In August 2019, Carolyn was appointed Director of Governmental Relations and Community Affairs for the Alabama Department of Public Health. Prior to this appointment, Carolyn established the ADPH Office of Community Affairs in August 2016 to focus on healthcare transformation and evolving roles of public health in regional care organizations and other population-focused healthcare initiatives. Carolyn also served as the Office of Primary Care and National Health Service Corps Coordinator as well as the coordinator of the statewide 2015 Community Health Improvement Plan addressing the top three public health care concerns of Alabama stakeholders: Access to Care, Physical Activity and Nutrition & Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Carolyn continues to focus on collaboration across and within various levels of government, communities, and non-profit organizations to improve access to primary care, mental health, and dental health care services in health professional shortage areas across Alabama and promote wellness and prevention. Prior to joining the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Carolyn directed several early care and health projects including the Birth to Five Initiative, the Kids and Kin Initiative, the Immunize by Two Campaign, and Healthy Child Care Alabama. Carolyn created the Voluntary Certification Program for the Kids and Kin Initiative which was named by ABT and Associates as one of 150 National Innovative Initiatives funded by states. She created the Brain Train educational outreach curriculum as well as organized the Governor’s Conference on Success in the Early Years and the Governor’s Conference on Early Learning. 

Carolyn graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Economics and has a Masters degree in Public Administration from Auburn University Montgomery.