I love APHA! I love being part of this community that values science and evidence-based practice. I love the opportunities to learn from so many passionate, brilliant, diverse professionals. I share a deep commitment to building and sustaining healthy communities across the country. I love connecting with public health workers across the world and learning from their successes in other countries. I feel energized and renewed by working together to persevere in difficult times and to celebrate even small victories.
As a leader, I focus on consensus-building to facilitate collaborative planning and action. I work to listen attentively and to communicate respect to everyone I work with. I am organized and knowledgeable. I connect with people and love being a “hub” to connect people with each other.
I have been life-long learner with bachelor degrees in cultural anthropology and nursing, and master’s degrees in nursing and public health. In addition to these formal degrees, I pursue in-depth learning in a variety of topics and settings. I speak Spanish, working consistently to improve comprehension and fluency. I am a graduate of the Leadership New Hampshire program. Recently, I studied emerging leadership models as an active member of a group which taught a Learning Institute workshop, Reimagining Public Health Leadership for Equity, at the APHA Annual Meeting in 2023.
For the past seven years, I have been consulting with nonprofit organizations on governance, strategic planning, and equity. I help organizations to find and articulate their strategic direction and to craft operating plans to pursue their strategic goals. Most of my efforts have focused on the APHA state affiliates. I have facilitated strategic planning with 23 affiliates to date. As a member of the APHA Executive Board, I served on the APHA Strategic Planning Committee for four years including one year as Chair of the Committee.
My commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion has been central to my public health career. I co-authored the APHA Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Toolkit. The Toolkit assessment, and planning based on its results, is central to every strategic planning effort I lead. I have also consulted the Public Health Foundation and the National Board of Public Health Examiners to enhance their equity work.