James Gbala
W
South Saint Paul,MN
Summary
Public Health/Social Service Programs ~ Teaching ~ Collaborative Leadership/Vision Highly-accomplished, solutions-driven, dynamic leader and visionary Public Health Professional with expertise in community-based health services, Research, Teaching and Administration. More than 20 years of demonstrated achievements in the areas of teaching, public health and social services program planning and health services delivery, as well as educational program development, serving low-income minority, refugee and immigrant populations. Outstanding communicator with relationship-building and collaborative team leadership/motivational attributes. Proficient Program Director specializing in strategic planning, operational leadership and improvements for research projects. Bringing 10 years of experience in [community health Industry] to new position with long-term potential for growth and advancement. Talented community health bringing 10-year record of success in spearheading programming development and day-to-day management. Performance-oriented, driven and creative with good program pitching and organizational skills. Diplomatic in resolving conflicts and building consensus between operational areas.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Director
Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of Liberia
01.2018 - Current
- Teaching, planning, collaboration, grading, supervising and research.
- Coordinates the Health Policy/Management specialization Program.
- Facilitate program development by updating and upgrading course curriculum and syllabus.
- Serve as Committee member responsible for overseeing students’ theses defense and presentation.
- Spearhead and facilitate faculty meeting to ensure that instructors are on the same pace in regards to the goals and objectives of the program.
- Provide personal tutoring allocation and specialist support for special student groups (e.g.
- Diverse student groups, disability, mental health, student representative).
- Contribute to teaching, tutoring, testing and assessing students’ progress toward the MPH degree program in Public Health.
- Kept up-to-date with latest research/thinking in the field of Health Sciences and with changes to pedagogic practice within the school and generally.
Twin Cities, MN
01.2000 - Current
- Facilitated decision-making through analysis/interpretation of state and federal collected data to assist agencies in the evaluation of contracted programs and services for use by management team, government agencies and funding sources.
- Championed improvements in academic performance and attendance for low income children by working with schools, teachers and families.
- Provided mentoring and tutoring services.
Associate Professor
Tubman University
Harper, Liberia, Liberia
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Teaching, planning, collaboration, grading, supervising and research.
- Committee membership responsible for overseeing students’ theses defense and presentation.
- Provided personal tutoring allocation and specialist support for particular student groups (e.g.
- Diverse student groups, disability, mental health, student representative).
- Contributed to teaching, tutoring, examining, and assessing students’ progress toward the Bachelor degree program in Public Health.
- Kept up-to-date with latest research/thinking in the field of Epidemiology and with changes to pedagogic practice within the school and generally.
- Demonstrated good external citizenship by initiating and building Tubman University’s links with appropriate external and international organizations, supporting the University for fundraising, school supplies and other development activities.
Executive Director
HOPE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
St. Paul, MN
01.2005 - 01.2013
- Commanded superior strategic leadership and financial and administrative management success developing physical and mental health programs and delivering high-quality and efficient services, which included youth and HIV services to benefit diverse ethnic groups in the community.
- Ensured financial success and improved performance, raising greater than $2 Million in program funding over a 5-year period, and provided expert financial oversight of agency’s annual budget.
- Managed and coordinated contract with Minnesota Department of Health to provide health services to immigrant and refugee communities.
- Contributed to effective leadership in the coordination and preparation of all grant applications and proposals to funding sources.
- Managed grant implementation and expenditures.
- Met quarterly with Board of Directors and prepared grant and annual reports.
- Optimized achievement of organizational goals by developing a delivery plan, which defined process objectives, implementation steps and outcomes, for program implementation.
- Developed and presented budgets and managed programs within budget constraints.
- Upheld integrity of organizational mission and long-term strategic vision through close collaboration with a variety of organizations, including schools, hospitals and other community health organizations to ensure delivery of services that best meet the overall needs of multi-ethnic groups.
- Enhanced community-based programs, policies and procedures by identifying, interpreting and implementing state and public health laws, regulations and policies related to specific programs.
- Performed current technique in decision analysis and health planning.
- Valued as trusted leader/advisor representing agency at community and government meetings and using experience gained working with diverse communities of color and immigrant communities to advocate for populations served by Hope International Services.
- Utilized human relation skills to resolve conflicts.
WILDER FOUNDATION – JOB
St. Paul, MN
01.1997 - 01.1998
- Directed policy creation and administered health and family services, as well as ongoing job training which included career/employment counseling and job coaching, to racially diverse welfare recipients.
- Coordinated with local businesses to provide client employment opportunities.
- Created fund development plan.
- Improved service delivery by collaborating with team in the development of health, employment and family service curriculum for program participants; achieved this by collecting, summarizing and interpreting information relevant to client issues and making inferences from quantitative and qualitative data.
REUBEN LINDH SOCIAL SERVICES
Minneapolis, MN
01.1995 - 01.1997
- Served a pivotal leadership role as specialist in community-based healthcare, financial, legal and educational programs for children and families, attaining program goals by coordinating local resources and referring clients for services.
- Led team strategy sessions to ensure continuity of services.
- Increased effectiveness of social services and successfully reunited 90% of foster care children with their biological parents through counseling, advocacy and community organizing, conducting weekly workshops and presentations for father/mother groups in areas of parenting, health, mental health and community development.
- Developed treatment plans for individuals and groups and demonstrated outstanding instructional skills in delivery of training to increase parents' knowledge in child development.
- Maintained accurate documentation.
- Utilized exemplary leadership, team-building, negotiation and conflict resolution skills to identify community assets and available resources and build community partnerships.
Education
Certificate Program/Training ( Public Helth)In-Service Training; Career Development -
University of Minnesota
2005
M.S - Counseling Psychology (Mental Health
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT
1996
B.A. - Executive Management (Health
KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
1990
Ph.D. -
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN06.2015
Skills
- MS Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, SPSS
- Academic, Negotiations
- Administrative, Negotiation
- Agency, Organizing
- Budgets, Organizational
- Budget, Policies
- Coaching, Presentations
- Color, Problem Solving
- Conflict Resolution, Profit
- Counseling, Program development
- Curriculum Development, Program Management
- Clients, Progress
- Client, Proposals
- Decision analysis, Quality
- Decision-making, Reporting
- Delivery, Research
- Department of Health, SPSS
- Documentation, Strategy
- Educator, Strategic
- Fluent in English, Strategic planning
- Financial, Supervising
- Focus, Teaching
- Fundraising, Tutoring
- General management, Upgrading
- Government, Verbal Communication Skills
- Grant Proposals, Vision
- Interpretation, Workshops
- Team Leadership, Written
- Team Building, Annual reports
- Team-building
- Leadership
- Leadership training
- Legal
- Meetings
- Mental health
- Mentoring
- Excel
- MS Office
- PowerPoint
- Word
Affiliations
American Public Health Association American Counseling Association, Local Coordinator Black Social Work Association American Heart Association New American Collaborative, Program Coordinator
~ Additional information available upon request
Personal Information
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT / VOLUNTEER SERVICE
, Served an active role on boards of multiple local and community-based organizations since 2000, including Opportunity Workshop, African Immigrant & Refugee Initiatives and African Assistant Program.
Publications
- Served as Lead Investigator for Needs Assessment Project, entitled “Health Care Needs of African Immigrants and Refugees, A Study of Health Care Disparities and Related Issues in Minnesota,”
- An Assessment of the State of Mental Health in Post War Liberia,
- A Survey to Determine Students’ Satisfaction of the MPH program at the University of Liberia
- Published Dissertation (titled: Association between Diabetes/Chronic Disease Incidence and Lifestyle Factors Among African-Born Populations in Minnesota.
- Research methodological Skills, including Community Engagement research, Observational research, Intervention Research with quantitative methods, and Program & Evaluation research
- Won grant funding for study from Minnesota Department of Health in the amount of $145,000. Presented study results at a health disparities conference, 2003 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Languages
Fluent in English and other Languages
Additional Information
- AWARDS / GRANT FUNDING , Awarded $145,000 from Minnesota Department of Health to lead a healthcare needs assessment project for refugees and immigrants in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, 2003 honored with Certificate of Recognition by Minnesota Department of Health for work with children and youth on tobacco prevention, 2003 ACADEMIC / PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS Created HIV/AIDS prevention exhibits and presented at conference, 2010 Created health fair exhibits for people of color in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, 2004 Presented cultural performances and dances to help prevent tobacco use among African American and African youth in Minneapolis, MN. 2002
Timeline
Program Director
Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of Liberia
01.2018 - Current
Associate Professor
Tubman University
01.2016 - 01.2018
Executive Director
HOPE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
01.2005 - 01.2013
01.2000 - Current
WILDER FOUNDATION – JOB
01.1997 - 01.1998
REUBEN LINDH SOCIAL SERVICES
01.1995 - 01.1997
Certificate Program/Training ( Public Helth)In-Service Training; Career Development -
University of Minnesota
M.S - Counseling Psychology (Mental Health
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT
B.A. - Executive Management (Health
KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
Ph.D. -
Walden University
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