Kristy Klein Davis is nationally recognized as a thought leader on health equity and the role of philanthropy in catalyzing positive change in communities. Currently President of Georgia Health Initiative, Klein Davis is a creative leader with deep expertise designing and implementing complex philanthropic strategies in public health and social sectors. In her role as President, she works collaboratively with the Board of Directors to achieve the Initiative’s vision of a Georgia in which all people have the opportunity to attain their fullest potential for health. She brings a creative approach to leadership and a strong passion for advancing health equity for all Georgians.

Prior to joining the Initiative, Klein Davis held various program and leadership positions at Missouri Foundation for Health, most recently Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, she drove the evolution of the foundation from a traditional grantmaker to a systems change institution, and built and leveraged internal expertise in grantmaking, policy, research, and communications to achieve long-term, equity-focused change.

In addition to her time at Missouri Foundation for Health, Klein Davis has also held positions in public health and health research organizations. Throughout her career she has worked to improve health equity through adaptive strategies that emphasize community-informed approaches that value and elevate lived experience. Klein Davis is a frequent writer and speaker on systems change, health equity, and modern philanthropy.

Klein Davis earned her Masters degree from The Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis.

Samantha Beasley joined Georgia Health Initiative in July 2019 and serves as the Program Administration Manager. A key bridge between operations and programmatic functions, Samantha oversees all grantmaking and contracting processes, ensuring that grantmaking policies and structures are aligned with Initiative values and supportive of the work of partners in the community. She is responsible for organization-wide calendars, timelines, and workflows, ensuring appropriate balance between efficiency and effectiveness.

Samantha worked previously in Education Management and has always been an active community volunteer. Samantha holds a master’s degree in social work (MSW) as well as a master’s degree in education. Samantha graduated from Albany State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Professional Writing.

Troy is the Chief Financial and Operations Officer for Georgia Health Initiative. He is responsible for the sound execution of all financial and operational aspects of the Initiative’s work. He ensures that the finance, information infrastructure, data management, office administration, and human resources functions are operating in full support of the Initiative’s mission and vision.

Troy is a 21-year veteran of the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Georgia Health Initiative, he served 12 years as CFO/COO of the Southern Education Foundation, a social justice organization. While at SEF, he oversaw an increase in grantors and overall program funding. The organization also grew in both staffing and program activity. Troy has worked with many organizations that focus on youth, health services and community development. He enjoys volunteering for several local charities, movies with his family, playing competitive tennis, and a relaxing round of golf in his downtime.

Troy has earned a BS in Finance from Hampton University and an MBA from Mercer University.

Joann earned a Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Illinois.

Yolanda Kyle joined Georgia Health Initiative in April 2023 and serves as the Operations Manager. In her role she is responsible for human resources and facilities management, as well as employee and Board engagement.

Prior to joining the Initiative, Yolanda served for over 20 years in administration and management, much of it in the non-profit sector. Throughout her career, she has driven organizational change, improved team productivity, and enjoyed leading teams and individuals.

Yolanda received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Shorter University.

Ky earned a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, both from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

With a background in legislative relations, policy research and analysis, and advocacy training, Sarah Phillips develops and champions results-driven policy solutions in her role as Director of Policy Strategies at Georgia Health Initiative. In this role, she monitors the policy environment to design and implement policy strategies to advance health equity for Georgians.

Sarah has spent much of her career focused on the intersection between health access and financial protection. At The Carter Center Mental Health Program, her primary impact areas included the monitoring and implementation of behavioral health parity, payment for youth mental health services, and the decriminalization of mental illness and substance use disorders. As the Senior Manager of Policy & Advocacy at Georgia Watch, the state’s leading consumer advocacy organization, Sarah identified the needs and disparate impacts affecting historically marginalized populations and guided the development and implementation of equitable policies to combat these disparities. In addition, she worked at the Georgia State Capitol, fostering relationships with legislators, conducting policy research for new legislation and analyzing each bill’s impact, and tracking legislative priorities.
 
Sarah graduated with honors from Georgia State University with degrees in Political Science and Public Policy, and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation.

Ashli Price serves as Administrative Assistant with Georgia Health Initiative. With a background in public school teaching and a passion for promoting health equity, Ashli is a community health advocate with twenty-five years of experience empowering Georgians through trauma-informed education practices and hands-on support.

Ashli spent the last fourteen years building a personal chef business focused on Atlanta families with chronic health conditions and special dietary needs, using local food as medicine to improve physical and mental well-being. She also served community members through nutrition education classes that centered participants’ voices and provided tools and inspiration for meaningful approaches to wellness. Additionally, Ashli led and managed a dynamic team of volunteers fighting food insecurity in Atlanta through the grassroots organization Free99Fridge. Through this work, Ashli witnessed the barriers many people face when it comes to accessing food, clothing, medical care, and housing. This propelled her to dive into deeper work to make change at a systems level to improve health and quality of life for all Georgians.

To her role as Administrative Assistant, Ashli brings the organizational skills and adaptability of a teacher, the creativity and detail-oriented nature of a chef, and the resourcefulness and business acumen of an entrepreneur. She approaches every interaction with enthusiasm, dedication, and compassion, and is excited to join the Initiative in promoting health equity for all Georgians.

Akil Reynolds is the Programmatic Partnerships Manager for Georgia Health Initiative. In this role, Akil leads the Initiative’s efforts in building rich partnerships throughout Georgia and ensuring that the Initiative’s programs align with its values and mission.

Akil has demonstrated his commitment to health equity and community through his leadership across various roles previously held. While at FieldWorks, LLC, Akil served as a Canvasser Team Lead. His efforts in partnership with SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West led to the passing of California Senate Bill 525, which successfully raised the minimum wage for healthcare workers in California. As a Health Education Consultant with the Florida Department of Health, Akil championed health resources for low-income communities and conducted research to inform implementation of public health best practices in Alachua County, Florida. At the national level, Akil previously served as a State Advocacy Manager with Community Catalyst, where he partnered with state and community-based organizations across the country. In this role, he provided strategic coaching, developed advocacy resources, and facilitated learning communities to support health advocates and policy campaigns focused on health justice.

Specific to Georgia, Akil recently conducted research and provided strategic guidance for The Fibroid Pandemic, LLC. In this role, Akil contributed to strengthening the organization’s ability to serve Black individuals living with uterine fibroids in the Atlanta metropolitan region.

Akil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a minor in Health Disparities in Society from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Social, Behavioral and Health Education Sciences from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Maura Tangum was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and has an academic background in English, Art, and Design. After living for several years in North Carolina and New York City, Maura recently moved back to the Atlanta area because it has always felt the most like home to her. Maura’s personal commitment to advancing health equity in Georgia is driven by lived experience and a recognition of the power of communications and design in driving change. With a diverse portfolio of communications experiences within public health, Maura has developed skills in email and social media marketing, project management, and digital content development. She is excited to bring her skills, passion, and commitment to the Communications Manager role at the Georgia Health Initiative and to contribute to creating a healthier and more equitable Georgia.