Cohorts

Krista Cole

Fellow
Division of Family Health and Wellness

Originally from Bristol, Tennessee, I recently earned my Master of Public Health and Certificate in Public Mental Health from Emory University. Also, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in General Business and my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from East Tennessee State University. I am interested in many topics including, but not limited to, mental health and equity. I am hopeful that my work with the State of Tennessee will provide a measurable impact on community health development.

Miranda Givens

Fellow
Office of Strategic Initiatives

A native of Pelham, Tennessee, I obtained both my Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Community and Public Health from Middle Tennessee State University. I am interested in the field of substance misuse and its impact on mental health in youth and adults in Tennessee. My second field of interest is the aging population with a particular interest in Alzheimer’s and dementia. I hope the experience and connections I make with public heath leaders across Tennessee will help build effective interventions and improve the overall health of rural Tennesseans.

Mariah Horton

Fellow
Office of Strategic Initiatives

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, I earned my Master of Public Health from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and my Bachelor of Public Health from George Washington University in Washington, DC. I am very passionate about advancing health equity, and I look forward to working with the County Health Councils across Tennessee to improve health equity across the state.  

Octavia Forrest

Senior Fellow
Division of Family Health and Wellness

Born, raised, and still residing in Nashville, Tennessee, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), with a minor in Physical Science, from Belmont University. 

Prior to my current position with the Tennessee Department of Health, I interned with the Communicable and Environmental Disease and Emergency Preparedness (CEDEP) Division. The Public Health Executive Fellowship with the Division of Family Health and Wellness (FHW) has allowed me to make valuable impacts within my public health interests. These interests include health disparities and health equity, social determinants of health, health communication, multidimensional literacy, childhood health and development, and strategic development. The fellowship has provided me with opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills, enhance my personal and professional development, and engage in networking opportunities.

My fellowship has also consisted of several specific projects. The first year, I worked on administrative and communication assignments with the support of the Director of Strategic Development. Two projects that have been effective and impactful at improving communication across the Division and to the public are: a) FHW Website Modernization – making the website user friendly and incorporating common knowledge with a fifth grade reading level, b) Employee Connections – making a Microsoft Teams Channel that allows over 200 staff members to get to know current and new employees. 

In my current second year, I am working on programmatic projects. Two I have assisted with that have had a meaningful impact on my public health journey and interests include: a) the Fiscal Year 2023 Evidence-Based Home Visiting (EBHV) Legislative Report – translating the report from a text heavy report to a visualized graphic one, b) the FHW Health Equity (FHWHE) Five-Year Strategic Plan – facilitating and co-facilitating, alongside the Director of Health Equity, the development of goals and activities for two priority teams (Collaborations and Partnerships and Community Engagement), as well as developing final drafts of the plan. 

The Public Health Executive Fellowship has been the perfect entry-level steppingstone needed to accelerate my career as a public health professional.