Madison, Wisconsin – The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit committed to advancing Black women’s health and reducing racial health and birth disparities, has appointed experienced leader Gabe Doyle as its first Director of Community Health Initiatives.
Doyle joins the Foundation after serving four years as United Way of Dane County’s Director of Community Impact for Health. In his new role with the Foundation, Doyle will lead a broad body of community health improvement efforts, including a growing footprint of Black maternal and child health work. Doyle will also launch the organization’s recently funded Community Health Worker pilot program.
Doyle brings a wealth of experience growing and sustaining community informed health initiatives to his new role. He began his career at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin as a Youth Intervention Specialist, counseling victims of violence and designing programs for families. He also developed and led a new team of Community Health Workers at Children’s, experiencing firsthand the barriers that prevent individuals and families from having the chance at a higher quality of life.
In his work at United Way of Dane County, Doyle redesigned the health investment process to prioritize funding to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, Southeast Asian, Latinx/Hispanic and other marginalized communities. As a member of the Dane County Health Council, he worked closely with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness as co-chair of the Black Maternal and Child Health care-coordination initiative and the Saving our Babies Project.The effort secured $2 million in grants from local and national funders.
“I am thrilled by this opportunity to get back to my community health roots and program development with a well respected leader in advancing health and well-being,” Doyle said. “The Foundation is a shining pillar in our community today and will continue to lead the way for Black women’s wellness for years to come.”
The Community Health Worker program Doyle will design and implement for the Foundation will recruit people from within the local community to provide social support, advocacy, education, and navigation to Black women and families who face the highest risk of inequitable outcomes in their health care. Research shows community health workers can improve individual and community health by building trusted relationships, connecting residents to critical services, and bridging the gap between vulnerable populations and healthcare providers.
As a licensed professional counselor, Doyle also brings a valuable and timely focus on individual, family, and community mental health and wellness that will benefit the mission of the Foundation and the Black women it serves.
Lisa Peyton-Caire, CEO and President of the Foundation, says adding Doyle to the leadership team positions the organization to have a greater impact on addressing the deep public health challenges that affect Black women and communities of color disproportionately.
“Gabe will be a major asset to the Foundation as we continue to address the deep needs of our community and to disrupt the persistent and stagnant racial health disparities we’re working to eliminate,” Peyton-Caire said. “He has the right set of experiences to help us make strong steps forward — from working at the ground level to making change at the systems level. We are excited!”
