As a member of IEI’s leadership team, I provide insight and support on organizational strategy development; develop and project manage complex, multi-sector, multi-level programs, including the Emerging Issues Forums; supervise and guide a dynamic team; and engage key stakeholders on issues important to North Carolina’s vibrancy and economic competitiveness.

In this role I bring individuals from all sectors, regions, and diverse perspectives together to collectively identify key strategies and build capacity for collective action, with a focus on health issues and innovation-centered economic development. I lead and project manage large-scale collaborations and interdisciplinary projects such as the 2015 Emerging Issues Forum on innovation and InnovateNC, and the program of work centered around the 2011 Emerging Issues Forum on healthcare. This work involves developing convening agendas that showcase multiple perspectives and allows participants to discuss, debate, and ultimately come to consensus on the best strategies to move the state forward. I also work on special projects, such as partnering with RTI International on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study.I support the important work of other organizations by serving on external committees and boards. For example: the NC Institute of Medicine All-Payer Claims Database Task Force (steering committee), NC Rural Health Leadership Alliance Child Care and Early Education Work Group (co-chair), and United Way of North Carolina (board member). As adjunct professor for NC State University's M.P.A. program, I co-taught a graduate class on Special Topics in Public Policy in 2015.

When funding for the NC Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project ended (see below), I transitioned to the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch to work on an ARRA funded program to improve worksite wellness statewide. I led data collection efforts on business worksite wellness policies and programs and supported the creation of a Worksite Wellness Collaborative to develop a statewide policy to support NC businesses in providing comprehensive worksite wellness programs.

In fiscal year 2008-09, the NC General Assembly appropriated $2 million in non-recurring statefunds to support the NC Childhood Obesity Prevention Demonstration Project. This project empowered five communities to find long-term solutions for obesity through a statewide multi-level, multi-setting childhood obesity prevention program. I worked closely with the NC Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch at NC Division of Public Health in designing the evaluation plan and securing IRB approval; creating assessment instruments; conducting data collection; and writing the final report. Though the program showed early signs of success, the project was not continued after the pilot phase as a result of the economic recession.

Served as an education consultant within the Healthy Schools Section, focusing on coordinated school health, adolescent sexual health, and data collection on school health profiles and student health risk behaviors. In this role I managed federal programs and provided technical assistance and consultation concerning state policy and guidelines for health instruction in NC public schools. I implemented and evaluated the state’s HIV/STD and teen pregnancy prevention educational efforts for all K-12 public schools. I worked collaboratively to develop and implement school health policies and convened stakeholders with strong and diverse perspectives to come to consensus on important adolescent sexual health programming needs. I successfully wrote multiple state and national grants to advance adolescent sexual health programs and policies across the state.

In this role I provided capacity building assistance to community based organizations and assisted with the Statewide Community Planning Group prioritization process and creating the Community HIV Prevention Plan. I provided outcome monitoring and fiscal monitoring of funded programs.