Founder and Executive Director.

With a strong background in public health leadership and policy, Scott has extensive experience in managing public health programs, infrastructure, and community-based initiatives. Holding an M.P.P. from Johns Hopkins University with a focus on public health, Scott has served in key leadership roles in State health departments in South Carolina and Georgia as well as in non-profits in Chicago and Baltimore. Passionate about community health, Scott has worked extensively with grassroots organizations, public health agencies, and healthcare providers to improve access to care and improve public health outcomes.

Because of his passion for public health, he helped start the Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership, which is a nonprofit organization committed to advocating for the essential role of public health in building healthier communities throughout the South.

Board Member

Dr. Jimmell Felder is a native of Florence, SC, but currently resides in Greenwood, SC. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University. She earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and completed her pediatric residency at East Carolina Brody School of Medicine. She is board certified in both pediatrics and obesity medicine. She also has a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from the American Association of Medical Colleges. She earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee.

After 16+ years of practicing pediatrics in Upstate South Carolina, Dr. Felder retired from pediatric practice. However, during her time at Self Regional Healthcare she convened and continues to lead the Health Equity Advisory Taskforce (HEAT). This physician task force seeks to use data to drive initiatives to mitigate disparities in our seven-county service area. We have worked on increasing our lung cancer screenings and recently launched the use of Community Health Workers in the perinatal space. She is currently a member of the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health’s Rural Access to Care for Improving Maternal and Infant Health Taskforce. She also owns a medical weight management practice, New Creation Wellness, LLC.

Board Member

Fredia S. Wadley, MD is a pediatrician with a Master’s in Health Administration and Planning that has spent thirty-two years of her career in public health in Tennessee and Maryland as: Medical Director and then Director of the Southeast Region of TN with ten rural counties (1975 -1983); Chief Medical Officer of Tennessee Health Department (1983-1988); Director of Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson Health Department (1988- 1995); Tennessee State Health Commissioner (1995-2003); and Director of Talbot County, MD Health Department 2015-2020). Before her career in Public Health, she was a member of the pediatric faculty at UT Health Science Center and left this position to establish her pediatric practice in Winchester, TN.

In 2003, Fredia became Medical Director of Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, a Quality improvement Organization and one of the four companies that later merged under the holding company Quality Health Strategies. Dr. Wadley was the CEO of QHS from 2010 to 2015, when she retired for the first time, only to be brought back into public health as Talbot County Health Officer (2015 – 2020).  After her second retirement she moved to Franklin, TN where she now resides with husband, daughter and three Siberian Huskies.

Board Member

Board Member

CarriAyne Jones Parr is a science policy civil servant and strategist with a Ph.D. in biogeochemistry. In her role as head of the UK government’s Science and Innovation Network for the US Southeast, she leads US and UK collaboration efforts on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biosecurity, assisting in and advising on the development of science-backed policy. She also serves as Honorary Director of a special project at Task Force for Global Health, HEARTS & MINDS, which engages the power of arts in service to public health, particularly looking at big challenges like AMR. Previously, she’s lived and worked all over the world, from Yemen to Denmark to Indonesia, for environmental firms, universities, and industry, defining the hydrogeology of volcanic calderas, studying the cycling of nutrients through diverse ecosystems, discovering incredible microbial communities in remote Asian lakes, and battling bears and mosquitos while exploring the muskeg of northern Canada. Her current interests lie in the nexus of security and health, focusing on leveraging and coordinating the intellectual and functional resources behind national and state governments, multilateral organizations, non-profits, and academic institutions into a coherent, coordinated, and evidence-motivated strategy in service to the global good.

Board Member

Board Member

Advisory Committee Member

Dr. Jan Theodore Hahn is a board-certified family physician with over four decades of experience in clinical practice, medical administration, and education. A graduate of Swarthmore College and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, he has served as a medical director at multiple healthcare institutions, including Cherokee Health Systems and Covenant Health. In addition to his extensive medical career, Dr. Hahn has been a dedicated educator, teaching health sciences at the high school level and serving as an adjunct instructor in the PA program at South College. His commitment to public service includes volunteering with Remote Area Medical, mentoring students, and advocating for child welfare and victims of domestic violence.

Advisory Committee Member

Taylor Norris, a North Carolina native, has dedicated his career to improving health outcomes through policy advocacy and program development. His work spans global health initiatives in Kenya, Cuba, and South America, as well as advancing U.S. foreign policy solutions in Washington, DC to address pressing public health challenges. In North Carolina, Taylor has worked on Medicaid policy, immunization efforts, and Community Health Worker integration to enhance healthcare access and improve population health. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, which he’s fortunate to call home.