Blue Zones Project – Durant team announced

Blue Zones Project - Durant Team: (L-R) Brandon Martin, Sarah Shores, Ashton Gabbart. Photo provided.

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DURANT – Sharecare, Inc. today announced that local staff positions have been filled to lead the transformation of Durant through Blue Zones Project® by Sharecare. Brandon Martin, a former Physician Recruiter for AllianceHealth Durant, will serve as Community Program Manager and Organization lead for the Blue Zones Project – Durant initiative. He will be joined by Sarah Shores as Policy Lead; and Ashton Gabbart as Marketing and Engagement Lead. The local team will be responsible for implementing programs and principles as Durant works toward Blue Zones Community® certification.

“It’s an exciting time for Durant and Bryan County. Many community leaders and engaged citizens are working on multiple projects and initiatives to bring positive change and improved well-being to our community,” said Martin. “Being selected as a Blue Zones Project demonstration site in Oklahoma is a result of the community’s motivation and enthusiasm for a better Durant. I am honored to be part of a skilled team that gets to support the Project in our community.”

In February, Durant was named the 51st Blue Zones Project community in North America—joining Pottawatomie County as the second in Oklahoma. Durant is receiving support from national experts to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based plan for improving community well-being. Based on principles discovered during an ongoing twenty-year longevity study and developed by Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author of The Blue Zones and The Blue Zones Solution,Blue Zones Project is designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to the built environment, policy and social networks.

During his time at AllianceHealth, Martin served in multiple roles (Marketing Director, Physician Recruitment, and Public Relations) and was instrumental in securing AllianceHealth’s sponsorship of Blue Zones Project – Durant. Through this work, he developed relationships not only with the executive leadership of the health system but also with key leaders in the community. He previously led a team of recruiters for a health care talent acquisition firm and was responsible for client account management. Martin, a Durant resident and father of two small children, is deeply committed to making Durant a better place to live both for his own family and future generations.

Shores previously worked for the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust in Atoka. Her policy-related experience with TSET provides a firm foundation from which she can hit the ground running as a Blue Zones Project – Durant’s Policy Lead. She is personally committed to well-being and owns a mobile grocery with her husband which provides access to healthy foods in areas of her community with limited food access.

Gabbart currently operates his own Marketing & Digital Engagement company, focusing exclusively on working with small businesses in the Durant area. He is a Durant native, and comes from a family of local business owners. His experience, passion for the community, and connections with stakeholders across many sectors make him well-positioned to lead engagement strategies to help transform well-being for all who live, work, learn and play in Durant.

Blue Zones Project is brought to Durant through the collaboration of Imagine Durant, with support from Choctaw Nation, First United Bank, the Massey Family Foundation, and Texoma Health Foundation, in partnership with Sharecare, Inc. and Blue Zones, LLC. Additional funding provided by Alliance Health Durant, Ardmore Institute of Health and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Durant is the 51st Blue Zones Project demonstration site in North America.

To learn more about Blue Zones Project visit www.bluezonesproject.com.

About Blue Zones Project
Blue Zones Project® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policy, and social networks. Established in 2010, Blue Zones Project is based on research by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Project incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Currently, 51 communities across North America have joined Blue Zones Project, impacting more than 3.4 million citizens. The population health solution includes two Health Districts in California; 15 cities in Iowa; Albert Lea, Minnesota; the city of Fort Worth, Texas; Corry, Pennsylvania; Airdrie, Alberta; Brevard, North Carolina; and communities in Southwest Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Blue Zones Project is a partnership between Blue Zones, LLC, and Sharecare, Inc. For more information, visit bluezonesproject.com.

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