On-the-ground advocates: Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky adds to its Community Advisory Council
The three new members will use their diversified backgrounds and expertise to further the Foundation’s mission of addressing the unmet health needs of Kentuckians.
June 14, 2022 (LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – Dr. Donald Neel, John Parker, and Marcie Timmerman joined the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s Community Advisory Council. The Council advises the Foundation’s Board of Directors in overall policy direction in keeping with the mission of the Foundation. As on-the-ground practitioners from various fields, Council members bring grassroots insight to the conversation and are advocates for Foundation priorities in their own communities.
“We are so pleased to see these accomplished health leaders become members of our Community Advisory Council,” said Ben Chandler, president and CEO, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. “They are joining a dedicated group of people with an admirable passion for improving the health of our state. I have no doubt our newest Council members will be valuable assets to the Foundation’s efforts to help Kentuckians live healthier lives.”
Dr. Donald Neel, Daviess County
Dr. Donald Neel is a dedicated pediatrician who has been working with Kentucky children for decades. Dr. Neel spent three years in Germany as a pediatrician for the U.S. Army before coming home to Owensboro, Ky., where he had a solo pediatric practice from 1970 – 2015. Dr. Neel served as a floating pediatrician for Norton Children’s Pediatric Group from 2019 – 2021 and is currently on staff at Owensboro Hospital. Dr. Neel has been active with the Medicaid advisory council, and was heavily involved with the Kentucky Medical Association, serving on its board, as KMA president in 2001, and as a delegate to the American Medical Association. He is a passionate advocate for Medicaid and hopes to help the development and accessibility for both physicians and patients. He attended the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed his internship and residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Denver, CO.
John Parker, Bracken County
John Parker has diligently served his community as the Bracken County Coroner for the past 38 years and is also a partner at Moore & Parker Funeral Homes and Moore & Parker Monument Co. With a Master Coroner Certification, he has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1973. Parker is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He is also a partner in Jetland Farms, a commercial beef cattle operation. Parker plans to retire at the end of 2022 but will continue to serve as Deputy Coroner in Bracken County.
Marcie Timmerman, Fayette County
Marcie Timmerman is a passionate advocate for mental health and health care who lives in Fayette County, KY. For the past five years, she’s been executive director of Mental Health America of Kentucky. Prior to this role, Timmerman worked for the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and NAMI Lexington. She graduated with a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from The Ohio State University. While at UK, Timmerman was the sole staff support for the first Outpatient Opioid Addiction Clinic, which sparked her ongoing commitment to harm reduction and addiction-treatment advocacy. She is co-chair for the Fund988KY campaign – a statewide coalition to support funding the 988 mental health crisis system, co-chair of the Kentucky Mental Health Coalition, support person for Kniffley Racial Trauma Training, a Mental Health First Aid instructor, a Question-Persuade-Refer trainer, and a Trauma-Informed Care trainer.
For more information on the Foundation’s Community Advisory Council and how to nominate someone, click here.