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Cohort 2
June 30, 2024
Me'Kyel Bailey
Me’Kyel Bailey is a Public Health professional serving in her role as Acting Co-Manager; Community Partnership Manager HSC4 focusing on policy, systems and environmental change strategies at WA Department of Health for the Youth Commercial Tobacco and Cannabis Prevention Program. She is skilled at dissecting complex issues and personally fancies herself as a “puzzle master”. Me’Kyel thinks “outside the box” and has formed strong partnerships which have led to executing past health, organizational and program development initiatives. Me’Kyel is a cross-disciplinary connector who supports public health professionals and educators understand and implement approaches that better serve communities and diverse populations in Washington using policy, systems, and environmental change framework. She advocates for the amplification of community and diverse population voices to help drive state decision making, policies, planning and implementation. Ms. Bailey has been invited to speak to external state and community agencies on public and social issues concerning youth access to cannabis and commercial tobacco products. She also serves divisionally as a subject matter expert reviewing, analyzing and tracking proposed legislation, rules, fiscal proposal and other policy actions that impact state-wide regional and priority population contractors and other education and prevention parties.
Courthney Calvin
Courthney Calvin is a Public Health Educator in the Tobacco Free Living Coordinator at the Cincinnati Health Department. Courthney has received her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Cincinnati. She is dedicated to addressing tobacco related health disparities ensuring that every resident in Cincinnati can live, work, and play in environments that are tobacco free. Courthney is currently working with the largest school district in Cincinnati on an Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health (INDEPTH) program which is an alternative to suspension that teaches students about nicotine dependence, establishing healthy alternatives for an unhealthy addiction.
Courthney has become a strong and resourceful leader in her community and is actively involved with the following organizations: Tobacco Free Ohio Alliance, Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVE), Cincinnati Organized & Dedicated Employees (CODE Local union), Community Action Agency, and The Air We Share which focuses on identifying and addressing tobacco-related health disparities in multi housing units. In her spare time Courthney enjoys reading, extreme couponing, traveling, spending time with her 13-year-old son Chase and canine companion Jinx.
Asyria Daniels
Asyria Daniels, MPH is the perfect mix of humanitarian and hustler. Earning her undergraduate degree from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and her graduate degree from Georgia State University, she currently serves as Program Coordinator for The Center for Black Health & Equity. She is passionate about serving and improving underserved communities. As a public health strategist, Ms. Daniels is dedicated to improving health and racial equity through advocacy, community engagement, multi-sector partnerships. Naturally an engaging public speaker and expert bridge builder, Asyria enjoys developing and maintaining partnerships with faith based, Tribal Nations, local, state and federal agencies."
Zsanai Epps
Zsanai Epps, MPH, CHES is the Senior Director, Reproductive Justice Initiatives at the Black Women’s Health Imperative. Zsanai leads national programming with young Black women ages 18-30 and college students with an emphasis on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Zsanai’s portfolio includes programming around reproductive justice, chronic disease prevention, mental and emotional wellness, advocacy, and leadership development. Zsanai received her Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Master of Public Health from Morgan State University. Also, she is a Doctor of Public Health candidate at Morgan State University.
Nichelle Gray
Nichelle Gray is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in tobacco control advocacy. She currently serves as the Manager of Engagement and Special Programs at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), one of the oldest and most respected tobacco control organizations in the United States. Nichelle's impressive career at ASH began in 2007, and she has since held various roles in the tobacco control community at the global, national, and local levels. Nichelle's contributions to the field are numerous, but her work as the lead U.S. researcher for the STOP partners Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index is particularly noteworthy. Her research has helped shed light on the tactics employed by the tobacco industry to undermine public health initiatives and has informed the development of effective policies and strategies to counter these efforts. Nichelle holds a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from George Mason University, a Master of Science from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and a certificate for the Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Research Accountability Course through the University of Bath, UK.
Minou Jones
Minou Jones is the Founder and CEO of Making it Count Community Development Corporation, a Black Woman led 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is “to provide meaningful opportunities that count towards making a difference in the overall equity and equality of its community members.” Mrs. Jones previously served as the CEO of the Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan where she secured the organization’s first federal 1.25 million dollar grant. Mrs. Jones has more than 20 years of experience in the field of community development and public health. Her organization, MIC is currently spearheading efforts to reduce tobacco-related disparities in Wayne and Oakland County by organizing stakeholders to ban menthol tobacco products. “Tobacco kills 45,000 African Americans each year.” She also serves as Chair of the Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Coalition and is a board member of Tobacco Free Michigan. Mrs. Jones is passionate about helping people of color build healthier communities. She is an internationally certified prevention specialist and alumni of Wayne State and Davenport Universities.
Wonder Lowe
Miriam Karanja has worked as Director of Programs for the Arkansas Cancer Coalition (ACC) since July 2013. Before that, she served in multiple management roles including as Section Chief of Media and Health Communications at the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, as Program Director for Southern Bancorp’s Good Faith Fund Business Development Center, as a Business Consultant for Temple University Small Business Development Center and as an Assistant Brand Manager for Unilever in Kenya. When she is not ACC, Miriam works as an Assistant Professor for Arkansas Baptist College and Shorter College. She enjoys serving at New Life Church in West Little Rock and loves raising her teenage son. Her passions are aerobics, attending her church life group, cooking, hiking, making friends, reading, singing in choirs, and traveling. Miriam comes from a large, robust family and enjoys traveling overseas to spend time with them.
Miriam has a Master of Business Administration degree in Economic Development from Eastern University in Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Nairobi University, and Diploma in Marketing from the Marketing Society of Kenya. She is a life-long learner who enjoys solving all levels of community health problems.
Mangle Shanks
Dr. Mangle L. Shanks, Ph.D has spent over 30 years of her work life as a workforce practitioner in the field of employment and training and health promotions, assisting youths, adults and military Service members, veterans, and families. Her primary responsibility has been to identify resources locally and across the state to develop strategic partnerships to help improve the overall well-being and quality of life of those served. After she developed a strong passion for health and well-being in 2007, she created a small 501©3, non-profit, Shanks Health, Housing, Employment, Education & Training Services, Inc. (SHEETS, Inc.). The organization’s focus is on prevention and intervention, promoting health equity and assistance in the elimination of health disparities, using the Social Determinants of Health as a foundation.
Rica Trigs
Rica Trigs serves as Vice President of Advocacy (Southwest Region) for the American Heart Association. She directs the overall strategic vision and implementation for regional, state and local policy campaigns in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. During her time at the AHA, she has focused on health equity and authentic community engagement. Prior to her current work, Ms. Trigs was Executive Director for the Soledad O’Brien & Brad Raymond Starfish Foundation based in New York City. She managed all aspects of operations, programming and development. As the founding director, she was instrumental in the national growth of the organization. Rica also previously served as Chief Operating Officer of the New Orleans Public Library. She was responsible for External Affairs including capital projects and public relations. Ms. Trigs was a key member of the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding team charged with restoring library services citywide and bringing state-of-the-art facilities to the city. Ms. Trigs started her career in public service as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Relations for the City of New Orleans.
Edrin Williams
Dr. Edrin R. Williams is a Project Director with the Leadership Council for Healthy Communities (LCHC) and Founder of The Williams Group LLC, a DC-Based healthcare consulting firm. In his capacity at LCHC, he oversees the Tobacco Control and Food Access program which aims to reduce the burden of tobacco among African American residents of the District of Columbia who also experience food insecurity. Dr. Williams earned a Doctor of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina; he is a passionate, results-driven healthcare operations leader and consultant with experience in health policy, program management, patient care, clinical trial recruitment and retention, patient advocacy, and healthcare administration.
Darnisha Wright
Michelle Ozah is currently the Social & Health Disparities Senior Coordinator for The Louisiana
Campaign For Tobacco-Free Living (TFL), a program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) and a funded program of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC). Michelle graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences. She is obtaining her Master of Social Work from Southern University at New Orleans. Michelle has published research on the Investigation of Antidiabetic Activity of Vaccinium corybosum (Blueberry) and has co-authored poster presentations, such as the African American Male Cessation Initiative and Quit With Us, Louisiana Smoke- Free housing.