SAVANNAH, Ga. (Nov. 8, 2025) – Longtime public health leader Paula Kreissler was honored with the Lifetime Leadership Award by The Creative Exchange Network, a 501©(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering diverse, multi-generational communities through leadership, financial literacy, and arts enrichment. The award was presented during a ceremony at the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District, recognizing Kreissler’s transformative impact on health, equity, and community well-being throughout Savannah and beyond.
Kreissler, who retired this year as Executive Director of Healthy Savannah after 17 years of service, has spent these years leading efforts to build a healthier, more equitable community. Under her leadership, the coalition of more than 200 partners was awarded over $9 million in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) REACH grants, aimed at reducing chronic disease and advancing racial and ethnic health equity in Savannah and Chatham County.
Her work has left a lasting imprint on local policy, infrastructure, and public health outcomes. Kreissler championed the Complete Streets ordinance in Savannah, ensuring safer and more accessible streets for pedestrians and cyclists. She also played a key role in developing the Truman Linear Park Trail, a five-mile active transportation corridor connecting neighborhoods and parks.
Perhaps one of her most impactful policy successes came through her leadership in creating the “Breathe Easy” ordinance, which prohibits smoking in all indoor public spaces. Since its adoption, community health reports have shown a measurable reduction in heart attacks and respiratory illness.
“Paula Kreissler is a force for good. She has elevated and empowered intersections of communities that transcend economics, wellness, and social impact. She is a bridge builder who has a lifetime of service to communities across the region. We are honored to salute Paula’s immeasurable years of community stewardship as our 2025 Trailblazing Lifetime Leadership Honoree,” said Robert Gould, founder of the Creative Exchange Network.
Beyond policy work, Kreissler’s advocacy for community connection and active living inspired the popular Healthy Walks program, which has united hundreds of residents in exploring neighborhoods, trails, and parks together. Her ability to blend grassroots engagement with system-level change has earned her a reputation as one of Savannah’s most respected and effective civic leaders.
“Paula Kreissler represents what it means to live a life of purpose,” said Armand Turner, Executive Director of Healthy Savannah. “Her leadership has transformed communities, empowered people to live healthier lives, and built pathways for collaboration and inclusion. She exemplifies the type of changemaker our organization seeks to recognize and celebrate.”
Kreissler’s leadership has been recognized through numerous awards over her career, including the CDC’s Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for Advancing Health Equity (2022), Savannah Technical College’s Community STAR Award (2020), and United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Award (2015). She was also named among Pinnacle Tech Insights’ Top Ten Admired Leaders (2023) and honored by the Creative Exchange Network’s “Women Who Lead” series in 2023.
A lifelong learner and connector, Kreissler holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1990. Prior to her public health career, she spent more than 20 years in leadership with FedEx Corporation and later founded and led the Wound Care Clinic–ESU, Inc., which was named Small Business of the Year by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce.
In retirement, Kreissler plans to travel — including walking holidays through Europe — and to continue helping Healthy Savannah and other local organizations. Her dedication to “walking the walk” is both literal and symbolic: she continues to live by the values of movement, mindfulness, and meaningful connection that have defined her leadership.
“Paula’s impact on Savannah cannot be overstated,” Turner said. “She’s helped shape a culture of health, compassion, and inclusion that will carry forward for generations.”
About The Creative Exchange Network
The Creative Exchange Network (CEN) is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a nucleus for fostering diverse, multi-generational communities through innovative training and experiential learning. CEN’s programs emphasize leadership development, financial literacy, and arts and cultural enrichment, empowering individuals to expand their horizons and become holistic citizens capable of driving meaningful change in their communities and careers. https://creativeexchangenetwork.org/trailblazers-hall-of-fame
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