As the first CEO and president of a new foundation, I was recruited to architect and lead an independent nonprofit public health enterprise serving the needs of +250,000 residents in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Cultivating a culture of service, care, and engagement with an enthusiastic team of experts, we execute strategic plans and create a regional culture where all residents can thrive.Together, we impact the communities we serve by driving purpose change initiatives such as:►Fostering millions of dollars in donations, grants, and local funds by inciting long-term change through purpose-led strategies, fundraisers, resident engagement, ethical fund distribution, and nurturing high confidence and trust across third-party audits. ►Securing millions of dollars in land donations and led a multi-million-dollar public and private partnership to launch a health and wellness park focused on social determinants.► Decreasing the number of family caregivers skipping meals 27%, improved participant sleep quality 54%, and reduced stress levels 87% by implementing a holistic care model via Reba McEntire’s temporary housing charity.►Decreasing rates of depression 12% and anxiety and “willingness to ask for help” 3% in rural schools by securing services-in-kind from two evidence-based mental health groups, including suicide prevention programs.We launched media campaigns on public health stigmas, piloted rural workplace wellbeing initiatives, and facilitated the creation of formal collaboratives that have boosted Texoma Health Foundation’s work in mental health and gained a national reputation for creating community change in mental wellbeing.I look forward to continuing the path of success in “raising the bar together” with business stakeholders, community advocates, and dedicated staff and advancing philanthropic endeavors within underserved populations.

Culture of Health Leaders is a national leadership program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It fosters collaboration—among people from all fields and professions that have an influence on people’s health—to build just and thriving communities. www.cultureofhealth-leaders.orgThe opinions expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the opinions of the program or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Tasked with building a new 501c3 health services recovery council established by Governor Blanco to rebuild the healthcare safety-net in nine parishes most devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I had the honor to lead and support major hospital and clinic CEOs in acute, primary, and psychiatric disciplines appointed to the council as board members.Cultivating relationships among council and board members, we devised a regional plan with a budget to address losses, current needs, and steps for crafting a better delivery system. This entailed conducting daily site visits to shelters, FEMA parks, temporary emergency clinics, and make-shift hospitals to understand the capacity of workers, supply inventory, and triage to prioritize critical health needs for resolution by the Governor’s office.Partnering with Tulane University to collect data and population metrics, we invoked +100 million dollars in congressional appropriations and grants. Preparing a collective system redesign, we projected short- and long-term health delivery needs as residents returned, assessed damage to individual sites, evaluated new site plans, and budgeted and bid on construction rebuilds.With a natural aptitude and passion for uniting stakeholders in a common cause, I achieved 100% attendance at council meetings and retention of collaborative partners while building a plan through trust, an understanding of the challenges, and a keen sense of identifying individual strengths of members as each navigated personal loss and hardship.Engaging and coaching the team, I ensured the continuation of the pivotal re-establishment of healthcare organizations in shifting and high-need environments as I pursued career opportunities within a new start-up organization.

Recruited to design and lead a start-up nonprofit supporting 43 rural hospitals across Louisiana, I applied my experience in establishing nonprofit governance policies, processes, priorities, and a state-wide strategic plan. Developing an operating budget worth nearly half a million dollars, I procured tens of millions of dollars in funds for member hospitals, working alongside a renowned lobbyist to author and pass rural hospital bills.In addition, building the organization included securing over 40 grants ranging from $10K to $200K from the USDA to offset hospital IT costs at member sites while establishing a state-wide IT plan for rural facilities adopted nationally, we analyzed data and identified opportunities for improvement of state electronic medical record implementations and teamed with vendors to ensure HL7 compliance. With success navigating the legislative advocacy processes, I was given additional responsibilities to effectively manage bill structuring, conduct research, gain support, and testify to the House and Senate committees throughout the legislative session.My efforts paid off in approvals of bills supporting rural hospitals, including an unprecedented initiative gaining national attention to protect rural hospitals from unequitable private competition.

Establishing the foundation for over two decades of dedication in the healthcare and community service sectors, I launched a vital leg of my career by transforming a rural nonprofit entity into a multimillion-dollar vertical network.To create an equitable and quality system for all residents, I structured a strategic plan to secure funds for a more efficient model to avert organizational closure. Working directly with CEOs to build trust across members, we identified collaboration opportunities and leveraged strengths to grow the organization from operating at a projected loss to generating millions of dollars a year through national, state, and local support.Recruiting 75 community participants to serve on a chamber of health, we represented the full diversity of the area with a broad range of socio-economic indicators and insurance, occupation, and employment statuses.Our work led to a “multi-point entry” into public spaces and health departments, libraries, distribution sites, churches, tribal clinics, federally qualified health centers, social service organizations, and hospital emergency rooms.. We drove a 36% reduction in preventable emergency room visits, a 12% barrier to medication procurement decline (from 20%), an 8% improvement in prescription accessibility, and a 7.3% boost in children’s Medicaid enrollment.Recognized as Louisiana’s youngest executive director in healthcare, I advocated for state legislation supporting the first small business model in providing insurance to rural employees. I am proud of the ByNet team and designing a nationally recognized template of success promoted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

Contract services: Created online academic activities for undergraduate communication professors and students to earn extra money during college.