Session Summary

This session highlights two innovative approaches to workforce development that prioritize leadership growth and employee voice. The South Carolina Department of Public Health shares insights from its Leading the Way program, a homegrown leadership development initiative designed to cultivate emerging leaders across the agency. In parallel, a second presentation explores how centering employee experiences and feedback, through the “By Us, For Us” engagement approach, has helped foster a more inclusive and responsive workplace culture. Together, these stories offer practical strategies for building internal capacity, strengthening staff morale, and creating a more resilient public health workforce.

Presenter(s):

• Alice Schenall, DrPH, MPH, Director, Cross-Sector Leadership and Facilitation, ASTHO
• Stephanie Y. McCoy, DrPH Candidate, M.Ed., CHES Public Health Grant Evaluator, City of El Paso
• LaShonda Freeman, MA, Workforce Development Director, South Carolina Department of Public Health
• Karla Buru, DrPH, MPH, MSW, Deputy Director of Health Strategy and External Affairs and Chief of Staff, South Carolina Department of Public Health

Download the slides.