
2020 Joseph D. Greene Community Service Award Recipients
At every biennial Connections conference, Healthcare Georgia Foundation presents individuals, nonprofit organizations, and collaboratives with the Joseph D. Greene Community Service Award in recognition of health heroes and their selfless acts of service in their communities. While the Connections 2020 conference has been rescheduled for March 28 – 29, 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to go ahead and highlight these 2020 award recipients.
Sheila Weidman-Farley
Board Member, Advisory Council
Volunteer Organization: CHRIS180
Nominator: Kathy Colbenson, President and CEO, CHRIS 180
Sheila was first introduced to CHRIS 180 during a 2004 Leadership Atlanta project, where she worked to help CHRIS 180 begin an adopt-a-home program for youth in foster care, who were suffering from behavioral health issues. Since that time, she has been helping the organization with branding and marketing that works to promote trauma-informed care, best practices and to destigmatize behavioral healthcare.
Dr. Heval Mohamed Kelli
Volunteer Physician
Volunteer Organization: Grace Village Medical Clinic
Nominator: Michael S. Sorrells, Executive Director, Grace Village Medical Clinic
Dr. Kelli’s story is an inspiration to the refugee community in Clarkston, and he is a shining example that pursuit of your dreams is possible. He is subsequently investing in the lives of others who are less fortunate, in hopes that one day they will give back in the same way he does to Grace Village Medical Clinic.
Beth Shaifer
Volunteer
Volunteer Organization: Skyland Trail
Nominator: Beth Finnerty, Founding Executive Director, President and CEO, Skyland Trail
Beth Shaifer’s support and commitment to eliminating the stigma associated with mental health is immediately evident in her absolute dedication to be a volunteer at Skyland Trail. Whether she is volunteering in their horticultural therapy program, supporting fundraising events or sharing her personal story of healing with others, she is all in. The courage Beth has demonstrated by being candid about her own journey with managing depression and accessing treatment is not only inspirational but filled with hope.
Dr. Beverly Deaderick Taylor
Volunteer Physician
Volunteer Organization: Community Advanced Practice Nurses, Inc.
Nominator: Connie Buchanan, Executive Director, Community Advanced Practice Nurses, Inc.
Dr. Beverly Deaderick Taylor’s passion for volunteering to serve those most in need of healthcare began with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Her large family were avid community volunteers who frequently welcomed people into their homes who needed a place to stay. The family lived the motto “To whom much is given, much is required.” This foundation instilled in Dr. Deaderick Taylor that community service was expected and highly valued. Her gentle spirit is evident in her gentle treatment and engagement with the patients she serves at Community Advanced Practice Nurses.
Darrell Sabbs
Community Advocate– Albany, GA
Volunteer Organization: Concerned Youth of Albany, Men on the Move and The Prevention Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine
Nominator: Tabia Henry Akintobi
Nearly 10 years ago, Darrell Sabbs was selected as a community liaison for Albany, Georgia by Emory University, where he elevated local perspectives through community-based participatory research. He has been instrumental in ensuring that Emory University’s School of Public Health and Morehouse School of Medicine research projects came to Southwest Georgia to include the voice of the underserved there. He is also a member of numerous organizations, community steering boards and committees; including the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance.
Healthy Savannah (Collaborative)
Paula Kreissler, Executive Director, Healthy Savannah
Nominator: Virginia Dick, NextStep Evaluation
Healthy Savannah is a community collaborative that is committed to supporting a culture of health. Their mission is to lead and support a culture of health in the Savannah area by creating an environment that makes a healthy choice an easy choice; building a collaborative network that identifies and shares resources; collects and disseminates information; promoting best practices and supporting innovative programs and advocating for effective policies.
2019 / 2020 JDG Nominating Committee
Healthcare Georgia Foundation would like to thank the following individuals who gave their time to assist us in the review and selection of the 2020 Joseph D. Greene Community Service Award recipients:
Erin Hernandez
Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition
Garry Long
The Zeist Foundation
Pierluigi Mancini
Board Emeritus, Healthcare Georgia Foundation
Tina Anderson Smith
Anderson Consulting
Debra Stokes
Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center

For more information, contact:
Lisa Medellin, Director of Programs
email: lmedellin@healthcaregeorgia.org
phone: 404.653.0990