Kathleen Jacobson
Roswell,GA
Summary
Mission-driven public health professional with 8 years of experience leading large-scale, federally and privately funded projects. Proven expertise in partnership development, stakeholder engagement, strategic collaboration and project implementation across public and non-profit sectors in domestic and international settings. Skilled in managing complex projects, developing external relationships, and translating data into actionable insights that drive health outcomes and organizational impact.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Program Officer
CDC Foundation
03.2021 - Current
- Actively managing a total of 16 public health, multi-year, domestic and international projects with combined funding of $10.5 million
- Developing and negotiating contract agreements, MOUs, and collaborative frameworks with government agencies, private foundations, community-based organizations, non-profits, and small businesses
- Drafting proposals, concept notes and logic models for public health funding opportunities
- Representing the CDC Foundation at national conferences, international convening, and events
- Leading a multi-year global health project to support events-based disease surveillance through capacity building in low-to-middle income countries
- Designing and implementing a project to support youth mental health through data collection and analysis, resource development, parent engagement strategies and impact evaluation
- Providing technical assistance and capacity building opportunities to community-based organizations implementing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy projects in minority population groups
- Launching an international federally funded project to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in Haiti, negotiating complex subcontract agreements with government agencies, international aid agencies, and local clinics
- Cross-department collaboration to develop guidance documents for external organizations applying for federal funding
- Hiring, recruiting and actively managing four field employees and one core staff member
Program Officer
CDC Foundation
01.2020 - 03.2021
- Managed 13 public health, multi-year projects with combined funding of $10,950,000
- Experienced with managing federally funded projects, with a focus on Cooperative Agreements and pass-through funding, and non-federally funded projects sponsored by philanthropic entities and high-profile donors such as the Gates Foundation, Resolve to Save Lives, and Pfizer
- Spearheaded stakeholder engagement with internal and external partners to align project outcomes with organization strategic goals
- Proven track record of successfully managing projects and delivering project outputs on time while staying within the assigned budget
- Cross-department collaborations to foster close working relationships and leverage internal knowledge and expertise
Program Specialist
CDC Foundation
04.2019 - 01.2020
- Managed between 15 and 21 domestic public health projects combined funding of up to $10,000,000
- Collaborated with Principal Investigators and Field Employees at CDC on a diverse range of public health initiatives including program implementation, evaluation, clinical studies, and health communication campaigns
- Prepared, negotiated, and monitored project-related contracts including scope of work, budget deliverables and milestones
- Served as project liaison between internal and external stakeholders
- Managed project-related budgets and procurement of services and supplies for domestic and international projects
- Facilitated travel both within the US and overseas for major stakeholders to visit implementation sites, meetings with donors, and conferences
Programs Department Intern
CDC Foundation
08.2018 - 04.2019
- Completed procurement of a variety of items, including but not limited to specialized laboratory supplies, equipment, and office supplies for CDC and international partners
- Managed department procurement card, closely tracked expenditures, and provided a monthly report to finance for reconciliation purposes
- Arranged domestic and overseas travel for external stakeholders
- Prepared project-related contracts and agreements, including attachments such as scope of work, budget, and deliverable/milestone schedules
- Assisted with editing project-related narrative reports for donors
- Prepared and submitted monthly invoices to pass-through entities for federally funded projects
- Provided support to Infectious Disease Leadership Team by assisting with external stakeholder meetings
Administrative Assistant
The Law Offices of Douglas Jacobson
02.2014 - 12.2018
- Generated reports on financial status of company using both Quickbooks and EXCEL spreadsheets and charts
- Monitored both income and expenditures and used data to evaluate financial health of company
- Collaborated with CPA to ensure accounting practices were in accordance with IRS regulations
- Provided an annual budget based on expected growth in revenue and future projected expenditures
- Assisted in the preparation of legal documents used in court filings
Elementary School Teacher
DeKalb County Public Schools
08.2011 - 08.2012
- Created original teaching materials to enhance and maximize learning opportunities for children from diverse backgrounds and whose first language is not English
- Utilized formative and summative evaluations to determine depth of knowledge and skills attained
- Conducted benchmark assessments to develop individualized learning experiences designed to bridge gaps in knowledge
- Interacted and collaborated with teachers, administration, and parents to establish open oral and written dialogue and foster positive interactions with the school community
- Provided mentoring to at-risk students after school hours
Education
MPH - Health Behavior & Promotion
Georgia State University
05.2022
BSc - Early Childhood Education
University of North Georgia
05-2011
Skills
- Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Strategic Collaboration & Outreach
- Program & Project Management
- Grant & Proposal Development
- Contract & Agreement Negotiation
- Budget Management (Netsuite)
- Strong Writing & Presentation Skills
- Excellent communication and Organization Skills
Certification
- Monitoring Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) DPro, May 2022
- PMD Pro1 Certification, APMG International, July 2020
- Certified Health Educator Specialist (CHES), Professional Certification, December 2017
Technical Skills
MS Office, MS Excel, MS Sharepoint, Smartsheet, Sharepoint, Salesforce, Netsuite
Awards
DASH, CDC. (2002) Excellence in Partnering (Domestic - COVID-19)
Professional Presentation and Publications
Caruso E, Wright ER, Respress ET, Evener SL, Jacobson K, Bowen A, Kachur R, Garcia-Williams A. Shigellosis Among Gay and Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Assessment to Examine Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices. Sex Transm Dis. 2020 Sep;47(9):596-601. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001220. PMID: 32569257; PMCID: PMC7447123.
Respress, E., Evener, S. L., Caruso, E., Jacobson, K., Bowen, A., Kachur, R. E., Garcia-Williams, A. G., & Wright, E. R. (2021). Preferences for shigellosis-related health promotion materials for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: Results from a qualitative assessment, Atlanta, GA. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 49(4), 304–309. https://doi.org/10.1097/olq.0000000000001579
Jacobson, K. (November, 2023). Emergency Preparedness at School: Leveraging Parents’ Perspectives on School Violence. Poster Presentation. American Public Health Association Annual Conference, “Creating the Healthiest Nation”, Atlanta, Georgia.
Jacobson, K, Wilson, S, Kathleen Jacobson, Emily Wilson (December, 2023). Strengthening Family Engagement: The Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community to Promote Youth Mental Health. Lead Presenter. National Center for School Mental Healthy Annual Conference, New Orleans, Louisianna.
Jacobson, K; Graham, L. (2024, March). Parent Advisory Board: Informing Resource Creation for Diverse Groups. Lead Presenter. School of Public Health Education Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri.
Jacobson, K. (2024, March). Emergency Preparedness at School: Leveraging Parents’ Perspectives on School Violence. National Association of County and City Health Officials Preparedness Summit, Cleveland Ohio.
Jacobson, K. (2024, May). School-Based Solutions to the Youth Mental Health Crisis. Adolescent Health Institute Annual Conference, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jacobson, K. (2024, July). Parent Advisory Board: Resource Creation to Support Youth Mental Health for Underserved Communities School Based Health Alliance Annual Conference, Washington D.C.
Timeline
Senior Program Officer
CDC Foundation
03.2021 - Current
Program Officer
CDC Foundation
01.2020 - 03.2021
Program Specialist
CDC Foundation
04.2019 - 01.2020
Programs Department Intern
CDC Foundation
08.2018 - 04.2019
Administrative Assistant
The Law Offices of Douglas Jacobson
02.2014 - 12.2018
Elementary School Teacher
DeKalb County Public Schools
08.2011 - 08.2012
MPH - Health Behavior & Promotion
Georgia State University
BSc - Early Childhood Education
University of North Georgia