Change Is Coming
From WV Uncommonplace : Uncommon Conversations by Jr Sparrow
February 26, 2026 · 43 min
About this episode
In this episode, JR Sparrow interviews Dr. Nelva Lee about her journey and vision for education reform in Georgia.
Topic: Education Reform, Healthcare Advocacy, and Running for Georgia Superintendent of Schools In this 43-minute episode, host JR Sparrow sits down with Dr. Nelva Lee, a healthcare administrator, entrepreneur, and candidate for Georgia Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Lee shares her inspiring journey from Panama to the United States, her work in healthcare advocacy, and her vision for transforming Georgia's education system through literacy, trade certifications, and school choice. Growing up in Panama during the Noriega dictatorship Family heritage from Costa Rica and Jamaica Moving to the US as a teenager and appreciating democratic freedoms Lessons learned from her grandmother Nelva about gratitude and work ethic Obtaining a trade certification in healthcare during high school Earning bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in healthcare administration Working as Director of Patient Advocacy at Grady Health System Founding a vocational school for medical interpreters Creating the certification exam for medical interpreters Involvement with AI and human interpreting integration Appointment to Georgia Department of Community Health by Governor Kemp Learning the slow process…
People in this episode
Host: JR Sparrow
Guest: Dr. Nelva Lee
Topics covered
- Education Reform
- Healthcare Advocacy
- Georgia Superintendent of Schools
- Community Engagement
- Trade Certifications
- School Choice
Keywords
- education reform
- healthcare advocacy
- Georgia Superintendent
- trade certifications
- school choice
- community engagement
- literacy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Grady Health System, Georgia Department of Community Health
Places: Georgia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica
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