Translational Research Community Advisory Board (TR-CAB)

As President and General Manager, Page Bullington oversees the overall business strategy, company sales, marketing and partner development for Blackbaud Healthcare and Foundation Solutions. She leverages her extensive analytics background to grow the solutions that enable healthcare organizations to increase revenue, reduce costs, and enhance constituent relationships. Page joined Blackbaud in 2007 and has worked as a strategic fundraising consultant, Director of Professional Services and Support, and Director of Solution Management and Marketing. Page began her career as a fundraiser for a Charleston-based healthcare organization.

James “Jim” E. Eubanks currently serves as Chief Executive Officer at Health Care Partners of South Carolina, Inc., (HCPSC) a Federally Qualified Health Center with offices in Horry, Florence,and Marion Counties.Jimis responsible for all facets of the operations of the health center’s health care activities. Services include Adult Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Behavioral Health, Dental, Pharmacy and Laboratory. Jim has been with HCPSC since January of 2016. Prior to being named CEO in January of 2019, he began his career at HCPSC as the Chief Administrative Officer until being named interim CEO in 2018, Jim’s work history includes over thirty years in the financial Services Industry where he held numerous senior management and leadership positions at Bank of America, Charlotte, NC including Human Resources Executive for several major lines of business both domestically and internationally. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Business Administration from Barton College and completed Post-graduate Bank Management studies at the University of Virginia. He lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with his wife, Malinda.

Ron Gimbel is a Professor of Public Health Sciences and the Director of Clemson Rural Health. He assumed the Director role in the summer of 2021, transitioning from the position of Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences which he held for seven years. Located in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson Rural Health is the organizing framework for Clemson University’s preventive and primary health care services delivery statewide in underserved and rural communities. The vision of Clemson Rural Health is to improve individual and community health outcomes among underserved and rural communities throughout South Carolina by increasing access to quality health care and improving health equity through innovative, evidence-based approaches and strategic partnerships.Clemson Rural Health operates fixed health clinics, a fleet of mobile health units, mobile COVID-19 vaccination team, a telehealth program, remote patient monitoring program, and a new rural health research/innovation support program.Ron has extensive experience in operations, health administration, academics, teaching, and health informatics/health services research. His research interests focus on improving health care delivery and health outcomes through projects that leverage technology and best clinical evidence while also embracing softer patient-oriented approaches in communication and patient activation. Projects that transcend from clinics to communities. Ron serves SCTR as a member of the Executive Committee, co-lead of the Community Advisory Board, and co-lead of the Dissemination and Implementation Science Collaborative.He lives in Seneca (Oconee County) with his wife Marie.

Honorably discharged in 1994 from the United States Army Military Intelligence, Reverend Manning was called to preach in the summer of 1996. Rev. Manning has served at Welch Chapel A.M.E. Church in Timmonsville, SC, Trinity A.M.E. Church in Pamlico SC, Greater St. Paul (Clausen) A.M.E. Church in Effingham, SC, and Bethel A.M.E. Church in Georgetown, SC, where he served as their Pastor. In June 2016, Rev. Manning became the pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC.

Bio coming soon.

Julie Smithwick has over twenty-five years of experience working alongside communities and families to find solutions to address health and social inequities. Trained as a Community Health Worker in Ecuador, Julie founded and led PASOs, a community-based organization that works alongside community leaders to promote change through collective action. While leading PASOs’ statewide team of Community Health Workers, Julie helped found the South Carolina Community Health Workers Association in 2014. Julie is a member of the state leadership team of the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina where she leads the statewide Health Equity Action Team. Julie is also on the Boards of Directors of various organizations including the National Association of Community Health Workers, Cooperative Health, and the Blue Ridge Institute for nonprofit leaders. Julie is passionate about meaningful community engagement, leadership development and addressing racism and health inequities.

Robert Stevens received his BS from The Citadel, MS from University of Oklahoma and PhD from Florida State University with an emphasis in research statistics and program evaluation. He has 40 years of experience in education as a teacher, coach, principal, college administrator and professor. He has been Vice President at Charleston Southern University as well as Vice President of Marketing and Research at Benefitfocus.com (providing technology solutions to health insurers).

His current initiatives include: Consultant to SC Department of Education’s AWARE initiative; Co-PI of the SC Department of Mental Health’s CoIIN initiative; investigator for PCORnet’s STAR Clinical Research Network; and Co-chair of the Southeastern School Behavioral Health Conference. He is currently participating on the stakeholder advisory teams of three PCORI Awards.

Previous initiatives include: Creation of an At-Risk Alert Reporting System (ARAS) to prevent student dropout and improve evidence-based school interventions; Steering Committee Chair of the SC-DOE School Climate Initiative, and School Mental Health Sub-Committee Chair for the SC Behavioral Health Coalition.

He has recently been the editor of the Journal for Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities in Youth, and has authored and co-edited the book, School Behavioral Health-Interconnecting Comprehensive School Mental Health and Positive Behavior Support.

Dr. Stevens is an avid golfer and pilot, who enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.

Amanda (Mandy) Williams serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Training at the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). In this role, she leads the Office of Training and Development team and is responsible for all training programs, courses, and activities within the agency to strengthen employees’ skills, establish development opportunities, and create a learning environment. She is responsible for management of the agency’s strategic plan; creation of metrics that are analyzed, measured, and reported; and communication of the plan to all internal and external stakeholders. She also represents the agency in its relationships with other state agencies, external stakeholders, and the community, and serves as a liaison and channel of communication between the agency and other healthcare facilities, associations, and providers.

Prior to her current role, Mandy served as the Program Director for the Division of Coverage and Benefit Design at SCDHHS. In this role, she was responsible for health policy development and benefit design for the agency and led a team of technical experts who managed multiple programs for the agency. Prior to joining SCDHHS in 2014, Mandy served as the Manager of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at the University of South Carolina (UofSC) in the Arnold School of Public Health for two and a half years. Her responsibilities included directing the program’s mission of enhancing educational effectiveness, student development, and partnerships within the healthcare community. In this role, she was responsible for the overall academic management and success of the MHA program.

Immediately prior to Mandy’s role at UofSC, she served as the Manager of Planning and System Development at Palmetto Health. In this role, her major job functions included managing the development and modification of the corporate strategic plan and leading business development initiatives for new programs, services, and technologies. She worked for Palmetto Health for a total of eleven years.

Mandy received her Master of Health Administration degree from the University of South Carolina in 2004 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with honors in 2001. She was also a four-year letterman in volleyball at UofSC. Mandy is married to Byron Williams, and they have three children, Sean, Kathleen, and Dylan.

Dr. Vicki Young, Chief Operating Officer with the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association, is responsible for overseeing the areas of clinical quality improvement, information technology, public affairs, advocacy and outreach and enrollment. In the CEO’s absence she oversees SCPHCA operations. In 2007, she started her service with the Association as the department head for Clinical Quality Improvement. Dr. Young received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Wofford College, Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of South Carolina (USC) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacy Administration from USC. She has extensive experience in public health and health care research in multiple settings including community, non-profit and academia. Dr. Young has more than 15 years of knowledge and practice in the areas of health care access, health disparities, and quality improvement programs. On the academic level, Dr. Young worked as an instructor and assistant dean with the SC College of Pharmacy, formally the USC’s College of Pharmacy. She is honored to have received the Henry Fiumelli Patient Advocate Award presented by the National Association of Community Health Centers. Dr. Young is committed to the improvement of the health status for all by addressing the multitude of factors that impact health. This commitment has not only been instrumental to the career choices she has made, it is also part of her life’s purpose.