Angela Cochran, division director of Health Promotion and Community Services at St. Mary’s County Health Department, explains why skills such as empathy, communication, and intellectual humility are essential to effective leadership. She also reflects on her time in the Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health (DELPH) program and shares how the experience helps public health leaders build psychological safety, anchor decisions in organizational values, and strengthen collaboration.

On today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Francyne Wase-Jacklick, ASTHO member and secretary of Health and Human Services for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, discusses how the agency incorporated key performance indicators into its strategic plan to strengthen how public health leaders measure progress, use data, and make decisions.

ASTHO's Brian Lentes discusses how performance management systems can help health departments with strategic plans and what health officials can learn from peers and technology vendors at ASTHO’s upcoming solutions showcase.

State and territorial health officials are navigating significant uncertainty while working to protect and improve the health of their communities. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Kanter, CEO of ASTHO, reflects on the 2026 Fall Leadership Forum and the importance of bringing public health leaders together to share information, discuss common challenges, and learn from one another. He highlights conversations with CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz about emergency preparedness, public trust, public heal

Christina Severin, director of Public Health Law at ASTHO, discusses emerging policy trends to address youth technology use, including executive orders and school support resources.

ASTHO's new President and Mississippi State Health Officer Daniel Edney shares how state and territorial health officials can address persistent health challenges and learn from one another. He highlights lessons learned in Mississippi: support for maternal and infant health and rural communities, and developing solutions driven by local needs.

Manisha Juthani, outgoing ASTHO president and commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, reflects on her time as ASTHO president and the importance of communicating across political divides and helping state and territorial health officials learn from one another.

ASTHO's Greg Papillon, senior director, Public Health Partnerships and Innovation, discusses AI policies and action plans across various jurisdictions and what they reveal about the current state of AI governance, workforce readiness, equity, and oversight.

ASTHO's Lana McKinney outlines how states are taking a broader approach to healthy aging, with renewed focus on prevention, dementia awareness, and related legislation, including caregiver support, public education efforts, and dementia-capable training.

Shebra Hall, chief of the Bureau of Chronic Disease for the Delaware Division of Public Health and a 2026 DELPH graduate, highlights how a cardiovascular health learning collaborative helps partners share resources, strengthen communication, and address health from clinical and community perspectives.