Oct 8, 2021 | Board
Arnold School of Public Health University of South Carolina
Dr. Mary Jones currently serves as the Director of Workforce Development and Adjunct Faculty at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health in the Department of Health Promotion Education and Behavior. She has worked in the field of Public Health and Healthcare for more than 15 years.
She has worked specifically on minority health research over the last 13 years. Her research and public health experiences include obesity, diabetes, and heart disease prevention, community engagement and organizing, nutrition, health policy, program evaluation, and health equity. In other professional capacities, Dr. Jones works towards coalition development and sustainability and fosters collaborations for the translation of research into public health and health care practice via training and education. She has also served as a Health Educator for Prisma Health for 10 years and is certified through Emory University in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Healthy Lifestyles Coach. As a faculty member at USC, she has taught or currently teaches: Applied Aspects of Human Nutrition; Nutrition and Food Systems Capstone; University 101; Race, Equity and Health; and Perspectives in Public Health.
Dr. Jones is a US Air Force Veteran and serves her community in multiple capacities. Dr. Jones serves as a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Community Health Alignment and also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the SC Breast and Cervical Cancer and Early Detection. She is also a proud member of the Richland County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (the first African American public service sorority). Additionally, Dr. Jones serves on the Health and Wellness Ministry at First Northeast Baptist Church and serves on the school improvement council in the Richland 2 school district. Dr. Jones has been active with Wholespire at the state and local chapter levels since 2012. In her spare time, Dr. Jones enjoys spending time with family, cooking, traveling, being physically active, and gardening.
Oct 8, 2021 | Board
Pastor
Long Branch Baptist Church
Rev. Sean Dogan has served as senior pastor of the Long Branch Baptist Church, since 1997. Under his visionary leadership, he has a multimillion-dollar building project and an environmental improvement project which included stream restoration, rock sitting area, and the planting of over 60 trees. Pastor Dogan has initiated many programs that have positively affected the local community, including a monthly feeding program, farmers market, mobile market, scholarships, and business grant opportunities. In addition to his good work in the church and community, Pastor Dogan serves on numerous boards. He is a 1998 graduate of Clemson University, attended Shaw School of Divinity, in Raleigh, NC, and he’s a graduate of The Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Initiative (Spring 2011 Class).
Oct 8, 2021 | Board
Audit Manager
Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A.
Sean Battle is the Audit Manager at Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A. in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a member of the audit and business advisory department and provides assurance and business advisory services to clients primarily in the telecommunications, non-profit, and manufacturing industries. He also has experience related to employee benefit plans, mergers and acquisitions, and single audit engagements.
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sean graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s of science in business administration in 2014. While at the University of Connecticut, Sean was a member of the swimming and diving team. Sean earned his master’s of science in accounting from the University of Pittsburgh in 2015.
Oct 8, 2021 | Board
Managing Partner
Health E Strategies
Dr. Taquina Davis has over ten years of experience demonstrating the ability to partner with multiple sectors effectively, including managing and assisting with advocacy, health and racial equity, community engagement and healthcare delivery. She has the desire and experience to work for and with organizations that help strengthen and implement strategies designed to achieve health equity. Her experience includes program development, management, community health, population health, complementary and alternative health, chronic disease prevention and wellness.
As a leader in community health, she works in and with communities to substantially impact and improve community health outcomes. At Health E Strategies, her responsibilities include developing, implementing, evaluating, and maintaining comprehensive, evidence-based chronic disease prevention and wellness programs for community members who are underserved and uninsured.
She has also led local coalitions by overseeing the development and design of plans and logic models and cultivating resources with new partners to support community health and health equity priorities. Dr. Davis also serves as an advisor on related projects and initiatives on various local community coalitions, boards and advocacy committees by assisting with advancing state and local public health practice interventions to help achieve health equity.
Taquina has her MA in Health & Wellness with a concentration in alternative medicine and her Ph.D. in Health Education and Promotion.
Oct 8, 2021 | Board
Immediate Past Chairman (non-voting)
Chief Administrative Officer
Hope Health, Inc.
As Chief Operating Officer at Hope Health, Inc., Deena Hilton has a wide range of responsibilities from facilities construction, renovation, and maintenance to community relations, advocacy, and grant writing. She received a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in health management from Francis Marion University. Deena has been with Hope Health, Inc., for 21 years and is credited with leading the funding, planning, and implementation phases of building projects in Florence, Greeleyville, and Kingstree. She has 22 years of experience in non-profit and program management and 10 years in community health management.
Oct 8, 2021 | Board
MUSC Health
Pee Dee Division
Merrette Dowdell, M.Ed., is the External Affairs & Strategic Engagement Manager for MUSC Health’s Pee Dee Division, where she is responsible for establishing and maintaining connectivity to enterprise-wide partnerships and local key stakeholders across Florence County. Much of this work is focused on the Social Determinants of Health.
Dowdell possesses a range of skills and experiences that will contribute to the continued strategic growth of Wholespire. From marketing and development at Hope Health, Inc., to senior project coordinator at the City of Florence, her knowledge in improving community health and community livability will serve as an asset to South Carolina’s communities.
She is active in her community and serves on the Boys and Girls Club of the Pee Dee Unit Board and First Presbyterian Board of Directors. She is a healthcare advocate for the United Way strategic plan and a fitness instructor. Dowdell received her undergraduate degree in English and master’s degree in secondary education from the University of South Carolina.
