melia Cobb is President of The Wright Group (TWG), a strategic health and human services consulting agency bringing “theory-to-practice” based solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing health care and nonprofit organizations. In this capacity Ms. Cobb leads the development of new research and demonstration projects for underserved populations. Ms. Cobb’s recent work includes developing The National Partnership to Reduce Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and HIV to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS among female survivors for domestic violence and drafting the final report and thirteen case studies for the project Making the Business Case for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health Care, endorsed by federal officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Minority Health (OMH). The findings included in the final report are based on information developed about business benefits achieved by different kinds of health care organizations that implemented projects addressing one or more of the National CLAS Standards published by OMH in 2000.
Prior to founding TWG in 2004, Ms. Cobb served as the Executive Director for the Family Mental Health Foundation, where she was instrumental in launching the PPD HopeTM Information Center (www.ppdhope.com), the foundation’s 1st National Postpartum Depression Screening Day, in partnership with the American Public Health Association.
Earlier she served a dual role as Program Officer, for the Circle of Friends Program, and Strategic Partnerships and Development Program Specialist at the American Legacy Foundation. In this capacity, Ms. Cobb was responsible for managing a grants portfolio totaling $1.7 million for the Circle of Friends Program, a partnership campaign with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) created to educate people about the impact of smoking on health; celebrity ambassadors included Brooke Shields, Jessica Simpson, Mena Suvari, Jamie Lynn Sigler and Cicely Tyson. Before taking on a dual role within the Foundation, Ms. Cobb served as Program Officer for the Priority Populations Initiative (focused on six underserved populations and communities of color) in which she managed over 42 grants totaling $9.1 million to heighten awareness of tobacco use and its effects among Legacy’s priority populations.
In 2001, Ms. Cobb served as a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Advisor/Service Fellow, for the Office on Women’s Health (OWH). In that capacity she initiated the concept and development of a national breastfeeding advertising campaign in partnership with The Advertising Council (totaling $1.7 million) and managed The Generations Project, a faith-based cardiovascular disease prevention program in partnership with the Association of Black Cardiologist.
Ms. Cobb holds a Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University Medical Center, School of Public Health and Health Services and Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Science with a minor in Chemistry from Howard University. In addition, Ms. Cobb has participated in a health policy fellowship program at Harvard Medical School and Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Since founding TWG, she has continued her relationship with George Washington as an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health. Ms. Cobb lectures on a wide variety of topics related to the nonprofit sector and minority health issues.
