Paula Kreissler, MBA, CPA
REACH Project Director
Paula volunteered with Healthy Savannah from its launch in 2007, before accepting her current position. Paula graduated from Concordia University, is a licensed CPA, earned an MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University in 2012 and is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Southeast Georgia. The first 25 years of her career were spent primarily in Operations Management at FedEx.
As a volunteer at Healthy Savannah, Paula was on the inaugural Board of Directors, has led the Policy and Advocacy Committee, Steering Committee, Food Policy Committee, and Visibility Committee. Paula was the Project Lead on a Healthy Savannah grant to reduce childhood obesity in the Savannah/Chatham County community and currently is the Program Manager for the CDC REACH Grant. In 2008 Paula received the Top Ten Working Women’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award from A Working Women In Need (AWWIN). Paula’s business Wound Care Clinic -ESU won the 2008 Small Business of the Year Award from the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2015 she was recognized by the United Way Women’s Legacy Council with a “Women Who Rule” award.
“Healthy Savannah and its 200+ public and private partners are making an impact by collaborating around Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change through the lens of health equity. We collectively have been at the table to educate policy influencers and policymakers on how they can help the healthy choice to be the easy choice. Since the creation of Healthy Savannah in 2007, Savannah has seen positive health outcomes as a result of new policies being implemented like Smoke-Free Air, School Wellness Policy, School Design Guidelines, Complete Streets Ordinance, Community Garden Policy, Farm Truck Ordinance, and many more. I look forward to the next 10 years as we create a Culture of Health in our community.”
Armand Turner, BS
Deputy Program Manager
Armand Turner is from Gary, IN. After graduating from Indiana University in 2014, Armand spent the next two years working at several Parks & Recreation Departments across the states, including Denver, CO and the surrounding cities of Dallas, TX. In 2016 Armand took on the role of Recreation and Intramural Sports Coordinator at the Historically Black College of Albany State University, in Albany, GA. After 3 tremendous years working for the University, he settled in Savannah, GA in 2019 and began working with Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal GA for their REACH Grant. Armand serves as the Deputy Director and oversees the Physical Activity strategy for the REACH Grant. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in business administration at Savannah State University and is expected to graduate in December 2024.
Armand is an alum of Leadership Savannah and Leadership Southeast Georgia. In 2020, Armand also completed Smart Growth America’s Walking College and went on to mentor the 2021 class as well. Armand is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and serves as Board President for Friends of Tide To Town.
“Everyone deserves access to a healthier life and we will only achieve that through collaboration and an understanding of the current barriers, along with why those barriers exist in the first place”
Zori Castañeda, R.T.(T), MHA
Communications Manager
Zori is from Bogotá, Colombia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in radiologic sciences with a focus on radiation therapy in 2016 and a master’s degree in healthcare administration in 2024, both from Georgia Southern University. Zori has six years of experience working as a radiation therapist. Her career goal is to work in population health management and to foster collaborations between healthcare, public health, and other sectors to address the social determinants of health and help people live healthier lives.
Ruby Castro, MPH
Nutrition Program Manager
Ruby Castro is a graduate of Georgia Southern University, having recently completed her Master of Public Health degree. Before that she studied Biology and Public Health at Columbia College in South Carolina. Through her role as the Nutrition Manager of the REACH grant, she will continue to improve access to healthy food options for underserved populations alongside other projects in Savannah and Chatham County. Ruby said, “I believe that taking an upstream approach provides the best opportunity to improve the health outcomes of our community.”
Nichele Hoskins, MA
Adult Immunization Program Communication Manager
A Savannah State University and Beach High School graduate, Nichele Hoskins is a longtime health journalist and group fitness instructor. Hoskins earned an MA in Journalism from The University of Michigan and has worked as a senior editor at national publications including Health and Heart & Soul magazines. Communications and increasing visibility are key parts of her role at Healthy Savannah.
Elsie Smalls, PhD
Adult Immunization Program Manager
Dr. Elsie W. Smalls earned her Bachelor’s Degree from South Carolina State University, MBA from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Walden University. Her professional background includes higher education administration, leadership in the nonprofit sector, and adjunct professorship in public policy and business administration. Additionally, she is the Co-founder of LoMa Spoken Word and Consulting LLC, an organization dedicated to educating, enlightening, and inspiring individuals and organizations. Dr. Smalls has facilitated workshops, professional presentations, and keynote addresses to a variety of audiences including public sector and nonprofit organizations, churches, high schools, and women’s conferences.
Margie Watson
Breastfeeding Program Manager
Margie Watson is a native of Savannah, Georgia. She is a graduate of Savannah State University with a bachelor’s degree in Visual and Performing Arts in 2018. Watson has sought career opportunities centered on serving others, including local community agencies and non-profit organizations in both the social work and arts fields. Her desire to further grow in serving others and spreading health equity is what motivates her work with Healthy Savannah.
