Phyllis D. Meadows, PhD, MSN, RN

With more than 30 years experience as a professional nurse, public health practitioner and health advocate, Dr. Phyllis Meadows advises, develops and guides the programming efforts of The Kresge Foundation’s health team, including supporting the design of strategic investments within health, and the organization’s diverse programming areas. Dr. Meadows is actively involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of several national public health initiatives to build local health leadership and community partnerships to address the health inequities experienced by vulnerable populations across the country.

Dr. Meadows consults and provides technical assistance in health and program design for non-profit health and human services agencies across the country. Her professional career includes over 20 years of experience in the philanthropic sector, developing international, national and community-based approaches to improve health systems and services. Dr. Meadows’s work has involved the design, implementation and evaluation of several national initiatives on health, leadership, clinic operations, youth programming, early-childhood and population health. She has also served as a program director and advisor to foundations including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Skillman Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In addition to the Jonas Philanthropies, Dr. Meadows currently serves on the Board of The Greenwall Foundation.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Meadows served the University of Michigan School of Public Health as its Associate Dean for Public Health Practice, and Clinical Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy. In this role, she was responsible for developing a comprehensive strategy for the School to improve the public health workforce and the effectiveness of local governmental health agencies and community health services. As a faculty member of the Department of Health Management and Policy, Dr. Meadows developed and taught courses in public health administration, leadership, public health policy and population health. She has spent a number of years working in public workforce development, including the design and coordination of model training methods and content for health professionals and practitioners, focusing on strategies and competencies to address health disparities and eliminate health inequities.

Dr. Meadows also served as the Director of Public Health and Health Officer for the City of Detroit. In this role, she provided leadership for a large urban health department, and executive level oversight for numerous health and human services programs. She continues to work closely with local health departments and the department leadership in Michigan, across the United States and several international locations. Dr. Meadows lends her expertise in nursing, public health and philanthropy through her numerous appointments to local, state and national Boards and Advisory Committees. These include the Michigan Public Health Institute Board of Directors, Michigan Peer Review Organization, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Partners in Nursing Initiative, the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows National Advisory Committee and Jonas Philanthropies.

Dr. Meadows also serves on the Review Board for the American Journal of Nursing, and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review. Additionally, she is actively involved as a member for the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Roundtable on Population Health Improvement.

Throughout her career, Dr. Meadows has received numerous awards for excellence in public health practice, public health innovation, nursing and community service.