Elizabeth Merson
San Luis Obispo,CA
Summary
Results-oriented management professional prepared to lead division operations with focus on excellence. Proven expertise in optimizing operational efficiency and driving team success. Collaborative leader with commitment to achieving results and adapting to changing demands, leveraging strategic planning and resource management skills.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Planning, Evaluation and Policy Division Manager
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department
01.2023 - Current
- Established the Planning, Evaluation, and Policy (PEP) Division, centralizing foundational public health programs including Policy, Community Health Improvement, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Health Equity, Grant Management, and Accreditation programs, to enhance strategic initiatives and departmental effectiveness
- Facilitated the development and implementation of the department's strategic plan, incorporating input from all levels of the organization to identify departmental priorities and long term goals
- Spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive plan to track and enhance department performance, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement across all strategic initiatives
- Guided updates to the interactive community health assessment (CHA) report, which highlights key health indicators, including life expectancy, chronic and infectious disease rates, and access to care
- Oversaw the creation of a five-year Community Health Improvement action plan to address preventable health problems and improve community well-being, in collaboration with local partners on SLO Health Counts, ensuring the process was data informed and aligned with community priorities for long term health improvement
- Implemented a framework for ongoing capacity building and collaboration among grant-funded organizations, by providing technical assistance and hosting shared learning sessions
- Advanced health equity by incorporating inclusive language into the Request for Application (RFA) template in collaboration with Central Services and Health Agency Administration
- Facilitated community collaborations, including needs assessments, health equity strategies, multilingual outreach, and capacity-building
- Participated in national and local initiatives such as NACCHO Performance Improvement Workgroup, SLO Health Counts Steering Committee, Healthy Communities Workgroup, Green Homes Roundtable, Health Equity Roundtable, and Adventist Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment
Health Promotion Division Manager
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department
01.2019 - 01.2023
- Led the development and execution of the Public Health American Rescue Act Community Health Impacts Request for Applications, awarding nearly $6M in grants to community-based organizations (CBOs) and governmental agencies, through successful coordination of community committees to prioritize critical health issues and score applications in accordance with guidelines, and securing Board of Supervisors approval
- Developed a framework for ongoing support and collaboration among grant-funded organizations, fostering community health improvements through technical assistance and shared learning sessions
- Established SLO Health Counts as a collaborative initiative made up of members from diverse sectors, working to improve community health through collective action
- Chaired the Quality Improvement (QI) Committee, guiding the evaluation and revision of the QI Plan to align with department goals and performance improvement
- Oversaw critical health promoting programs, including Tobacco Control, Community Wellness, Injury Prevention, Healthy Aging, Oral Health, and Women Infant Children (WIC)
- Guided the adoption of revised local ordinances to combat the emerging e-cigarette epidemic
- Launched the department's Health Equity, Community Health Improvement programs, and Healthy Aging Programs, the latter through co-authoring and securing competitive grant funding to integrate healthy brain programming into Injury Prevention services
- Directed the creation of a comprehensive plan to promote health equity and eliminate health disparities within the community with insight from staff surveys and community partner interviews
- Strengthened team cohesion and mission alignment within the Health Promotion division through initiatives like Health Promotion Week, monthly staff meetings focused on professional development and collaboration, and strategic programming efforts
- Served as the COVID-19 Medical and Health Branch Chief (2019-2022), overseeing contact tracing, case investigation, outbreak response, testing, vaccination, and health equity outreach efforts, with a focus on outreach and engagement of Latinx communities through partnerships with community-based organizations
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program Manager
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department
01.2011 - 01.2019
- Administered multiple grants, including developing work plans to describe grant program activities, calculating grant budgets, monitoring and reporting on grant progress, and coordinating with healthcare partners and staff in several programs to ensure completion of approximately $900,000 worth of grant funded activities each year
- Managed a multi-generational team and facilitated individual professional development, as well as team building, to ensure ongoing engagement and positive team dynamics, which fostered an environment of collaborative decision-making and joint recognition of team achievements
- Facilitated planning meetings with outside agencies, to increase county-wide emergency planning, response and recovery capabilities, including establishing a new planning workgroup to meet the specific needs of the partners new to emergency planning, which resulted in more organizations from a wider variety of disciplines participating in emergency planning and addressing unmet needs collaboratively
- Implemented programs that were recognized by national public health officials as models of best practices for point of distribution implementation, CHEMPACK training course development and Healthcare Coalition Preparedness and Response Plans
- Trained Health Agency staff on personal disaster preparedness, emergency management systems, and the role of the Health Agency and Disaster Service Workers in emergencies
- Developed disaster plans and standard operating procedures for county Public Health emergencies, including the County Health Agency Department Operations Center Standard Operating Procedure and the Government Authorized Alternate Care Site/Medical Shelter Plan
- Served as Exercise Director for the Statewide Medical and Health Exercise Program, which is an annual multi-phase, multi-agency exercise with over 150 participants that evaluates local plans and procedures and improves interagency coordination in response to public health emergencies
- Responded to local emergencies in a variety of roles and wrote after action reports to document lessons learned and areas for improvement to track in an improvement plan matrix
- Evaluated healthcare facility plans, including local hospitals, long term care facilities and dialysis center, to ensure plan comprehensiveness and coordination with local and state plans and policies
- Interpreted a wide variety of government policies and procedures to apply them to local policies, plans and agreements; leveraged licensing requirements to promote healthcare partner participation in activities
- Maintained knowledge of current industry trends in Public Health Emergency Preparedness by attending annual Emergency Preparedness Office conference, networking with peers in other jurisdictions, participating in national work groups and online information exchange forums, reviewing emergency planning articles and attending emergency planning training courses
- Advocated for policy and procedure changes at the state and national level to improve local emergency preparedness capabilities and reduce administrative obstacles; successfully persuaded the state to extend the time period for grant expenditures and expand the categories in which extension funds could be used
Contractor
First 5, Children and Families Commission of San Luis Obispo County
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Investigated and researched First 5’s role in shaping public policy through funding priorities, partner agency contract language, community collaboration, and community advocacy campaigns
- Participated in community outreach events to advocate for children’s issues including children’s health, oral health, school readiness, special needs and perinatal substance abuse prevention
- Developed client surveys for partner agencies to implement so First 5 could collect and evaluate data on client satisfaction and client awareness of First 5 programs and services
- Created community outreach materials, including brochures, flyers and display boards to increase awareness of First 5 mission, programs and initiatives
Emergency Services Director
American Red Cross, San Luis Obispo County Chapter
01.2004 - 01.2011
- Managed and coordinated emergency response and preparedness within Chapter, including Chapter’s response to Hurricane Katrina where the Chapter trained and deployed over 400 volunteers to the Gulf Coast—a 400% increase from the previous year’s deployments
- Developed and coordinated the first Medical Reserve Corps in the nation that was sponsored by an American Red Cross chapter in collaboration with San Luis Obispo County Health Agency and Office of Emergency Services, which has since served as a model for other units
- Established Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) within San Luis Obispo County to bring together agencies before a disaster to ensure a coordinated response to disasters through cooperation and communication
- Touted as model VOAD at a Southern California VOAD conference for many best practices including marketing strategies, educational forums, member engagement and partner relations
- Administered $80,000 federal grant for three Chapters: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties; included fiscal management, monthly reporting, and coordination of programs
- Wrote disaster plans for Chapter in accordance with National Red Cross policy
- Conducted community outreach to over 75 community groups and San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and their subcommittees to promote VOAD and emergency services programs, tailoring each presentation to the group’s interest and/or potential role in a disaster
- Increased outreach to military members and their families from 473 military members and their families in 2006-2009 to 3,038 in 2009-2010 (over a 640% increase)
- Responsible for recruiting, training and managing 200 volunteer staff to plan and carry out services of Emergency Services Department, including volunteer training, volunteer meetings, community outreach presentations, drills, disaster supply maintenance and administrative tasks
- Analyzed National Red Cross policy and applied it appropriately to local emergency services programs, including determining appropriate role for Red Cross in county emergency plans
- Oversaw client assistance and case management of diverse population for disaster and armed forces programs; ensured client confidentiality was maintained
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy, Ethics & Society Concentration
California Polytechnic State University
Master of Public Policy - Health Policy Focus
California Polytechnic State University
Skills
- Leadership
- Administration
- Communication
- Professional
Accomplishments
California Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Innovation Solutions Award
Awards
- California Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Innovation Solutions Award
- Tribune’s Top 20 Under 40
Certification
California Specialized Training Institute Emergency Management Specialist Certificate County of San Luis Obispo Management Academy
Additional Information
Adventist Health Community Health Needs Assessment Steering Committee (2024-present)
SLO Health Counts Steering Committee (2022-present)
National Association of City & County Health Officials Performance Improvement Work Group (2023-present)
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department Quality Improvement Committee (2015-2019)
National Association of City & County Health Officials Preparedness Policy Advisory Group (2014-2019)
San Luis Obispo County Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster (2007-2010)
Cal Poly Philosophy Alumni Advisory Council (founding member in 2006-present)
Timeline
Planning, Evaluation and Policy Division Manager
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department
01.2023 - Current
Health Promotion Division Manager
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department
01.2019 - 01.2023
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program Manager
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department
01.2011 - 01.2019
Contractor
First 5, Children and Families Commission of San Luis Obispo County
01.2011 - 01.2012
Emergency Services Director
American Red Cross, San Luis Obispo County Chapter
01.2004 - 01.2011
Master of Public Policy - Health Policy Focus
California Polytechnic State University
California Specialized Training Institute Emergency Management Specialist Certificate County of San Luis Obispo Management Academy
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy, Ethics & Society Concentration
California Polytechnic State University
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