Talya Straughter desires to live in a world where people communicate with one another more deeply, are true to their hearts, stop to taste the sweetness of the honeysuckle, and scribble thank you notes by hand. She would also like, at times, a force field around her bedroom that repels a demanding millennial and a 4th grader. She understands that a part of deep communication is silence and separation. As a mental health provider for the Veterans at G.V. Sonny Montgomery in Jackson, MS she is collaborating with staff to integrate mental health services as a component of primary healthcare. She also provides mental health training and consultation through her business, Garden of Confidence, LLC. Talya holds the credentials of National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Board Certified Tele-Mental Health Counselor.When Talya is not consulting, staffing or collaborating with someone on the journey of improving their mental health, you may find her whipping up a dish, lounging with a book cracked open, or being poured into by her mentors.#justakidfromyazoo, Talya began her educational journey in Yazoo City, MS. She then obtained a bachelors in Communication Disorders and a masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from Jackson State University. Due to her love of learning, she acquired a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and a doctorate in Professional Counseling from Mississippi College.

Consuelo Beck-Sagué, MD, FAAP, recently retired from her position as Associate Professor of Public Health at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University (FIU). She obtained her medical doctoral degree at Temple University Medical School and is board-certified as a specialist in clinical pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. She served as a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, for 19 years focusing on prevention and treatment of HIV and other infectious diseases, and on elimination of racial disparities in maternal and infant health. She served as a Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative consultant to the Dominican Republic Ministry of Health for four years, focusing on use of antiretrovirals for HIV prevention and treatment in women, infants and children.  While at FIU, she was Principal Investigator of FIU’s HRSA-funded training program for Maternal and Child Health (MCH), which created an MCH concentration and certificate program. Dr. Beck-Sagué is the author/co-author of 20 chapters in medical and epidemiology texts, 20 CDC Guidelines/Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report articles, and 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, some cited thousands of times. Her principal professional interest is the elimination of racial disparities in health outcomes in US women and children.

Registered Dietitian, Specialty – Pediatric and Maternal Nutrition; Weight Management 

Work at G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center as the Program Manager for the WIC Program, MEND Pediatric Weight Management Program, CYSHCN Program, and the GA Cares Food Insecurity Program. 

BS – Human Sciences – Mississippi State University

MS – Human Nutrition – University of Southern Mississippi 

Completed Dietetic Internship at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center and UMMC via University of Southern Mississippi. 

Certified in both Pediatric/Adolescent Weight Management and Adult Weight Management

Serves as the Public Policy Coordinator for the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Lives in Madison, MS with husband and children 

Member, New Jerusalem Church

Praise Ebimaye Tangbe, MPH is currently a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate in the Department of Behavioral and Environmental Health at the JSU College of Health Sciences (A CEPH Accredited School of Public Health). Ebi has a Master of Public Health from Ohio University and will complete the DrPH in Behavioral Health Promotion & Education. Ebi is an aspiring Maternal and Child Health scholar-practitioner is completing a research study entitled, Pregnancy experiences of Black women in Mississippi during COVID-19 (March 2020 – March 2021. She is currently employed with the Mississippi State Department of Health as a Community Engagement Specialist.  She provides leadership for reducing cardiovascular disease burdens among African Americans residing in Mississippi through health promotion and education awareness initiatives focused on lifestyle behavior change. Ebi hopes to bridge cardiovascular disease prevention and control with MCH initiatives that seek to improve the health and well-being of MomNBaby in Mississippi and beyond. 

Coach Eutella Washington is a Mississippi country girl and the owner of iCHEAT Wellness, LLC, a holistic nutritional movement created to serve communities in Mississippi. Coach Washington's PURPOSE to help people comes with an experience that left her to heal herself from paralysis at the age of 21. iCHEAT Wellness offers One-on-one & Group Coaching, hosts Nutritional Nook Cooking Demos and a live interview show called "What's in your refrigerator". iCHEAT Wellness has created numerous programs that have helped more than 3,000 individuals and families lose weight, reverse, and experience healing from conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, constipation, migraines, sinuses, and acid reflux name a few. iCHEAT Wellness is currently working on a Nutritional Nook Book-Kemistry Kitchen, a tool to guide people to heal their bodies through healthy, flavorful, results-driven meals and recipes with any budget. Before iCHEAT Wellness, Coach Washington worked with the US Bureau of Engraving & printing, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The Department of Treasury for more than 14 years as a Human Resources Specialist.

Talya Straughter desires to live in a world where people communicate with one another more deeply, are true to their hearts, stop to taste the sweetness of the honeysuckle, and scribble thank you notes by hand. She would also like, at times, a force field around her bedroom that repels a demanding millennial and a 4th grader. She understands that a part of deep communication is silence and separation. As a mental health provider for the Veterans at G.V. Sonny Montgomery in Jackson, MS she is collaborating with staff to integrate mental health services as a component of primary healthcare. She also provides mental health training and consultation through her business, Garden of Confidence, LLC. Talya holds the credentials of National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Board Certified Tele-Mental Health Counselor.When Talya is not consulting, staffing or collaborating with someone on the journey of improving their mental health, you may find her whipping up a dish, lounging with a book cracked open, or being poured into by her mentors.#justakidfromyazoo, Talya began her educational journey in Yazoo City, MS. She then obtained a bachelors in Communication Disorders and a masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from Jackson State University. Due to her love of learning, she acquired a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and a doctorate in Professional Counseling from Mississippi College.

Paheadra Bratton Robinson is a native of Jackson and currently serves as the Senior Policy Consultant with the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative. She earned a B.A. In Political Science from Tougaloo College and a Juris Doctorate from the University Of Mississippi School Of Law.  Paheadra spent the early years of her career in the private practice of law in Jackson.  She formerly worked as a public interest attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice where she led statewide reform efforts of the predatory lending industry, mortgage foreclosure prevention programs and advocated for financial protection for consumers.  She has also served as a staff attorney for the Mississippi House of Representatives where she served as committee counsel to the Juvenile Justice, Water and Conservation and Municipalities committees.  She was the co-founder of a nonprofit serving families in crisis, as well as managed a robust solo practice.  As a result of her efforts to reform the payday lending industry, she was selected as the recipient of the national Florence Kelly Consumer Leadership Award.  Paheadra is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, the Magnolia Bar Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and numerous other civic and professional organizations. Paheadra is the proud mother of three children: Kameron, Kristopher and Khloe.

Praise Ebimaye Tangbe, MPH is currently a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate in the Department of Behavioral and Environmental Health at the JSU College of Health Sciences (A CEPH Accredited School of Public Health). Ebi has a Master of Public Health from Ohio University and will complete the DrPH in Behavioral Health Promotion & Education. Ebi is an aspiring Maternal and Child Health scholar-practitioner is completing a research study entitled, Pregnancy experiences of Black women in Mississippi during COVID-19 (March 2020 – March 2021. She is currently employed with the Mississippi State Department of Health as a Community Engagement Specialist.  She provides leadership for reducing cardiovascular disease burdens among African Americans residing in Mississippi through health promotion and education awareness initiatives focused on lifestyle behavior change. Ebi hopes to bridge cardiovascular disease prevention and control with MCH initiatives that seek to improve the health and well-being of MomNBaby in Mississippi and beyond. 

Caren Omondi is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) currently practicing at WD Recovery and Wellness Center in Phoenix, Arizona. She has over 15 years’ experience in nursing and over 6 years’ experience in FNP and psychiatric mental health. She earned her FNP degree from the University of Phoenix, a master’s degree in Nursing Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and a post master’s certificate in psychiatric mental health from Liberty University. Her bachelor's in nursing is from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Caren’s career has been centered among all genders and ethnicities in Phoenix, Arizona where she provides a full range of medical and mental health care. She is passionate about mental health care and awareness among ethnic minorities. She strives for work-life balance, during her free time and enjoys traveling and spending time with family. 

Our very own Doctor Nelson Atehortua De la Pena, known among colleagues and the community as Dr. A, has recently become the Director of the Office of Health Data and Research for the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) and has stayed with us at JSU as an Adjunct Professor/Affiliated Faculty. Dr. A is a Medical Doctor – Doctor of Medicine (MD) -who graduated from the School of Medicine of the University of Cartagena (Colombia). He completed postgraduate training majoring in Health Services Management, minor in Management of Health Services Provider Institutions (HSPI), from the Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia. He came to the US to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Western Kentucky University and a Ph.D. degree from Texas A&M University.

In addition, he has rounded his scientific training with postdoctoral fellowships in Public Health Genomics, through the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Disabilities, through the joint Lend Program between Utah State University and the University of Utah; the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (MCCTR), a collaborative effort between the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM); and more recently, as a fellow with the National Medical Fellowships on Diversity in Clinical Trials Research.

I am Austine Uzodinma Onyia, a Nigerian-born and naturalized Belizean. I am a graduate of a diverse field of study which includes pharmacy, business administration, theology, and ministerial studies. I have practiced as a hospital and community pharmacist for over 25 years in multi-ethnic settings in Nigeria and Belize. I am currently a DrPH student of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Health Sciences, Jackson State University. I am married to Emmanuella, and our union of 15 years is blessed with five kids. I am a student of life, for life.

Rod Denne’ is the former Staff Training and Development Administrator for the Department of Human Resources at Jackson State University.  As the administrator, Rod significantly expanded the number of online and instructor-led courses offered, coordinated campus compliance, mandatory, and voluntary training and development activities for university staff, faculty, and student employees.  Rod has extensive knowledge of Information Technology, Communication, Higher Education Cost Modeling, and their applications in the global market.  Having joined the JSU family in 1997, Rod prides himself on being a results-oriented team leader with a 25-year track record of providing superior project management, training and development and support services to numerous key executives, faculty, and staff.  He has been very active in the higher education arena, holding a variety of positions including, the Administrator for Training and Development, Special Assistant to the Sr. Vice President for Finance and Operations, Assistant to the Vice President for Information Technology, University Computer Lab Coordinator, and Staff Accountant.  Rod has served as project lead on numerous institutional-wide initiatives including space utilization, strategic planning, cost analytics, process mapping and re-engineering, resources identification and expansion, compliance audits, and development of institutional competencies.  While special assistant to the Sr. VP, Rod; in conjunction with external partners, leveraged Time-Driven Activity Based Costing to design a “University-Wide Cost Model” with the ability to build “what if” scenarios for approximately 2500 accounts and 263 core departments.  A total of 400 process algorithms were developed and leveraged to identify current and future cost savings.  Rod quarterbacked efficiency audit projects within the university auxiliaries sector yielding a 17% cost reduction and a 25% increase in vending revenues over a two year period.  In concert with the General Counsel, Rod also serves as the staff liaison on workforce policy research, analysis, development as well as management of staff handbook updates, modifications, and revocations. 

Rod’s international experience includes technical assessments for the international programs division partnership with JSU and USAID at the University of Agostino in Luanda, South Africa and training coordinator/facilitator at the University of Mauritius, Mauritius South Africa. 

He has a B.S in accounting, a M.S. in education technology, and received his PhD in higher education from Jackson State University.  His passion for policy, research and training continues to focus on employee engagement and employee perceptions of training and development in the workplace.  He is also a proud father and supporter of breastfeeding and early nutrition excellence!

Dr. Gerri Cannon-Smith has over thirty years’ experience as Pediatrician/PH practitioner, administrator, PH/Disparity scholar and public health faculty. A Medical degree from University of Mississippi Medical School followed completion of undergraduate studies at Howard University. Pediatric training was completed at Howard University Hospital and Loma Linda University Children’s Medical Center. She received a Master of Public Health degree at University of California, Berkeley and is certified in Public Health. Career has been centered around  care of underserved populations in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Currently she is engaged in consultation with Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Child and Adolescent Health, involved in community participatory research, and focused on health/health literacy/health equity advocacy as owner of Innovative Health Strategies.

A native of Rankin County, she is married with two adult daughters and active in professional, faith-based, and community organizations, including service on national MCH committees.