FORECAST: Taking Healthy West Orange to next level

There’s just something about working in the community in which you live, and Krista Carter is happy to be back in West Orange County and working with familiar faces.

After leaving her position as West Orange Chamber of Commerce vice president in 2022 following more than two decades with the organization, Carter accepted a job with International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, which is based in Orlando.

Two years later, she has returned to this side of town to serve as director of Healthy West Orange, a movement funded by the nonprofit organization Foundation for a Healthier West Orange. She is responsible for the daily leadership and coordination of all activities for the grassroots movement, whose mission is to make West Orange County the healthiest community in the nation.

How is this measured?

“We use the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation statistics, a big organization that collects data all over the United States, and then we drill down into Florida and then drill down into Orange County,” Carter said. “If all of Orange County is doing good, we’re doing good.”

To accomplish this, HWO provides important tools, educational programs and social connections to help residents eat well, stay active and enjoy life.

“This also includes overseeing the resource navigation platform HUBB, an online and in-person resource center designed to connect residents with local health and wellness services as well as local critical assistance programs.”

This new role is exactly what Carter was hoping for when she accepted it last summer. She said she saw it as a meaningful way to make an effective difference in the community.

“I was drawn to this role because of my passion and commitment to the West Orange community,” she said. “After working at IAAPA and gaining a global perspective on community engagement, I wanted to bring that experience back home. The opportunity to lead Healthy West Orange and contribute to the well-being of my community was something I couldn't pass up.”

Her favorite part of this job is seeing the positive impact the HWO programs have on the community.

“It’s always exciting when we go out and we’re in the community and people want to share their health journey with us … and it’s even more exciting to hear, ‘I did my first 5K with Healthy West Orange and now I’m doing my first marathon,’” Carter said. “We have a lot of stories like that.”

She also is thrilled to participate in programs with students. HWO partners with the American Heart Association on two programs: Westly’s Mile, which currently is at 15 elementary schools with plans to expand to 25, and Hydration Week, which encourages drinking water.

“It’s great to see us planting seeds and inspiring health at a younger age,” she said. “Just knowing we are making a meaningful difference in people's lives and in our community is incredibly rewarding.”

FROM BUSINESS HEALTH TO PERSONAL HEALTH

For decades, Carter was known as “Krista at the chamber,” so it was an interesting switch when she went to work for IAAPA and she was relatively unknown.

“I went from ‘Krista at the chamber’ to nobody,” she said. “Then, coming back here, I’m in my hometown again. I was making your businesses healthy, and now I’m making you healthy — still in the community, just wearing a different hat.”

Carter said the chamber definitely was foundational in shaping her career, teaching her the importance of community involvement, the power of collaboration and the impact of effective leadership.

“Having a front-row seat to the history and development of West Orange County allowed me to understand the community's needs and aspirations deeply,” she said. “These experiences have been crucial in my role at Healthy West Orange, where I continue to apply the lessons I learned to promote a healthier, more connected community.”

The strong bonds she forged with local business and community leaders while she was at the chamber also has been invaluable to this role, she said. Many of the relationships she built during her time at the chamber also have carried over to her role at HWO.

“Both roles require a strong focus on community engagement and building partnerships. While at the chamber, I worked to support businesses and foster economic growth; here, I’m focusing on improving health and wellness.”

APPRECIATING THE ENVIRONMENT

“I love the outdoors, I’m an environmentalist, I love bird watching,” Carter said.

Her passion for the environment led her to serve on several directors boards: the Oakland Nature Preserve for about 20 years and Friends of Lake Apopka for about three years.

“I think our green spaces and our environment are very important to the health of our community,” she said. “And we do have a whole initiative for green spaces.”

Carter and her family enjoy outdoor activities such as traveling to state parks, camping and hiking. They like the Helen area of north Georgia, and they frequently snorkel in the Florida Keys.

“Most of the times you’ll see me bird-watching,” she said. “I take binoculars with me every time we go somewhere.”

In December, she spent two days attending the North Shore Birding Festival on Lake Apopka.

The Carters checked off a bucket list item of hers in 2022 when they traveled to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Also on that bucket list is to go on a safari in Africa — but definitely not to go hunting, she said.