Professional Education
Presentation slides are available by clicking the underlined titles.
May 2023 Smokefree SC Summit: Overcoming Health Disparities in Tobacco Prevention and Control: Part Two
Due to unfortunate technical issues, only recordings from the morning sessions are available.
KEYNOTE: Tobacco Policy: Where We Are And What Lies Ahead
Maham Akbar, MPP, Director, Public Policy, Truth Initiative
Maham Akbar is a director of public policy at Truth Initiative, America’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to a future where tobacco and nicotine addiction are things of the past. She conducts research and analysis of tobacco-related federal, state, and local regulations, legislation, and other policy actions to recommend actions and strategies. Maham received a bachelor’s degree in government and global studies from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a master’s degree in public policy from American University in Washington, D.C.
Disparities Panel: What's Being Done In Vulnerable Communities?
Eve Fields, MD, SC DMH & Greater Greenville Mental Health Center
Eve Fields is a board certified psychiatrist and the Director of Integrated Care for the SC Department of Mental Health. She has over 20 years of clinical experience, much of which was spent working in community mental health centers in Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina. She graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine where she also completed an internship in Internal Medicine and she completed her psychiatry residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia.
Kellie Lamb, Senior Program Manager, Tobacco Control, American Cancer Society
Kellie Lamb is the Tobacco Control Senior Program Manager for the American Cancer Society. Kellie has had a nearly two decade long career working in health education with an emphasis on decreasing the use of tobacco products. With the support of the American Cancer Society, Kellie is prioritizing efforts to reduce youth and adult tobacco use, improve health equity, and create safer, healthier communities in South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Onjewel Smith, Southern States Strategist, American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation
Onjewel Smith currently serves as a Southern States Strategist for the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation where she works at the local and statewide level to protect all employees from secondhand smoke at work. She recently served as the Deputy Director of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network. She worked closely with communities throughout the country to reduce tobacco industry presence in African American communities. She possesses a bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Colorado and a master's degree in Human Resources Development from Webster University in St. Louis.
Update: SC Tobacco Quitline and CAN Quit Initiative
Katy Wynne, Ed.D., MSW, Quitline Manager, SC DHEC Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control Dr. Katy
Wynne has worked for almost 22 years in SC DHEC’s Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control. In addition to her role as Quitline Manager, she provides statewide coordination of tobacco cessation programs and partnership initiatives to promote policy and systems change and evidence-based treatment interventions for nicotine dependence. She earned her Doctorate in Health Education Administration from the University of South Carolina College of Education, a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina College of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Columbia College
Catherine Sedergren, Assistant Quitline Manager, SC DHEC Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control
Catherine Sedergren is a public health professional in the Midlands of South Carolina who has seven years of experience in tobacco cessation and health education. For the past two years, Catherine has worked as the SC Tobacco Quitline Assistant Manager at the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. In this role, Catherine oversees compilation and dissemination of Quitline data for both internal and external providers.
Peter Fallis, CEO and Co-Founder, TelASK Inc.
Peter Fallis is the CEO and co-founder of TelASK, a healthcare company focused on patient engagement and chronic disease management. In his role, Peter is responsible for driving the company’s strategy to create scalable, real-time connection points between patients and HCPs, resulting in better patient outcomes. When it comes to helping patients quit using tobacco products, Peter strongly believes that innovative technology plays a key role in the patient journey and has made this central to the TelASK mission.
Chad Dingman, LISW-CP, OSW-C, Director of Oncology Support Services & Centers for Integrative Medicine, Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute
Chad Dingman has worked in oncology support services at Gibbs Cancer Center within the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for 19 years. He has been in his current role for 6 years, and as part of his director duties, Chad oversees Spartanburg Medical Center’s lowdose CT lung cancer screening program as well as the SC CAN Quit smoking cessation initiative for oncology patients. Chad is an oncology certified social worker, faculty member of the Center for Mind Body Medicine, and approved supervisor for clinical social workers. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois School of Social Work.
May 2022 Smokefree SC Summit: Overcoming Health Disparities in Tobacco Prevention and Control
Elizabeth Do, PhD, MPH
Research Manager - Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute
Elizabeth Do is an experienced public health researcher and scientist who works to better understand how genes and aspects of the social and physical environment influence health-related behaviors. To date, a majority of Dr. Do's research has been focused on tobacco prevention and control efforts among adolescents and young adults. She is especially passionate about addressing tobacco-related health disparities among vulnerable populations through policy and education. This is reflected in her work as a Research Manager within the Schroeder Institute at the Truth Initiative. Dr. Do is also a Professorial Lecturer in Epidemiology at the George Washington University, serves as the Chair-Elect of the Tobacco Free Alliance of Virginia, and is a steering committee member of Eliminate Tobacco Use Virginia Initiative.
How South Carolina State-level Tobacco Work is Incorporating a Health Equity Lens
Sharon Biggers, MPH, CHES
Director – SC DHEC Division of Tobacco Prevention & Control Tobacco Control
Sharon Biggers has been with SC DHEC for over 27 years, working first in the local health department setting, then moving up to fill various roles in the Division before becoming its director in 2003. She currently manages both the CDC State-based Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program and the state-funded Smoking Prevention and Cessation Program at DHEC. These programs focus on policy, systems, and environmental change in the areas of prevention, cessation, secondhand smoke, and elimination of commercial tobacco-related disparities. Sharon received both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.
What's New with the South Carolina Tobacco Quitline Services
Katy Wynne, Ed.D., MSW
SC Tobacco Quitline Manager - SC DHEC Division of Tobacco Prevention & Control
Dr. Katy Wynne has worked for almost 22 years in SC DHEC’s Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control. In addition to her role as Quitline Manager, she provides statewide coordination of tobacco cessation programs and partnership initiatives to promote policy and systems change and evidence-based treatment interventions for nicotine dependence. Katy’s career has spanned across 48 years of work in public, private, and non-profit sectors, with most of those years dedicated to state level public service in public health, education, mental health, social services, and alcohol and other drug programs. She earned her Doctorate in Health Education Administration from the University of South Carolina College of Education, a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina College of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Columbia College. Katy is a Past President of the South Carolina Public Health Association and is currently serving a second term as a board member of the North American Quitline Consortium.
Best Practice Panel: Access to Cessation Services
Chad Dingman, LISW-CP, OSW-C,
Director of Oncology Support Services & Centers for Integrative Medicine - Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute
Chad Dingman has worked in oncology support services at Gibbs Cancer Center within the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for 19 years. He has been in his current role for 6 years, and as part of his director duties, Chad oversees Spartanburg Medical Center’s low-dose CT lung cancer screening program as well as the SC CAN Quit smoking cessation initiative for oncology patients. Prior to this role, he served 12 years as the lead social worker at Gibbs where he provided psychosocial counseling and therapeutic interventions for patients and families struggling with a cancer diagnosis. Chad is an oncology certified social worker, faculty member of the Center for Mind Body Medicine, and approved supervisor for clinical social workers. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois School of Social Work.
Lamar Suber, MA
Program Manager, Co-Occurring Programs - SC Department of Mental Health & SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drugs
Lamar Suber currently oversees the state’s behavioral health COVID-19 response and is one of the leading smoking cessation champions for the state-run behavioral health system. Since 2015, Lamar has worked in various positions within both the mental health and addictions fields. He has extensive experience dealing with in-patient and outpatient settings, individual, couple and family therapy and clinical supervisory work. Lamar’s main career goal is to improve the policies and procedures that affect those with co-occurring disorders to allow them continuity of care within all areas of their life.
Tammy Timms RN, BSN,CDCES, TTS
Condition Management Supervisor - Premise Health
Tammy Timms has been a practicing nurse for 35 years. For the past 8 years, she has worked as a Condition Management Supervisor in the BMW Associate Family Health Center in Greer, SC. In this role, Tammy developed a Workplace Tobacco Counseling Program where she meets one-on-one with employees to develop individualized quit plans and provide cessation support resources. Tammy is deeply committed to educating herself and patients and attended Tobacco Treatment Specialist training at Duke-UNC.
KEYNOTE: Banning Menthol as an Endgame to Tobacco Use
Delmonte Jefferson
Executive Director - Center for Black Health & Equity
Delmonte Jefferson has worked more than 20 years in public health program administration managing and directing public health programs nationally and in states such as North Carolina, Louisiana, and Georgia. He has worked with national, state, and local legislators to help shape policies in support of smoke-free establishments and restrictions on the sale of menthol and other flavored tobacco products. Mr. Jefferson is chair of the Georgia Smoke-Free Tobacco Coalition and an officer on the board of directors with the North American Quitline Consortium. He has collaborated with a cross section of public, government, and private sector entities to create programs and services that promote health justice for marginalized communities and disenfranchised populations.
Best Practice Panel: Local Policies that Make a Difference
Jackie Boards
Project Director - Counter Tools
Jackie Boards brings 10 years of background in public health. Her experience working and living in different settings has strengthened her knowledge around diverse populations and understanding of the influences on health, such as level of access. Jackie is a Project Director at the nonprofit organization Counter Tools, where she leads the management of multiple state projects, including South Carolina, focusing on tobacco control. Jackie is also the Counter Tools Help Desk Manager where she provides guidance on technical questions and issues, and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead where she guides organizational EDI-related efforts. Jackie is a native of Georgia, went to Mercer University, and currently resides in North Carolina.
LaShandra Morgan, Ed.D., MPH
Project Director - Breathe Easy Tri-County
Dr. LaShandra Morgan is the Project Director for Breathe Easy Tri-County, a community group whose goals are to educate the community about the dangers of tobacco use and to have menthol and all other tobacco flavors banned in the City of Charleston. She has worked as a health educator and community health worker for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control where she worked on tobacco cessation, Point of Sale, and tobacco prevention among youth. Dr. Morgan has had the pleasure of working with groups in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties that do similar work including the Smoke-Free Lowcountry Coalition and the Berkeley County Prevention Board. She prides herself on including healthy equity in everything she does.
Lori Moseley, DNP, FNP-BC, CDE
Former District 3 Representative - Lancaster County Health and Wellness Commission
Lori Moseley is a Family Nurse Practitioner in Lancaster, South Carolina currently working at the MinuteClinic and the Children's Clinic. Dr. Moseley was a member of the Lancaster County Health and Wellness Commission from 2009 to 2021, including serving as Chair from 2016 to 2018. She was part of the team that worked to gain support for smoke-free ordinances in Lancaster County. Dr. Moseley obtained her Master’s degree and Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of South Carolina and is also a Certified Diabetes Educator.
June 2021 Smokefree SC Summit: People & Policies to End Youth Vaping
From Epidemic to Pandemic - The Role of Mental Health in Teen Vaping
Krysten Isaac Peairs
Group Management Director – Tobacco Control Programs, Rescue Agency
Krysten has been a Change Agent with the Rescue Agency since 2016. She has a diverse background working in E-Commerce with Fortune 500 companies & the Las Vegas hospitality industry. Krysten since found her passion in public health & substance misuse. As a part of the Rescue Agency, Krysten leads a team that supports State & Local clients and constantly works to inspire and cultivate the most powerful behavior changes possible.
Young People Helping Each Other Quit – This is Quitting Text Program
Megan Jacobs, MPH
Managing Director of Product Innovations, Truth Initiative
Megan led the modernization of the now 11-year-old BecomeAnEX® platform and currently oversees its
day-to-day management, as well as the development of the EX® Program enterprise product. Most recently, Jacobs designed the quit-vaping program This is Quitting (TIQ) for teens and young adults. She works across departments to integrate TIQ into the truth® campaign. Megan earned a bachelor’s degree in English and French from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in public health communication and marketing from George Washington University and certificates in product management and design thinking. She teaches Health Product Development at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, where she holds leadership roles on several alumni groups.
PANEL DISCUSSION: Perspectives from a Pediatrician & Behavioral Health Specialist
Donna White, LPCS, LPC, LAC, CS, CPS/P
Program Administrator - Adolescent and Prevention Services, The Charleston Center
Donna has been a part of The Charleston Center since 2011 and is responsible for providing clinical/administrative supervision to counselors, and is in charge of daily operations (budgeting, staffing, data collection of trends), and program development (auditing, review of quarterly and yearly goals, marketing). She is also responsible for monitoring of grants/grant writing and community engagement. As a licensed counselor, Donna has experience in treating a wide range of issues and disorders and specialize in the treatment of: anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, stress management, and adjustment disorders. Donna is also a volunteer presenter for the Smokefree SC Vape Talk program.
Ranya Chakra, M.D.
General Pediatrician, Atrium Health Levine Children's Rock Hill Pediatric Associates
Dr. Chakra is a pediatrician who cares for children, teens and their families. She has expertise in helping children and teens with obesity, mental health issues and substance use – including vaping. Dr. Chakra serves as site coordinator for the Quality through Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics program. She is also the immunization liaison for the American Academy of Pediatrics in South Carolina. She is board certified in pediatrics. Dr. Chakra received her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and followed that with a residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Education for Parents: An Overview of Smokefree SC's Vape Talk Presentation
Megan Austin
Communications Coordinator, Smokefree SC
Megan Austin is the Communications Coordinator for Smokefree SC. Megan obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health at the UofSC Arnold School of Public Health and is currently working toward her MPH and a Graduate Certificate in Health Communications. Megan has a strong interest in adolescent health and focused much of her undergraduate and now graduate work on youth and young adult vaping prevention. She has been an integral part in the development of Smokefree SC’s Vape Talk program, which aims to educate parents, providers, and other youth influencers on how to have “vape talks” with teens to persuade them not to vape.
The Status and Impact of Flavor Bans
Gustavo Torrez
Youth Advocacy Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Gustavo has been involved in the tobacco control movement for the past 19 years. He began his work in tobacco control as a youth advocate in California and continued his career in the field in Boston, where he was a Program Manager with Fenway Community Health and the National Network for LGBT Health Equity, one of the CDC-funded priority population networks. As a young adult, Gustavo served on Legacy’s National Speaker’s Bureau and National Activism Council, and in 2012 he was recognized for his efforts with a Trailblazers Award for outstanding and continuous leadership in the tobacco control movement by Legacy.
Why Tobacco Retail Licensing is Important
Mark Meaney
Deputy Director - Commercial Tobacco Control Program, Public Health Law Center
Mark is the Deputy Director of Commercial Tobacco Control Law and Policy at the Public Health Law Center. Mark leads a team of attorneys working to support tobacco control policy change throughout the United States by providing legal technical assistance to public health professionals and advocates, developing resources on the most effective legal and policy measures to reduce the burden of disease and death caused by tobacco use in the United States, and providing strategic leadership around bold policy options to end the tobacco epidemic.
PANEL DISCUSSION: The Path to Policy Change in South Carolina
Clark Cooper, M.Ed, MA
Director of Student Administration, Lexington County School District One
Clark holds a B.S. in Biology Education from The Citadel and a Master of Arts in Business Education and a Master of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of South Carolina. He holds superintendent, secondary principal, secondary supervisor, biology and science certifications. He is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators where he previously served as president of the Secondary Principals Division and was a SCASA Executive Committee Board Member. Cooper was named 2014–2015 Administrator of the Year by Lexington District One Education Office Professionals.
Irini Guda McCarthy
Project Director of the Care Transitions Intervention, Upper Midlands Rural Health Network
Irini obtained her B.S. in Public Health from the University of South Carolina and is currently employed by the Upper Midlands Rural Health Network as the Project Director of the Care Transitions Intervention. She is the Chair of several coalitions including the Lancaster County Health and Wellness Commission and Eat Smart Move More Lancaster County and was part of the team that successfully helped Lancaster county become the first 100% smoke-free county in South Carolina. Irini finds great joy and purpose in immersing herself into local communities and is a strong proponent of collaborative grassroots efforts, evidence-based research, and identifying solutions with an equity-based lens.
Beth Johnson
Government Relations Director - South Carolina, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Beth has been an employee of ACSCAN for 15 years and a volunteer advocate with them for the past 21 years. After graduating from Presbyterian College with a BS in Political Science, Beth began her career in field advocacy and fundraising, sharing the mission of the Society throughout SC’s rural Pee Dee region. As Government Relations Director since March of 2017, she works directly with local and state elected officials to support evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health program. Beth currently serves as Secretary on the Smokefree SC Board of Directors.