In 1991, Catherine Haywood co-founded Women With A Vision, Inc. Now, more than two decades later, she remains our core community engagement liaison – building, maintaining and deepening WWAV’s relationships with community health and wellness organizations across the city as a critical part of our mission to improve the lives of marginalized women, their families, and communities.
A native of New Orleans and a long-time community health advocate, Catherine has worked in health education and community outreach for more than 25 years. Over the years her work has focused on addressing health disparities among under-served populations in New Orleans, centering on HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, women’s health issues, obesity, and physical activity promotion.
Catherine is very passionate about making sure grassroots community members—not just heads of community agencies—are at the table and truly heard when public health research and programs are being designed. Her leadership experience includes heading several national and local committees. She is chair of the Louisiana Community Health Outreach Network (LACHON), a board member of the Louisiana Cancer Control Partnership, a board member of the American Cancer Society’s Circle of Friends for Education and Early-Detection Program, and the Co-Regional Director of the Southern Region for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Community Committee, to name a few.
Currently, along with serving as the Community Health Coordinator at WWAV, she is the Community Service Program Manager at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.