Who I am:

Major Shelia Means (USAF-Ret.) was born and raised in Selma, Alabama, the second of seven children. She served our country in the military for 21 years, then transitioned to a thriving career in the private workforce. While she was serving, she met and married fellow officer Aaron Means, Sr., DDS who is now retired from two uniformed service branches, the United States Air Force and the U.S. Public Health Service.

Shelia has never let obstacles stand in the way of success - with her service in the military becoming her first step in her own education story, continuing education to become dual-master prepared Advanced Practice Nurse - Nurse Midwifery (University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) and a Women Health Nurse Practitioner (University of Cincinnati). She enjoyed a successful career and became involved in civic organizations and mentoring those entering the workforce.  Her many years of providing health care to underserved communities, work as a development director, women’s health director and Chief Executive Officer of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) led her to first-hand knowledge and understanding that education and overall wellness go hand in hand. Recognizing the need to impact generations, from 2005 – 2012 Shelia developed and worked with a community board and established a health center that continues to provide affordable health care to residents of Pittsburg County and surrounding area.  Completing needs assessment and reaching benchmarks for state funding seeded the formation of the center, and throughout that process Shelia Means developed expertise in goal setting, acquiring federal grants, following procedures and budget needs, and achieving success. She was integral to the success of ensuring the center become qualified as a FQHC and its future to impact the community was sustained.

She and her husband are deeply committed to our Stillwater Community, from hosting annual Veterans Day events, co-organizing annual National Day Prayer services to serving as a chaplain for the Stillwater Police Department. Among many activities, Shelia Means serves as Vice-President of Shiloh’s Place Inc., Maternity & Parenting Home - assisting with fundraising and advertising to highlight the needs of care for young women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and do not have a support system.