Lolita Smith-Moore Alumni Profile
Lolita Smith-Moore is a northeastern North Carolina native, born and raised in Beaufort County. She’s also a double Pirate alumna: Lolita received a Bachelor of Science in public health with a concentration in community health in 2007 and a Master of Arts in health education and promotion in 2011.
Lolita is a public health professional with 13 years of experience in the areas of chronic illness, maternal and child health, reproductive life planning, training/technical assistance, conference planning and logistics, community outreach and engagement, social marketing and grants management.
She has worked with several eastern North Carolina agencies as a health educator, including the Northeastern North Carolina Partnership for Public Health, the Bertie County Rural Health Association, the NC Healthy Start Foundation and the NC Division of Public Health, Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
In early 2019, Lolita joined the Susan G. Komen North Carolina Triangle to the Coast affiliate as manager of the Community Health Program. Lolita’s role includes providing management and coordination of the Community Health Program, building relationships with and among community organizations, developing grant applications for special breast health projects and elevating breast health issues within the affiliate’s 29-county service area. She works to build encouraging and supporting partnerships and collaborations among medical providers, community organizations, schools, foundations, corporations and government agencies. Recruitment, training and management of volunteers, coordination and delivery of breast health information and education throughout the region, providing resources and continuous evaluation of the impact and efficacy of existing mission-related programs and recommendations for growth of mission programs and outreach are also essential parts of Lolita’s work.
In addition to her passion in improving overall health of the community, Lolita is passionate about equipping young people with the tools to safeguard their sexual health and increasing young people’s self-efficacy around their responsibility in protecting themselves. Lolita has served as an adjunct lecturer (3 years) with North Carolina Central University’s School of Public Health Education, teaching Personal Health and Wellness. Lolita has co-authored lesson plans with her mentor, Tanya Bass, centered around adolescents’ sexual communication and healthy relationships, that are featured in The Center for Sex Education (CSE) publications, “Unequal Partners: Teaching about Power, Consent, and Healthy Relationships” and “Let’s Erase Bullying.” Lolita has also served on the North Carolina Sexual Health Conference planning team since its inception and served as volunteer for the National Sex Ed conference.
In addition, she has been a contributor to the field of health education as a long-time member and former co-vice president, co-chair of program committee and co-chair of Time and Place for the North Carolina Society for Public Health Education. Lolita has served as internship preceptor to four students from NCCU’s Department of Public Health.
To Lolita, ECU means family legacy. Pirate Pride runs deep through Lolita’s family, as she and her three sisters – Tamara Smith, Christian Adams and Monica Warner – are all East Carolina undergraduate and graduate alumnae who have gone on to rewarding careers and are proud to show their Pirate Pride no matter what part of the world they’re in.
Lolita tells us that, “During my time at ECU and as an HHP Student, I was fortunate to be educated by some of the top leaders in my field such as Dr. Mary Glascoff, Dr. Michael Felts, Dr. Hans Johnson, Dr. Michelle Wallen and Dr. Craig Becker. I have also been a long-time mentee of Dr. Marla Hall. I am confident that I would not be the successful health professional that I am today, had I not attended this program.
“The faculty were all very supportive and nurturing and exposed the students to opportunities that launched many of us into our early careers. For example, I had a semester-long internship where I worked 40 hours a week at the Beaufort County Health Department. I had the pleasure of working with two HHP graduates, Clifton Langley and Kelli Russell. That experience demonstrated to me just how dynamic the role of a health educator could be. It gave me direct insight on all of the various areas of health education and also showed how we can specialize in certain areas and/or we can work in areas that intersect.”
Lolita’s advice to current students?
“Establish a relationship with your professors. I cannot stress how important it was for me as a nontraditional student and mother of two children at the time, to have relationships with my professors. They offered the best advice for me in terms of how I managed my family life and studies. Seek out mentors and groups of like-minded people. These are the people that will keep you accountable to reaching your goals. Don’t wait for opportunity to come to you. Seek it out. And, invest in yourself.”
Lolita is a mother of three. In her free time, you’ll find Lolita spending time with her family and friends, volunteering with community organizations and conferences, and studying for the GRE as she plans are to attend graduate school to pursue a doctorate in health education.