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BOARD & STAFF
The Oklahoma Public Health Association is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of six Officers, two Members-at-Large, two Section Representatives, select Committee Chairs, and the Executive Director. Board Members serve terms ranging from one to three years.
The Board cycle runs from September 15 to September 15 the following year according to OPHA's Bylaws. Board members officially assume their roles on September 15 and ceremoniously do at OPHA's annual conference, typically held in September. Each incoming Board is slated by the existing Board, with upcoming vacancies filled by election or appointment as indicated in OPHA's Bylaws, and approved by both a majority vote of the existing Board of Directors and the OPHA Membership, typically held in July. Midterm vacancies are appointed by the President.
- First elected as President-Elect, the President serves their first year as President-Elect, automatically becomes President their second year, and automatically becomes Immediate Past-President during their third and final year on the Board.
- The Secretary and Treasurer are elected and serve two-year terms.
- The Affiliate Representative to the Governing Council (ARGC) is appointed by the President for a three-year term.
- Two Members-at-Large are elected for two-year terms, typically elected on alternate years.
- Two Section Representatives shall be elected for one-year terms by the membership.
- The Policy Chair, Membership Chair, Development Chair and Student Chair are appointed by the President for one-year terms.
- The Executive Director is an ex officio and non-voting position that serves during the duration of their employment with OPHA.
- Any Board member who is also employed staff for OPHA serves in a non-voting capacity.
2025-2026 Board of Directors
| OFFICER – PRESIDENT Daniel Sledge, PhD | daniel-sledge@ou.edu Daniel Sledge is a scholar of public health and health policy. He received his PhD from Cornell University and is an Associate Professor in the Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. His work deals with issues including the opioid epidemic, public policy and communicable disease, disaster response and recovery, and the development of public health institutions. His research has appeared in publications including the American Journal of Public Health, JAMA, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and Policy History. His article “Linking Public Health and Individual Medicine” won the best paper award from AJPH. He is passionate about improving public health and about understanding the ways in which public policies impact the day-to-day lives of individuals and communities. |
| OFFICER – PRESIDENT-ELECT Sara Low, MPH, CPH | saral@tset.ok.gov Sara Low is originally from Lawton, OK. She earned her Master of Public Health from the Hudson College of Public Health (HCOPH) at the University of Oklahoma. Sara is currently a Senior Program Manager for community programs at the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). Prior to joining TSET, she worked on community health improvement projects at state and local levels through her work with the Oklahoma City Planning Department, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Stephenson Cancer Center, and The Mine OKC (a program of the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth at the University of Oklahoma). She has participated in various public health committees and partnerships. In 2025, Sara received the OPHA Distinguished Professional Award for her contributions to the field of public |
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health. Passionate about health equity and access, particularly in rural areas, Sara is committed to shaping healthier futures for all Oklahomans. Sara lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Will, their daughters, and their cat. In her free time, she enjoys singing karaoke (poorly and only at home), traveling, and spending time with her family.
| OFFICER – SECRETARY Lois Carpenter, PhD | lois-carpenter@ou.edu Dr. Lois Carpenter earned a PhD in Health Behavior and Promotion from the University of Mississippi. Before beginning her academic career, she worked in local, state, and federally funded public health settings. One of her most notable accomplishments was being selected as the national Project Coordinator for the White House initiative Chef’s Move to Schools, part of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign. Dr. Carpenter’s years of professional experience inform both her teaching and research. She employs mixed methods approaches and draws from socioecological and community-based frameworks to explore how cultural and social factors influence health decision-making and preventive behaviors. Dr. Carpenter’s research centers on eliminating health inequities, particularly among women and disadvantaged |
populations. Her current projects relate to cancer screening uptake and HPV vaccination.
| OFFICER – TREASURER A native of Oklahoma, Kamisha D Busby is currently working as the Maternity and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Manager of Case Management for Oklahoma Complete Health. In this role, she works closely with her colleagues, focusing on the reduction of infant mortality and premature births; and maternal health while empowering families and encouraging healthcare providers to provide quality and equitable care to their clients, which she holds dear to her heart. She is active on other community-based committees that prioritize health, including serving as a past agency lead for the Health Disparities Workgroup with the Oklahoma Maternal Morality Taskforce, Health Care Chair of the Infant Mortality Alliance Health Care Workgroup of Oklahoma County, and a current board member |
and officer of the Oklahoma Public Health Association. Having worked for non-profits and local government, Kamisha brings over 19 years of public health and nursing experience and knowledge to the field.
Kamisha continues to serve her community in several capacities. She is a board member of March of Dimes Oklahoma Chapter, Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church, the Stork’s Nest of Oklahoma City, and the Oklahoma State Director of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She holds several awards and recognitions for her impact within her work and the community, including being recently honored by the Oklahoma Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated’s 2023 MiLady Award recipient. She holds a Masters in Business Administration with a focus in Health Care Administration from Southern Nazarene University, a Bachelors degree in Public Health, and a Bachelors degree in Nursing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is married to Joshua A Busby and is the proud mother of Cobie, Kara, and Joshua II.
| OFFICER – AFFILIATE REPRESENTATIVE TO APHA GOVERNING COUNCIL (ARGC) Emily (Pryor) McDaniel, MPH | she/her | emily-mcdaniel@ou.edu Emily McDaniel is a dedicated public health professional with a Master of Public Health from Northeastern State University. She currently serves as an evaluator for the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) at the Hudson College of Public Health, where she applies data-driven strategies to improve health outcomes across the state. Emily is deeply passionate about women’s health and serves as a co-leader of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition’s Tulsa chapter, where she advocates for awareness, prevention, and support. A strong advocate for mental health, she is committed to promoting holistic well-being in both her professional and community roles. Outside of her work, Emily enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, Garrett, their two beloved cats, Rory and Chloe, and new pup, Finn. |
| MEMBER-AT-LARGE Ganisher Davlyatov, PhD | ganisher-davlyatov@ou.edu Dr. Ganisher Davlyatov is an Assistant Professor at the Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where he also serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economic Research and Director of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program. His work centers on improving the performance and quality of healthcare organizations. He has authored numerous studies in peer-reviewed journals on topics ranging from health disparity to patient experience. In addition to his research, Dr. Davlyatov is a dedicated educator and mentor. He leads the CAHME-accredited MHA program and is a core faculty member for the Oklahoma Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (OKLEND) interdisciplinary program. |
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| MEMBER-AT-LARGE Gabbi Westbrook, MPH, CHES | gabrielle-westbrook@ou.edu Gabbi Westbrook, MPH, CHES, serves as an Instructor and Associate Director of the Center for Public Health Practice at OUHSC, where she leads efforts in health promotion and systems improvement through workforce enhancement, community engagement, policy research, and partnership development. She oversees a diverse portfolio of projects, including local community health needs assessments and statewide initiatives addressing chronic disease, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness. Passionate about integrated public health systems and practice-based policy, Gabbi champions the development of relational infrastructure across sectors to advance collaboration and strengthen the welfare of all communities. She holds a BS in Community/Public Health from UCO and an MPH in Health Administration & Policy from OUHSC. |
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| SECTION REPRESENTATIVE Wendy Frankenburger, MPH, CHES, CPH | wendy.frankenburger@gmail.com Wendy chose public health because she believes in equitable access to health care for all individuals. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and Certified in Public Health after receiving a BS from Oklahoma State University and an MPH from the OU Health Sciences Center-Hudson College of Public Health. Her focus is on reducing barriers to care, addressing social determinants of health, advocacy, education and making connections to improve health outcomes. In her current role as the community benefit manager at Ascension St. John, she is involved with community engagement opportunities and oversees a small grant program. She tracks initiatives, programs, services and activities provided by the organization’s six hospitals that address the health-related needs of the community, including those identified through the Hospital's Community |
Health Needs Assessments as she leads the CHNA and implementation process. Prior to that, she worked for the Oklahoma State Department of Health for over 6 years as a county health educator. She is the current Chair of the PHEHP section of OPHA, involved in many community coalitions, the THD CHIP and the Chronic Disease and Risk Factors and Management group and serves on the board of Caring Community Friends in Sapulpa. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and two daughters and enjoys cycling, traveling, and cooking.
| SECTION REPRESENTATIVE Rebekah Doyle, PhD, MS, RN | doylera@nsuok.edu Dr. Rebekah Doyle is an Associate Professor of Emergency Management in the Department of Criminal Justice at Northeastern State University. She earned a PhD in Public Health from Walden University. Additionally, Rebekah holds a Masters in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from Arkansas Tech University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Dr. Doyle is an Oklahoma Public Health Leadership Institute Fellow. During her tenure working for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Dr. Doyle served as a Homeland Security Region V Emergency Preparedness and Response Bioterrorism nurse, Children’s First nurse, and Health Educator. Rebekah values providing community service and building relationships that strengthen and advance public health initiatives in Oklahoma. She serves as a board |
member for the Oklahoma Public Health Association and as Chair for the Emergency Preparedness & Response Section. Rebekah serves as a Director on the TAOK Red Cross Board of Directors and as a member of the Red Cross Community Outreach Team and Services to the Armed Forces committees.
| MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Rachel Liebe, PhD, MPH | she/her | rachel.liebe@okstate.edu Rachel Liebe (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State University. She received her PhD and MPH from Virginia Tech. Her work focuses on the non-nutritional factors impacting nutrition behaviors and health equity. She is interested in exploring innovative policy, system, and environmental changes to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Currently, she is focused on the relationship between food security and mental health among mothers and the role of poverty stigma and psychological coping. She has presented her research at multiple national and international conferences. She is passionate about making system-level changes to support the health of all Oklahomans. |
| DEVELOPMENT CHAIR Jade Owen, MPH, CHES, CPH | jadeo@tset.ok.gov Jade Owen is a Program Manager for community programs at the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). She holds a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion Sciences from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health and is both a Certified Health Education Specialist and Certified in Public Health. With more than a decade of experience in statewide public health service, Jade is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Oklahomans, with a particular passion for expanding access to healthy food across the state. Outside of work, Jade enjoys playing video games, walking and biking, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and two cats, Rufus and Olive. She also cares for a colony of community cats that are affectionately named after food items. |
| POLICY CHAIR Stephanie Mansour, MHA | stephmansour97@yahoo.com Stephanie Mansour is a healthcare compliance and policy leader with more than five years of experience improving Medicaid and managed care programs. She holds a Master of Health Administration and Policy and is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified. Stephanie has led audits, developed compliance frameworks, and partnered with cross-functional teams to drive efficiency, program integrity, and lasting operational improvements. Passionate about making healthcare systems work better for both organizations and the people they serve, she brings a data-driven yet people-centered approach to her work. When she’s not advancing compliance and quality initiatives, Stephanie enjoys connecting with peers, sharing ideas, and sparking conversations on how to build more effective and equitable healthcare systems. Stephanie is the |
Chair of Oklahoma Turning Point Council and an active member in the Junior League of Oklahoma City. There is always time to give back to my community(:
| STUDENT CHAIR Florah Aluoch, PhD(c), MPH, BDS | florah.aluoch@okstate.edu Florah was born and raised in Kenya and recently moved to Oklahoma. She is a full-time master’s student in Public Health at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Campus. Her research interests focus on nutrition, mental health, addiction, and healthcare. She previously worked with several non-profit, and community-based organizations in Kenya. During that time, she was implementing several projects in rural communities, working closely with Community Health Workers and several Health facilities to improve the health and well-being of marginalized rural communities and households ensuring they get proper nutrition and health care. |
She holds a bachelor’s degree in development studies with a focus on Community Health. She is passionate about health and hopes to continue contributing to public health here in Oklahoma. In her free time, she enjoys learning new skills, creating beautiful spaces, and spending time with her new close friends who have become family.
OPHA Staff
| ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT & PAST-PRESIDENT (nonvoting) Tracy Freudenthaler, PhD, MPH, MCHES | tracy@okpublichealth.org Tracy Freudenthaler has earned both her PhD and her MPH (OSU and OUHSC respectively). Her professional background includes conducting clinical research trials and over 15 years teaching in higher education. She coordinated a large-scale (5,000 subject) human papillomavirus (HPV) clinical trial in Northeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas and has partnered with various pharmaceutical companies leading to FDA approvals of vaccines and STI testing products. She also serves as the co-leader of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition's Tulsa chapter. Dr. Freudenthaler is also known for her collection of medical artifacts and patent medicines from the late 1800’s and early 1900's. She has a series of publications related to abnormal psychology and serves as a medical history reviewer and editorial board member for The Ulster Medical Journal. |
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (ex-officio, nonvoting)
McKenzie Cowlbeck, MPH, CPH | she/her | mckenzie@okpublichealth.org McKenzie Cowlbeck (she/her) is a lifelong Oklahoman with a passion for improving public health through policy and systems change. She holds a BS in Math and Sciences with honors and an MPH in Health Administration and Policy from the University of Oklahoma. After graduate school, she was selected for the inaugural cohort of the CDC & ChangeLab Solutions Public Health Law Fellowship, where she focused on policy surveillance. McKenzie has played a pivotal role in revitalizing the Oklahoma Public Health Association (OPHA), leading its policy, advocacy, and administrative efforts through consulting, volunteering, and Board service. She served as OPHA’s Policy Chair and Affiliate Representative to the APHA Governing Council (ARGC) before becoming OPHA’s full-time Executive Director in September 2024. In this role, she continues |
to champion sustainability, strategic growth, and stewardship to Oklahoma’s public health workforce. She is particularly passionate about equipping public health students and professionals to engage confidently in the policymaking process. For her leadership at OPHA, APHA, and among fellow Affiliates, McKenzie was recognized as the APHA Council of Affiliates Student of the Year in 2023 and received the inaugural Giorgio A Piccagli Leadership Award in 2024. McKenzie lives in Norman, Oklahoma with her partner, Westin, and their beloved dog, Bowie. Outside of work, she’s a foodie who loves locally roasted coffee, birdwatching, gardening, and listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks on repeat.
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