ESTABLISHING A NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

ESTABLISHING A NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

BY AVIA MASON AND CHRISTY "COACH CHRIS" JONES

Leadership programs are essential in providing opportunities for professionals to not only gain knowledge but to apply that knowledge through practice and connections with peers. There are many effective leadership development programs in the public health space, so the question was asked to our team, “Why do we need another leadership development program now?” We want to share why we felt it necessary to establish the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program.

A crucial leadership gap exists in the U.S. public health system. While an overwhelming majority of the state governmental public health agency workforce is comprised of women, these same women are underrepresented in executive leadership positions. Unfortunately, this creates an economic gap, as these women find themselves at greater odds of receiving less compensation. Sometimes, it is not just about getting into the room of opportunity, but it is also about knowing how to network and create executive presence when you get into the room. The DELPH Leadership program is designed specifically to empower targeted populations with coaching and strategies to advance in executive public health positions.

There is a documented need for diverse leadership teams with transformational leadership skills to successfully lead public health departments, yet women, BIPOC, and those who identify as LGBTQ are sparsely represented in executive level leadership. There are tangible deficiencies in the leadership pipeline for racial, ethnic, and other underrepresented candidates to public health leadership positions. As our nation’s public health challenges increase, the need for diversity among key decision makers and those developing and implementing policy is more necessary than ever. We seek to have public health agency leadership be more representative of the communities they serve.

The Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health Program is designed to be different from traditional leadership curriculums. It includes skill building sessions, leadership assessments, and in-person and virtual workshops, but it uniquely focuses on professional networking and executive presence for leaders who are under-represented in public health. When we talk about professional networking, we are zeroing in on empowering and encouraging participants to join, be active in, and serve on national committees, advisory groups, and boards so that they have access to key decision makers in the public health field. This program encourages participants to build their own “professional board of directors” that consists of coaches and mentors who can help them strategize on how to best move into executive positions.

Another key component of this program is the peer networking exposure offered through the cohort experience. Participants get a chance to connect with peers from various public health disciplines who may be able to point them to a position or nominate them to fill a vacancy within their network.

The DELPH program was made possible by initial funding from CDC CSTLTS to develop the program, followed by a second investment to fund implementation of the program under the direction of CSTLTS Director Jose Montero. This program is committed to ensuring a well-prepared workforce of public health professionals, more reflective of the jurisdictions they serve.

For this initiative, we intentionally sought out a partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine (SHLI) to design and implement this new leadership program. ASTHO has a long-standing commitment to preparing lifelong leaders including executive leadership development for state and territorial health officials and their leadership teams through the ASTHO Leadership Institute. Coupled with the Morehouse experience integrating equity and racial justice in successful leadership training programs led to a uniquely dynamic team. An advisory committee comprised of experts in their fields (former health officials, current deputy directors, deans, private industry leaders, philanthropic leaders, and more) that were able to provide the team with invaluable input for the DELPH program design.

The first cohort of 16 Scholars were selected from a competitive pool of over 100 applicants. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the program kicked off activities virtually instead of in-person, January 2022. Throughout the program, all 16 scholars remained actively engaged and established lasting bonds with their cohort members. We are excited to see where the DELPH Scholars will go as they progress in their careers. As this initial group transitions into the role of alumni, we see continued opportunity for them to support future DELPH scholars. This program has already begun to open doors for scholars to be promoted, and we look forward to documenting others who will advance to positions that will positively impact public health for many years to come!

The DELPH Team at Greenville, SC during our first in-person DELPH Leadership Summit.

Timothy Bowser