Office of Nursing Staff

State Office Staff

Meshell McCloud, MS, BSN, APRN, WHNP-BC

Meshell McCloud, MS, BSN, APRN, WHNP-BC is the Chief Nurse for the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). In previous roles at DPH, she served as a State Office Public Health Nurse Consultant, Assistant Chief Nurse, and Deputy Chief Nurse. Ms. McCloud was awarded the State Office Nursing Excellence Award in 2007 for her leadership in developing a policy to assure all pregnant women are tested for HIV.  

Ms. McCloud has more than 33 years of nursing experience, including staff nursing, charge nurse, home health, nurse practitioner, consultation and administration. She has also held a faculty appointment with Rush University, College of Nursing, where she taught Maternal and Child Health courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Ms. McCloud served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Public Health Nurses (APHN), an affiliate of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) during 2014-2016 and has also served on multiple APHN Committees.

Ms. McCloud received her baccalaureate degree in nursing from Howard University, her Master of Science degree as a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner from Georgia State University and a Post-Master Certificate from Rush University as a High-Risk Perinatal Nurse Practitioner.  She is currently authorized by the Georgia Board of Nursing as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and is certified as a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner.

Ms. McCloud strives to ensure that public health nursing practice is consistent with Georgia's nurse practice acts, rules and regulations and scope of practice; and improves the health status of individuals, communities, and populations.

Laura Layne, MSN, MPH, RN

Laura Layne serves as the Deputy Chief Nurse-Quality Improvement with the Office of Nursing at the Georgia Department of Public Health. She has a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and leads the integration of continuous quality improvement principles and strategies in the Department and throughout Public Health Nursing in Georgia. She promotes a culture of quality and builds capacity to translate quality improvement into practice to improve care and outcomes for Georgians.

Her educational background includes a dual Master's degree in Public Health and Nursing from Emory University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory University, and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Spanish from Auburn University. She holds an adjunct faculty position in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University and in this role, she co-directs the Farmworker Family Health Program to provide comprehensive healthcare for migrant farmworkers every summer in South Georgia and she is a Clinical Instructor in the undergraduate nursing rural health/population health course.

Jennifer Burkholder, MSN, MPH, RN

Jennifer Burkholder joined the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Division of District and County Operations, Office of Nursing as Deputy Chief Nurse of Emerging Health Threats in June 2013. In June 2016, she was designated as the DPH Zika Response Coordinator, and served in this capacity through the response as the Deputy Director of Emergent Health Threats, in the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.  She returned to the Office of Nursing in 2017, where she serves in her current role.

Jennifer earned her Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management degree at the Rollins School of Public Health and Master of Nursing in Public Health Nursing Leadership at the Nell-Hodgson School of Nursing, both at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Pittsburg State University and has been a registered nurse since 2005.

Prior to pursuing a career in public health, Jennifer worked as a travel nurse in a variety of settings, including critical care, where she earned a special certification (CCRN). Jennifer has also served as the Vice President for the non-profit HealthSTAT and interned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an Assistant Policy Analyst in the Office of the Associate Director for Health Reform, Policy, and Strategy. Jennifer’s passion for public health and disaster preparedness extends through various forms of academic mentoring and task force involvement, including with Emory’s Student Outbreak and Response Team (SORT) at Rollins.

Rebekah Chance-Revels, MSN-RN, WHNP-BC

Rebekah Chance-Revels joined the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Office of Nursing as Deputy Chief Nurse of Education and Professional Development in August 2018. She began her public health career at the Bulloch County Health Department in August 2002 as an expanded role nurse and health educator. After two years in that position, she became the county nurse manager for the Candler County Health Department. In July 2006 she became the Women's Health Coordinator for the Coastal Health District and remained in that position until she transferred to the Office of Nursing.

Rebekah is a certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She earned her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in 2001 from Armstrong Atlantic State University and her Master's of Science in Nursing in 2005 from the University of New Mexico.  Rebekah loves sci-fi and fantasy, played the violin from 4th grade until college, and was an actress in community theater

Sara Kroening, MSN, FNP-BC, AE-C, RN

Sara Kroening serves as the Deputy Chief Nurse for School Health at the Georgia Department of Public Health. She received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nursing from Clemson University and has also earned a post Master's certificate from the University of South Carolina, is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Family Nurse Practitioner and is a certified Asthma Educator. 

Sara has been a nurse for over 18 years and has practiced in the areas of acute pediatrics, endocrine and diabetes, and public health among others. She has a passion for children’s mental and physical health and safety and recognizes the key role of community leaders such as public health nurses, school nurses, teachers, and early care and learning professionals in providing that care. She is a member of the National Association of School Nurses, Georgia Association of School Nurses, and serves as Secretary on the Executive Committee for the National Association for State School Nurse Consultants.

Page last updated 11/25/19