Leadership Development Episodes

July 21, 2026

1169: PHIG Impact Report: Building a Stronger Public Health Workforce in New Mexico

On today's PHIG Impact Report, Shadee Lauer, director for the Office of Training and Development at the New Mexico Department of Health, explains how the state is using PHIG funding to recruit, retain, and develop its workforce through data-driven strategies and innovative professional development programs.
July 8, 2026

1161: Finding Your Voice: Leadership Lessons from the DELPH Program

On today's episode, Gabby Hadly, emergency preparedness and response manager for the Snohomish County Health Department in Washington state, reflects on her experience in ASTHO's Developing Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) program.
June 25, 2026

1153: Building Change Leadership and Implementation Capacity in Public Health

On today's episode, ASTHO's Sara Bell and Alice Schenall discuss how public health agencies can turn strategic plans into measurable progress and lead through change and uncertainty.
May 27, 2026

1134: Breaking Boundaries in Overdose Prevention Leadership

On today's episode, ASTHO’s Alice Schenall, senior advisor, cross sector leadership and change management, and ASTHO's Alyssa Merski, a senior analyst for social and behavioral health, talk about the role of boundary spanning leadership in strengthening Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) efforts.
April 29, 2026

1115: How Mentorship and Training Are Transforming Public Health Leadership

In this episode, Joshua Allen from the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Organizational Development discusses how targeted supervisor training and mentorship programs are reshaping workforce culture in public health.
March 23, 2026

1091: Leading Through Conflict: Building Stronger Public Health Teams

On today's episode, Dawn Morriston from the UNC School of Medicine highlights her upcoming webinar, part of ASTHO's Leadership Power Hour series, designed to help supervisors and managers strengthen their leadership skills through focused professional development sessions.
March 3, 2026

1079: PHIG Impact Report: How Missouri’s Pathways Internship Program Is Creating the Next Generation of Leaders with Help from PHIG

Public health agencies across the country face a growing workforce shortage—but Missouri is tackling the challenge head-on. On today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, we explore how Missouri internship programs are building a diverse, skilled pipeline of future public health professionals while strengthening partnerships between state and local agencies. Scott Allen, an administrator and health officer of the Webster County Health Unit, shares how hands-on internships are giving students ...
Jan. 27, 2026

1058: From AI to Outbreaks: Tools, Trust, and the Future of Public Health

What does the future of public health look like when cutting-edge technology collides with persistent, preventable disease threats? Senior Vice President of Health at ICF and ASTHO alum John Auerbach joins us to break down how artificial intelligence can be responsibly and realistically introduced into public health workflows. He outlines five practical, low-cost steps agencies of any size can take to start using AI today, explains the leadership mindset needed to build staff confidence, and explores how AI can both spread and counter misinformation when used thoughtfully. Later, Jessica Baggett, senior advisor for public health strategy and response at ASTHO, unpacks why measles elimination status is back in the spotlight after the worst year for measles cases in more than 30 years.
Dec. 2, 2025

1035: Building Sustainable Public Health Data Systems in Montana

On today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, we talk with Jenn Rico, data modernization and surveillance & informatics supervisor at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Jenn shares how Montana has used PHIG funding to accelerate statewide data modernization, and invested in leadership, data governance, a new data lake, GIS capacity, and workforce development.
Guest: Jenn Rico MA
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Oct. 20, 2025

1014: PHF Technical Assistance, Island Area Relationships

Helen Linda, public health workforce development coordinator at the Vermont Department of Health, explains the value of academic health departments and shares how she worked with the Public Health Foundation to assess the current state of her agency’s experiential learning environment; Emman Parian, immunization program manager for the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation of the Northern Mariana Islands, discusses...
374
Aug. 14, 2025

969: Record Low Infant Mortality, Island Areas Learning Series

Dawn Shanafelt, director of the division of maternal and infant health for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, shares the policies and program that helped the state record its lowest infant mortality rate on record; Dulce Mendoza, senior analyst of island support at ASTHO, explains...
368
Aug. 4, 2025

961: Bicillin Shortage, ASTHO OD2A Support

Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, outlines the recent recall of Bicillin; Marie Stratton, Overdose Data to Action program manager at the Maryland Department of Health, explains...
363
July 28, 2025

956: Suicide Prevention Legal Mapping, Applied Public Health Training

Ali Maffey, vice president of social and behavioral health at ASTHO, explains how ASTHO’s new legal map assists with suicide prevention infrastructure; Noell Stone, practicum and capstone director at the University of New Mexico’s College of Population Health...
356
July 17, 2025

949: Improved Leadership in Public Health, Wastewater Surveillance

Laura Knights, CEO and founder of Knights Consulting, shares what the second installment of ASTHO’s Ignite, Accelerate, Activate series has to offer public health leadership; Dr. Anil Mangla, director for disease surveillance and control at the South Nevada Health District...
471
March 13, 2025

862: Kanter at ASTHO Spring Leadership Meeting

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, brings us an update directly from ASTHO’s 2025 Spring Leadership Forum; and an upcoming webinar focuses on the positive impact Public Health AmeriCorps can provide.
386
Oct. 24, 2024

777: Harris Embraces ASTHO Presidency, Boom-Bust Public Health Funding

Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health and now ASTHO president, previews the upcoming year in his new role; Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, correspondent for KFF Health News, discusses her article about public...
383
Oct. 21, 2024

774: Elimination of Health Inequities, Partnering With Community Action Agencies

Dr. Sejal Hathi, Director of the Oregon Health Authority and an ASTHO Member, dives into her state’s strategic plan to eliminate health inequities by 2030; Shalini Nair, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Infectious Disease, wrote an article about ASTHO’s...
782
Oct. 18, 2024

773: Fusion Centers Assist Public Health, DELPH Endorsement

David Moffitt, captain of the Phoenix Fire Department's Homeland Defense Bureau and public health program manager and threat liaison officer, tells us how Fusion Centers are integrating with public health; Keon Lewis, health equity consultant for C4...
256
April 19, 2024

647: A New Social Determinant, Measles Outbreak Response

Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services, reflects on the policy factors that impact public health; Massimo Pacilli, deputy commissioner of the Disease Control Bureau with the...
218
Feb. 23, 2024

607: Spring Meeting Preview, ASTHO CEO Farewell

Amber Williams, ASTHO senior vice president for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews ASTHO’s upcoming Spring Meeting; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, prepares to say goodbye as he ends his time at ASTHO next week; and an ASTHO blog article...
205
Feb. 5, 2024

594: New Opioid Website, Firearm Violence Strategy

Dr. Tomás Aragón, ASTHO Member and Director and State Public Health Officer of the California Department of Public Health discusses a new website to give people the information they need to understand and deal with the opioid crisis; Dr. Elizabeth...
193
Jan. 18, 2024

582: Telehealth Recommendations, Empowering Diverse Executives

Mike Ellsworth, Federal Relations director at the Washington State Department of Health, says his organization has released a study of telehealth activities and opportunities; Erika Kirtz, an epidemiologist at the Tennessee Department of Health, tells...
178
Dec. 19, 2023

567: Strategic Primer Helps PH Navigate Challenges; Lead, PFAS, and Food Safety Policy

Mike Fraser, ASTHO chief executive officer, talks about the new book he wrote with Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation; Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, says many agencies saw...
138
Oct. 19, 2023

527: Disaster Exercise Toolkit, Healthy Brain Resources

Jennifer Lynch, Emergency Management Specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, says the frequency and intensity of natural disasters is changing the way planners think about emergency response; Nathan Wormington, Emergency Program...