Dr. Carolyn Rowley is the Founder and Executive Director of Cayenne Wellness Center and Children’s Foundation (a non-profit organization dedicated to health and wellness). In her role as Executive Director, she specializes in nutrition (well known for her 3-4-4 nutritional program), health psychology and treating patients and their families with sickle cell disease. She also began another non-profit organization in 2005, as a result of her missionary experience to Kenya, East Africa (The Machao Orphanage Foundation). Twelve years ago, Dr. Rowley responded to an immediate need – to house the original 13 children and many that were on the waiting list. Her first strategic plan: Strategic Plan I: Foundation, afforded her the vision to build the dorms, latrines, and other buildings (2009); to provide clean water (2010); to put in solar panels (2011); to provide food by building a green-house and chicken coop (2012); and to put in solar irrigation (2014-2016). Her second strategic plan: Strategic Plan 2: Impact, has led her to strategically take care of more orphans and have the orphanage be sustainable and economically self-reliant by the year 2020.
Dr. Rowley holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University, a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a nutrition certificate from Trinity College.
Dr. Rowley has teaching experience from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIU-C), CSU Channel Islands, Alliant University, and currently teaches at UCLA Extension. She is a committed environmentalist and vegan and has brought an understanding of the importance of nutrition in dealing with sickle cell disease. She has served as a panel member for a number of forums for the general public and for medical professionals regarding successful living with sickle cell disease.
Dr. Rowley was also a regular guest host on an award winning cable show – Talk About Parenting with Shirlee Smith. In her efforts to bring about awareness about sickle cell disease, Dr. Rowley is spearheading ‘The Faces of Sickle Cell Disease: An Educational Traveling Photo Exhibit’ which encompasses photographing 500 persons with sickle cell disease across the United States. In 2007, Dr. Rowley was awarded Person of the Year for the at the NIH (National Institute of Health) / Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. 35th Annual Convention held in Washington, D.C.
As a result of travels to Kenya, Dr. Rowley desires to leave her legacy by forming a collaborative with the U.S. and Kenya to create a surveillance program, newborn screening, access to treatment and best practices for the management and treatment of sickle cell disease.
She enjoys cooking with hopes of opening her own restaurant, featuring international vegan cuisine. She enjoys landscaping and her home won the 2011 award for Best Sustainable Landscape in California. She enjoys travel, with her favorite country being New Zealand. Most of all, she desires peace, genuine and real conversations with real people. And of course she loves music – jazz – and has taken up lessons to play the bass (guitar and upright). On her bucket list is to sing backup, live in another country for a period of time, and perform her one woman play on the life of Nina Simone.
Where there is music, art, beach, waterfalls and sun, you will find Dr. Rowley enjoying a few of her favorite things. Her faith is what has sustained her, makes her whole, and daily orders her steps.
