The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Washington, DC - remote-based)

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Senior Director 

2022–Present

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• Technical lead on program design, development and strategy

• Expand Global South partnerships and localization efforts

• Provide strategic direction for monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance, learning

• Support resource development and partners' relations   

 

Deschutes County Health Services (Bend, OR)

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Public Health Director 

2020–2022

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• Led and managed >100 public health staff and provide oversight for a wide variety of public health programs, including public health response to COVID-19 pandemic

• Planned, organized and directed the day-to-day operations of the department's Public Health Division

• Created a culture playbook and restructured the Public Health Division to advance the priorities of communities

• Liaised, advocated and communicated with elected officials and various County departments

• Defined the concepts, methodology, and administrative procedures to conduct and evaluate various programs

• Oversaw and managed the activities of all division personnel to ensure that public health services are delivered professionally, effectively, timely, and in accordance with policies, budgets, goals, and regulations

• Provided technical or professional assistance and direction, particularly in disease outbreak or emergency

• Initiated or approved selection, evaluation, transfer, promotion, and termination of employees

• Developed, balanced, and monitored program budgets and cost centers 

• Prepared work plan objectives, long-range goals, and annual reports; and assured continued development and training of staff members

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United Nations Children’s Fund, Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (Jordan)

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Regional Immunization Specialist (System strengthening, coverage and equity)

2016–2020

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Immunization financing, partnerships and advocacy

• Technical lead on immunization financing, new vaccines/ procurement and immunization system strengthening

• Regional GAVI focal point; Regional Working Group co-chair (2016-2018)

• Finalized Regional Landscape Analysis on Equitable and Sustainable Immunization Financing[1]

• Developed Domestic Resource Mobilization Roadmap in support of Sudan Gavi transition

• Lead on study on Health Impact and Economic Evaluation of Traditional and New Vaccines in Sudan 

• Lead on multi-agency regional advocacy and capacity building initiative on immunization financing 

 

Private sector engagement, service delivery and data quality

• Technical lead on service delivery and data quality with focus on private/ non-public sector engagement; immunization during the second year of life (2YL); missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV); and identifying and incorporating special populations (conflict-affected, remote rural, migrants/transient, urban/ slums) in micro-plans

• Organized a multi-agency Regional Workshop on Special populations and Equity-Informed Microplanning[2]

• Finalized a multi-agency Missed Opportunities for Vaccination Assessment and Costing Analysis in Jordan[3]

• Finalized Regional Landscape Analysis on Effective Private/Non-Public Sector Engagement 

 

[1] https://www.unicef.org/mena/reports/immunization-financing-mena-middle-income-countries

[2] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLplsL94Pu81XyxqMpLkf9DWW4EmQr_3zv

[3] https://www.unicef.org/mena/reports/jordan-missed-opportunities-vaccination-assessment-report

 

 

United Nations Children’s Fund, Multi-Country Office for the Pacific (Fiji)

 

Maternal and Child Health Specialist (Health and Nutrition)

2013–2016

 

Acting Chief of Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS (Jan-Aug 2016)

Provided strategic, technical and management guidance for the UNICEF-WHO-UNFPA Joint Program on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent (RMNCAH) in 3 countries. Supervised a team of 15 staff and consultants.

 

Team Lead Health and Nutrition Emergency Response

Team lead for the health and nutrition response during Tropical Cyclones Winston in Fiji and Pam in Vanuatu.

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Maternal and Child Health Specialist 

Lead technical advisor for immunization, maternal and newborn health (MNH) at a Multi-country (14) Office.

 

National EPI policy and guidelines

• Led the development of national EPI policies and cold chain guidelines in Soloman Islands and Kiribati

 

New vaccines introduction

• Guided PCV, rotavirus, HPV introductions in Soloman Islands and Kiribati

• Co-led the Polio Endgame Strategy IPV introduction and tOPV to bOPV switch in 10 countries

• Advocated and succeeded in switch from single antigen MCV to MR in Vanuatu and from TT to Td in Fiji

• Supported Post Introduction Evaluation (PIE) in Fiji

• Conceptualized and assisted New Vaccines Feasibility Assessments in Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Samoa

 

Supply chain

• Managed Vaccine Independence Initiative (vaccine pooled forecasting, procurement and revolving fund)

• Assisted in Effective Vaccine Management Assessment in Vanuatu and Kiribati

• Organized multi-agency Outside of Cold Chain (OCC) (Hep B) pilot and scale-up in Soloman Islands

 

Service delivery

• Adapted and supported roll out of Reach Every Community (REC) strategy in Vanuatu

• Assisted with MR supplementary immunization activities in Vanuatu, Soloman Islands and FSM

 

Outbreak response

• Technical lead on measles outbreak and emergency response in FSM, Soloman Islands and Vanuatu

 

Integration and scale-up

• Conceptualized and executed GAPPD framework (EPI, nutrition, WASH) including PCV intro in Kiribati

• Assisted with Community-Based Maternal and Newborn Care and Mother Baby-Friendly Hospitals in Soloman Islands, Kiribati

• Organized an Amoxicillin Disbursable Tablet Pilot Study in Soloman Islands

 

• Innovation

• Organized Environmental Sustainable Management and Appropriate Cold Chain Technology Assessment in Fiji

• Assisted with Solar Suitcases and Power Packs Pilots in Vanuatu and Fiji

 

Strategic partnerships

• Close engagement with CDC (3 projects), WHO and UNFPA (UN JP), GAVI, governments and donor agencies

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) 

 

Public Health Advisor (Global Immunization Division)

2008–2013

 

CDC Emergency Operations Center (2012-2013) – provided technical, operational and communications support to the Polio Eradication Initiative in Afghanistan. Led partnership coordination with BMGF, WHO, UNICEF and GAVI.

 

World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (Egypt)

 

Technical Officer (Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization)

2008–2012

 

Assigned by CDC to the WHO Regional Office Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program.

 

Evidence-based policy and decision making

• Established and strengthened 21 National Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs)

• Developed regional guidelines, technical templates and monitoring tools

• Built a broad internal and external coalition to support regional scale-up 

 

Demand generation, promotion and advocacy

• Organized the first Regional Vaccination Week initiative with 100% country commitment and an estimated 5 million additional people vaccinated

• Developed technical documents (strategic framework, guide, survey tool, fact sheet and final report)

• Facilitated briefing workshops and media training for immunization managers and partners

 

City of Chicago, Department of Public Health (USA)

 

Program Manager (Office of Monitoring and Evaluation)

2003–2007

 

Knowledge management and learning

• Created department communities of practice; conducted after action reviews

• Conducted organization network analysis with STD/HIV/AIDS Division to diagnose communication flow

 

Performance management and strategic change

• Conducted situation analysis and developed multi-year plan of action

• Facilitated monthly continuing quality improvement (CQI) workshops

• Developed department objectives and measures to monitor progress of 20 public health programs

• Facilitated quarterly problem-solving sessions to remove bottlenecks and streamline processes

 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Eritrea and Sudan) 

 

Public Health Specialist (Returnee and Refugee Health Programs)

2002–2003

 

Responsible for planning and monitoring maternal and child health projects for population-based and direct service needs of returnees and refugees.

 

International Medical Corps (Kosovo)       

 

Coordinator (Health Education and Counseling project)

2000–2001

 

The Small Enterprise Foundation (South Africa)

 

Public Health Assistant (Microfinance and poverty alleviation program)

1999–1999