GROW's Board Members

Grow Initiative Georgia’s board members represent a group of community leaders who are dedicated to GROW’s causes and mission. Our board members are representatives of strength and growth in the community.

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Ana Palacios

Anna Palacios is a physician and nutrition scientist with 10 years of expertise designing, implementing, and evaluating experimental and observational studies that examine a diversity of nutrition and health outcomes in diverse populations. Her long-term career goal is to find evidence-based nutritional truths that promote nutritional, mental, and cardiovascular health of all people, but especially those from underserved, minority backgrounds.

After completing her medical degree at Javeriana University School of Medicine (Bogota, Colombia) in 2007, she participated in the development and implementation of a surveillance program of birth defects, started a DNA bank with samples from infants with congenital defects, and developed a training program for medical staff to screen for birth defects.

During her postdoctoral fellowship and Master’s degree, her research in basic nutritional sciences focused on identifying factors associated with pregnancies complicated by birth defects, specifically midline field defects. She developed a laboratory assay to measure antibodies targeting folate receptors. The assay was effective to measure antibodies in a diversity of tissue samples (plasma, serum, placenta) in pregnancies complicated with neural tube defects, congenital heart defects and orofacial clefts. She also discovered a novel mechanism of teratogenicity of valproic acid, a common anti-epileptic drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorders worldwide which is known to cause a variety of birth defects.

She then pursued a PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated in 2020. During her studies, she did secondary analyses to identify factors associated with anemia in young children from Guatemala and Haiti. Her research to date has focused on identifying nutrition disparities and developing, implementing, and evaluating nutrition interventions (including some with micronutrient supplements) in Latin America and the US.
More recently, she has assessed barriers and facilitators to replacing packed snacks for fresh fruits and vegetables in childcare programs in urban and rural Georgia, and implemented two online randomized controlled trials, the first assessing the effectiveness of lactation cookies in objective and subjective measures of milk production; and the second trial assesses the effectiveness of an online digital wellness intervention in diet quality, weight loss and other secondary outcomes of overweight and obese US adults, relative to standard of care.

With her diverse background in medical and nutrition and implementation sciences, she has supported primary and secondary population-based nutrition and health studies and health studies across six different countries in Latin America and the US in a diversity of settings.

Tyler Dorn

Tyler Dorn is the Founder and Executive Director of Southern Choices of the Coast. Originally from New Glarus, Wisconsin, Tyler earned his B.A. in Psychology from Augsburg University. His passion for supporting individuals with developmental disabilities is deeply personal—shaped by growing up in a large family with siblings who experienced both intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges.

With over a decade of leadership experience in community-based care, Tyler previously worked with industry leaders doing community-based home operations, overseeing services that helped individuals with disabilities live independently. His early work includes therapeutic recreation and inclusion programs for youth with disabilities, as well as international service in Kenya and Mexico.

Tyler is committed to building inclusive communities through compassionate care, advocacy, and meaningful engagement. He currently serves as President of Kiwanis of Effingham County and sits on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Community Care Providers (GACCP).

Outside of work, Tyler enjoys golfing, running, traveling with his four children, and spending time at the beach or Disney

Katia De Melo Galdino

Katia Galdino is a business management professor residing in the Savannah area since 2013. She received her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Florida State University, and since 2018 has taught strategic management, international business, and entrepreneurship at Georgia Southern University. Her research examines companies’ international strategies and entrepreneurship in emerging markets, and her work has been published in leading academic journals and presented at global conferences.

She serves as a guest editor and member of the editorial review board of the Africa Journal of Management (AJOM), helping to advance management research on the African continent. Katia is also a board member of the Southern Management Association (SMA), the largest academic management association in the southeastern U.S. Deeply committed to mentoring students, she is proud to support initiatives that expand opportunities for women in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, serving as the faculty advisor for Georgia Southern’s chapter of Women in Technology (WIT), a nonprofit organization based in Atlanta.

A native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Katia’s professional background prior to academia was in import and export operations and international finance. She also nurtures a passion for language and culture, and has taught French both in Brazil and in the U.S. She resides in Pooler with her husband, two kids, and a cat. Katia is honored to serve on the board of GROW Initiative GA, where she hopes to contribute her academic expertise, global experience, and passion for education to advance the organization’s mission of growing communities that are connected, collaborative, and capable.

Lisa Miller, FNP-BC

Lisa Miller, FNP-BC, has been a dedicated nursing professional since 2006 and a practicing Family Nurse Practitioner since 2011. Her nurse practitioner career spans diverse healthcare settings—from a Los Angeles County hospital emergency department to primary care roles in federally qualified health centers and free clinics. She currently serves as the director of two free primary care clinics in the Savannah area. She is passionate about improving healthcare access and equity. She brings practical experience in building partnerships between healthcare entities and community partners. Lisa relocated from Southern California to Savannah five years ago, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Jeffery A. Jones

Jeff Jones has more than 28 years’ experience as a professor of public health and community worker. In his professional life, he has been awarded more than 30 grants to improve public health in areas of adolescent/child health, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, after school programs, rural health, data visualization, and informatics training for public health workers. For over 35 years Dr. Jones has also worked with LGBTQ community organizations. As the former chair of the Lexington-Fayette County Human Rights Commission, he assisted in that city agency’s enforcement of civil rights. He is a graduate of the Fayette County (KY) Citizens Police Academy, a Kentucky Colonel, former President of the Kenwick Neighborhood Association, and recipient of the James Herndon Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Jones received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Appalachian State University and his doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He is an avid traveler who has visited 48 countries and lived for periods in 9 countries. In his spare time, Jeff loves a good book, coffee/tea, meditation, cooking, and time with friends and his cat.

Latacia Avila

Latacia Avila serves as the Board Chair of GROW Initiative Georgia and brings more than 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience focused on advancing equity and supporting vulnerable and underserved populations. A proud Savannah native, Latacia has dedicated her career to strengthening communities through culturally responsive, sustainable, and mission-driven work.

She currently serves as the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of South Georgia, where she has led significant organizational growth and community impact. Her professional accomplishments include establishing the organization’s Immigration Program, developing the Vital Documents Program, and launching a choice pantry model that promotes dignity, access, and food security. Throughout her career, Latacia has also demonstrated a strong commitment to building and sustaining financial sustainability while expanding critical nonprofit services.

Latacia chose to serve on GROW Initiative Georgia’s Board in recognition of the increasing diversity within the community and the need for inclusive, community-centered solutions. She is deeply aligned with GROW’s mission to uplift vulnerable populations through education, health and nutrition initiatives, and intentional community outreach, and values the organization’s commitment to equity, cultural responsiveness, and community empowerment.