Tonia Grimsley - American Heart Association

<p>In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Tonia Grimsley, MPH — Development Director for the American Heart Association in Eastern NC, adjunct professor of public health at NC Wesleyan University, and head cheerleading coach at NCWU.</p><p>Tonia is a native of the Twin Counties — she was inducted into SouthWest Edgecombe High School&#39;s Athletics Hall of Fame, earned her MPH from NC Wesleyan while working full-time and coaching, and built a career at the intersection of public health, nonprofit fundraising, and community building. She lives in Edgecombe County, teaches the next generation of public health professionals, and has brought AHA CPR training directly into Rocky Mount housing communities. She&#39;s also served as emcee for Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce events — a visible, engaged voice across the region.</p><p>We also talk about the upcoming Twin Counties Heart Walk this September — one of the region&#39;s flagship community health events that Tonia has helped lead for the past three years. We get into how AHA dollars actually reach Eastern North Carolina: the programming they run locally, the cardiovascular research they fund, and how a national organization translates into real impact in places like Nash and Edgecombe Counties.</p><p>Tune in for our conversation with Tonia and to learn more about AHA&#39;s role in promoting public health in the Twin Counties!</p>