2025 PHAN Board Members
Nominations for the board of directors are due by February 7th!
APPLY HERE
PRESIDENT As Division Director of Healthy Communities and Community Benefit for the CHI Health Central Region, which includes Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, and Minnesota, Ashley Carroll oversees the Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy process for 31 hospitals. She leads fund development for community health initiatives and supports state and federal healthcare policy and advocacy efforts. She works to align community health priorities with health system strategy in order to achieve measurable improvements in community health and ensure effective use of health system resources. Her current work includes leading systemwide initiatives to reduce disparities in maternity care and outcomes. She is also focused on integrating health navigators, also known as community health workers, into primary care teams. |
VICE PRESIDENT & PRESIDENT ELECT
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COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER CO-CHAIR
Jamin Johnson |
 BOARD MEMBER Roger Gonzales Population Health Scientist Dr. Roger Gonzales is a data scientist and researcher with the CDC Foundation, where he supports data modernization and efforts to improve population health. He has led projects integrating health data across sectors, conducted research on chronic disease prevention and cancer screening, and taught public health at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Previously, he worked with the state health information exchange to promote interoperability and implement data standards that improve the flow of health information. His current work focuses on enhancing the quality of electronic health record data, applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to public health challenges, and turning complex data into actionable insights. As a board member of the Public Health Association of Nebraska, he is dedicated to strengthening local public health capacity and advancing data-driven solutions that address community needs. |
APHA AFFILIATE REPRESENTATIVE |
BOARD MEMBER |
BOARD MEMBER Davidson Wissing Davidson Wissing is a Grant Manager at Legal Aid of Nebraska. Previously he has worked at Nebraska Department of Human Services as Overdose Prevention Coordinator, Underage and Adult Binge Drinking Prevention Coordinator and a Peace Corps Youth Development Volunteer in Ukraine. He has a Masters of Public Administration for the University of South Dakota and BA from Cornell College. |
 BOARD MEMBER Mona Zuffante, PhD, MPH, CPH Mona Zuffante, a member of the Seneca Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma, grew up in the Chicago area and earned her BS in Environmental Health from Northland College in 1998. She began her career as an Environmental Health Specialist in Winnebago, where she managed grants, led community health initiatives, and was named Aberdeen Area Sanitarian of the Year in 2000. Mona has also served as an EMT with Winnebago EMS for more than 22 years. Promoted to Health Director 13 years ago, she now oversees 18 health programs and earned her MPH from Concordia University in 2017. In 2023, she completed the first Indigenous Health PhD program at the University of North Dakota, focusing her dissertation on adolescent mental well-being. She has served on national and regional health boards and was recognized as UNMC Distinguished Researcher in 2023. Above all, she values her role as mother of four. |
SECRETARY Tommy George is a public health leader with over a decade of experience in local public health and epidemiology. He serves as the Epidemiology Supervisor at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department and Executive Director of CATCH, Inc., a nonprofit focused on chronic disease management and health equity. Tommy is currently pursuing a DrPH in Epidemiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He holds a BS in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Washington State University and an MPH in Epidemiology from Tulane University. |
BOARD MEMBER Molly Pofahl Molly Pofahl began her career in 2020 when she graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management. She continued to pursue her education through the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), earning a Master of Science degree in Emergency Preparedness with a focus in Public Health. While attending graduate school, Molly worked as a Graduate Assistant for the Office of Health Security and Emergency Management at UNMC where she focused her efforts on the COVID-19 response on campus. Molly also helped to create emergency preparedness plans and policies for the university, earning her the ‘Difference-Maker Award’ from UNMC. Molly accepted the additional position of Chief Public Health Officer for ECDHD in August, 2024. |
BOARD MEMBER Jonathan Figliomeni Jon is a transplant to Nebraska from Michigan: he arrived in 2017 and has since started into doctoral studies. He has worked in public health research for more than 3 years and, prior to that, spent more than 3 years working for the State of Nebraska in both pandemic response and substance surveillance. Jon holds a Masters of Health Administration from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI), dual Bachelors of Arts in Classics and Mathematics from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), and continues his education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Health Services Research, Administration, and Policy) to study the effects of economic policy on public health. In his free time, Jon prefers to spend time with his partner playing their favorite card game Keyforge, but is probably being harassed by their dog or two cats. |
BOARD MEMBER Danielle Garcia Danielle Garcia is a public health professional with over five years of experience advancing maternal and community health initiatives. She serves as Maternal Health Initiatives Coordinator with I Be Black Girl and as Program Coordinator with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Danielle specializes in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation, with a focus on maternal health equity and community-based solutions. She has served as vice-chair of a statewide health equity committee, co-chaired work groups, and contributed as a board member with the Public Health Association of Nebraska. A graduate of Purdue Global University (Master’s) and Ashford University (Bachelor’s), Danielle also brings more than 20 years of customer service experience, strengthening her ability to connect with diverse communities and lead with compassion. Recognized for her contributions to health and cultural programs, she is committed to reducing disparities and building healthier, more equitable communities. |
BOARD MEMBER Dr. Anne O'Keefe Dr. O’Keefe, originally from New Orleans and raised in Omaha, earned her MD from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and an MPH in Epidemiology from Emory University. She completed a Transitional Internship at Emory and a Preventive Medicine Residency at the University of Colorado. Board certified in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, she brings extensive expertise in epidemiology and public health practice. From 2006 to 2022, Dr. O’Keefe served as Senior Epidemiologist for the Douglas County Health Department, leading outbreak response, collaborating with healthcare providers, engaging the public, and mentoring students and staff. She previously worked as the bioterrorism preparedness epidemiologist for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and as an epidemiologist at CDC’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Her career has centered on disease surveillance, public health informatics, outbreak response, occupational safety, and drug safety research. |
BOARD MEMBER Julie Lubisi, PhD(c), MPH, MPA, BSW| Julie joins PHAN with over 20 years of experience advancing public health locally and globally through advocacy, research, evaluation, and community-based practice. Her interdisciplinary work has focused on HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, child welfare, immigrant and refugee health, and workforce development. She is currently a PhD candidate in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, where her research examines how healthcare systems can better respond to gender-based violence. Julie is passionate about strengthening the public health workforce, advancing advocacy, and ensuring the sustainability of programs and research that address pressing community needs. She looks forward to collaborating with PHAN’s members and partners to co-create solutions for a stronger, more resilient future for all Nebraskans. Outside of work, Julie enjoys cheering on her daughter at volleyball games and planning her next travel adventure. |
Connecting Public Health in Nebraska for over 70 Years
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