedicated to improving health outcomes for mothers and their families. When she’s not working, Joy loves spending time with her family exploring new places through travel.

Contact: joy_mcneal@med.unc.edu

Contact: mblackburn@cumberlandcountync.gov

Nicole Hanner BSN, RN, CPHN, CD (DONA) is an experienced maternal health practitioner with experience in labor and delivery, postpartum care, and childbirth education. Nicole is a certified doula with lactation experience. Nicole loves spending time with her two daughters and her dog, Odessey.

Contact: nicole.hanner@chathamcountync.gov

Mia Jones PA-C was born in Baltimore, MD. She attended The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a Historically Black College & University (HBCU), and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 2006. She moved with her family to North Carolina that year and later attended East Carolina University’s Physician Assistant Program where she earned her Master’s Degree and graduated in 2010. 

Not soon after graduation, she started her career in public health at The Johnston County Health Department in Smithfield North Carolina. She did not know it at that time, but working in public health would be her calling and she would ultimately spend 14 years and counting there. She sees patients in all of the clinics to include Child Health, Primary Care, Epidemiology, and Women’s Health. She works very closely with the Women’s Health clinic where she serves as the provider liaison. She has recently started a position overseeing patients in the Total Wellness Clinic geared to serving patients who are in need of important health maintenance and attending to quality gap services.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 children, 2 dogs and other family members. She loves going to the beach where she can hear the ocean and feel the sun, going to the spa for relaxing massages, and reading. 

Contact: Mia.jones@johnstonnc.gov

Dr. Krystle Vinson has been in nursing for over 29 years. She began her nursing career as an LPN and worked in that capacity for 8 years before becoming a Registered Nurse. Krystle earned her Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Fayetteville Technical Community College, BSN from Fayetteville State University and her MSN with a concentration in Nursing Leadership from East Carolina University. Krystle completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice, with a concentration in Nursing Leadership from East Carolina University in July of 2018. In December of 2020, Krystle earned a Post Master’s Degree in Nursing Education from East Carolina University.

Krystle has worked in Public Health for over 22 years. Eight of those 22 years was with the Cumberland County School System, where she worked as an Exceptional Children Nurse. Krystle is currently the Director of Nursing at Cumberland County Department of Public Health (CCDPH). She serves on a variety of committees within the agency and is an active member of several boards. July of 2025 will make fourteen years that she has been with CCDPH. Becoming a nurse has fulfilled Krystle lifelong dream and working in Public Health is the icing on the cake.

Contact: kvinson@cumberlandcountync.gov