Jana Leigh Thomas, Board Member
Jana Thomas has more than twenty-five years of experience in building, shaping and leading organizations in strategy, operations, communication, research and policy. Her career has spanned non-profit, state government and private sectors, with a focus on health care, health policy and public health. She is a respected thought partner in helping organizations understand who they are, who they want to be and
why their offering matters in the world.
Drawing upon her roots in health as the first director of PeachCare for Kids, Georgia’s CHIP Program, Jana currently leads development efforts across the southeast with Humana Healthy Horizons, Humana’s health plan for Medicaid. This includes gaining a deep understanding of the priorities of the state, identifying
the unique barriers to ideal health outcomes and working internally and with partners in the communities to improve health status and address the social determinants that impact health and wellness.
Prior to Humana, Jana spent nearly 17 years at Porter Novelli, a global communication consultancy. As a leader for Strategic Planning, Analytics and Research, Jana worked on many major initiatives, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) longest tenured and still active campaign: Learn
the Signs. Act Early. This program aims to improve early recognition of and intervention for developmental delays. Jana also worked on integrated campaigns with CDC on immunizations, prediabetes, MRSA, Public Health Emergency Tracking and COVID-19. Her relationship with CDC continues today as she is a member of the advisory committee for its annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media.
She holds both a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Policy and a Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.
