If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just change it one step at a time. Marian Wright Edelman For more than 25 years, Dr. A has done just that! Serving in diverse roles in health care and community engagement, Dr. A has demonstrated her commitment to the well-being of individuals and communities. She is a community engagement practitioner, certified coach, and registered nurse. Dr. A has led teams in preventive health services, community programs, volunteerism, corporate citizenship, and nonprofit initiatives. In 2008, Dr. A was selected by the Chief Medical Officer of Highmark Health to serve as a Special Assistant on Health Care Reform. Dr. A currently serves as the Director of the Center for Thriving Communities at UF Health Jacksonville, a statewide multi-sector collaborative established to co-design and create solutions that address health and social inequities. Through four pillars, community engagement, Equity Action Labs, training, follow-up & sustainability, the Center will work collaboratively to achieve the vision of a Florida where everyone has the opportunity to prosper and thrive. Dr. A believes service is the rent you pay for living on earth. She has committed her time, talent, testimony, and treasure to supporting and leading community initiatives. She volunteers and has served on the board of directors and committees for the American Heart Association of Greater Pittsburgh, National Kidney Foundation, YWCA, United Way of Southwestern PA, Ward Home, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, FSCJ Foundation, and the A.L. Lewis Black Opportunity & Impact Fund. Dr. A has substantial clinical and community experience, which distinguishes and informs her work. She holds a nursing degree from Eastern University, a graduate degree in nursing administration from Waynesburg University, and a Ph.D. in Community Engagement from Point Park University. Dr. A's dissertation illuminated the factors of success in youth-led community revitalization. Dr. A has been honored as a recipient of the New Pittsburgh Courier's 50 Women of Excellence Award, the Pennsylvania Diversity Council's Most Powerful & Influential Women of Pennsylvania Award, and Who's Who in Black Pittsburgh. In 2012, Dr. A was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nurses. Dr. A resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Timothy Johnson. They enjoy traveling and creating meaningful memories with their children and grandchildren.