Hey, I’m LaNaya

I’m a public health professional and author rooted in New Orleans, Louisiana — and proud of it.

I earned my undergraduate degree at Dillard University, one of the nation’s historically Black universities, where my passion for public health took shape. I later went on to earn my Master of Public Health from Benedictine University, deepening my commitment to the work I had already begun doing in communities.

Throughout my career I have led at every level — from directing community-based organizations to building statewide teams and shaping systems — always with people at the center.

I am also a mentor — to emerging professionals, to women navigating their own chapters of becoming, and to anyone willing to do the quiet work.

I’m a creative with a deep love for visual design and the art of making something look exactly the way it should feel. I believe thoughtful design is one of the most powerful forms of communication. Typography, layout, and the weight of a well-designed page have always spoken to me.

When I’m not working, you may find me in the kitchen — baking or making pralines. A New Orleans girl through and through.

At the heart of everything is purpose. I believe that stories heal, that knowledge shared multiplies, and that showing up genuinely for people — in work, in writing, and in life — is the greatest thing I can do with my gifts.

I am the mother of a daughter I love fiercely. Butterfly Ambition is my debut book.