“We know that to be an effective partner in achieving health equity, we must listen first,” says Cone Health Foundation President Susan Shumaker. “Jamilla has a long record of connecting with our community, and empowering others to speak. She is an ideal bridge connecting the Foundation to its new direction.”
Pinder comes to CHF from Cone Health where she was the assistant director for Healthy Communities within the Center for Health Equity at Cone Health. Her 24-year tenure with Cone Health was punctuated with ever-growing responsibilities and fierce commitment to community change. Previously, she was the founding practice administrator for Cone Health’s Community Health and Wellness Center and led a team of 40 employees.
Recently, Pinder was instrumental in helping Cone Health establish its COVID-19 response and the Brito Food Program. The Dr. Miguel and Denese Brito Nutrition & Education Center at Cone Health MedCenter for Women is designed to improve access to healthy and nutritious food for patients of the Center for Women’s Healthcare at MedCenter for Women. Pinder built the partnerships among nonprofits, community-based organizations and faith-based communities that are addressing good nutrition, convenient transportation and affordable housing—all essential for good health.
Pinder earned her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Environmental Systems - Agribusiness Management from North Carolina A&T State University. She is completing the second year of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders program. Through this program, participants learn about the power of collaboration and provide leadership to address health equity in their community.