​​Opening Session: Bridges in Action: Continuing the Work of State and Local Partnerships
1-2pm EST

Description: Join us for the opening session of the 2025 Public Health Learning Forum! This session will begin with welcoming remarks from the Public Health Foundation, followed by a dynamic discussion with the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the Kentucky Health Departments Association highlighting state and local collaboration for effective workforce development. Learn from Kentucky’s experiences and explore strategies that you can apply to enhance collaboration and build a strong public health workforce.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the best practices that contributed to the development and success of Kentucky’s state and local workforce development programs.
• Explain how Kentucky is utilizing funding from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) to develop and implement workforce development initiatives and programs for the state and local public health workforce.
• Describe how local, state and federal organizations are working together to recruit, hire, retain, sustain and train a competent and diverse response-ready public health workforce through different public health career pathways.

Presenters: 

• Ron Bialek, President, PHF
• Joe Finkbonner, Chair, Board of Directors, PHF
• Taban Herrington, MA, Chief of Staff, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
• James R. House, BS, MEP, Workforce Director, Kentucky Department for Public Health
• Billy Pitts, MHA, MHR, Chairman of the Training Committee, Kentucky Health Departments Association

Laying the Groundwork: Essentials of Public Health Workforce Development
2:30-4:00pm EST

Description: What makes a strong workforce development program? Join this interactive session to learn the basics of workforce development planning and action. Explore why workforce development is important, how workforce development plays a role in health department accreditation, how retention and recruitment relate to workforce development planning, and opportunities to better meet workforce development needs within your organization. Consider identifying at least one retention activity that you can advocate for or initiate within your organization in the next three months.

This session will be followed by a 30-minute panel discussion from 3:30-4pm. Please stay on to join the conversation and engage with our speakers.

Co-sponsored by Health Communications Consultants.

Presenters: 

• Ron Bialek, President, PHF
• Sonja Armbruster, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF
• Sarah D. Matthews, PhD Founder & Principal Scientist, Health Communications Consultants, Inc.

​​Quality Improvement & Performance Management in Public Health – How QI & PM Work in Collaboration
1-2pm EST

Description: This session will introduce the basic tenants of quality improvement (QI) and performance management (PM) framed in a public health accreditation context. Participants will receive help on how to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement in their agency’s current QI/PM practices through an agency assessment tool.

Presenter: Amanda McCarty, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF

Introduction to the Performance Management System
2:30-3:30pm EST

Description: Discover the foundations for performance management in public health. Practitioners who have updated their performance management system will share their lessons learned and tips for success. Participants will leave with concrete action steps for making progress on performance management.

Presenters: 

• Sonja Armbruster, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF
• Ashley McCracken, Transformation Program Manager, Division of Public Health, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
• Ryann Ickes, Evaluation and Quality Improvement Manager, Division of Public Health, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Communications Challenges in a Politically-Charged Environment
4-4:30pm EST

Description: An open discussion with public health leaders and a crisis communications expert.

Sponsored by Riester Influence. Strategic communications partner for public health leaders.

Presenter: Summer Johnson, Founder and Managing Partner, Riester Influence

​​Minimizing Disruptions When Implementing AI to Elevate Public Health Performance
1-2:30pm EST

Description: Discover innovative strategies, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways that will empower public health leaders to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving organizational and system-wide improvements in performance. The pace of change in generative AI models has been nothing short of extraordinary. This session will explore how AI can modernize public health performance by providing actionable insights on how to minimize the disruptive effects when adopting AI. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to leverage AI tools to drive system-wide improvements in performance by showcasing practical examples for using specific generative AI models.

This session will be followed by a 30-minute panel discussion from 2-2:30pm. Please stay on to join the conversation and engage with our speakers.

Co-sponsored by Umemba Health. AI-Powered Learning. Human-Centered Results.

Presenters: Jack Moran, Performance Improvement Experts, PHF

Using the Foundational Public Health Services Framework to Build a Performance Management System
3:00-4:00pm EST

Description: This session will guide participants through the concept of using the Foundational Public Health Services framework to develop a Performance Management System in public health agencies. Explore the key principles of performance management and the benefits of utilizing the FPHS as a framework to align with national standards and to encourage cross-cutting objectives to achieve broader community health goals.

Presenters: Amanda McCarty, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF

​​Closing Session: From Vision to Impact: Montana’s Collaborative Approach to Workforce Development
1-2:30pm EST

Description: Montana is transforming public health workforce development through bold vision, strategic collaboration, and practical tools. This closing session brings together key partners from across the state to share how Montana is turning ideas into action through initiatives like Montana 21C and the statewide foundational public health assessment. Panelists will explore how these efforts are shaping a more resilient and responsive workforce, and how tools like the TRAIN Learning Network and Public Health Foundation (PHF) services are supporting this transformation.

Through real-world examples and candid discussion, attendees will gain insights into:

• How Montana is aligning workforce development with national frameworks and local needs
• The power of cross-sector collaboration in driving sustainable change
• Practical strategies for using TRAIN and PHF tools to support workforce planning and training

Join us for a dynamic conversation that highlights what’s possible when vision meets action—and collaboration leads the way.

Presenters: 

• Sarah Compton, Public Health Program Officer, Montana Public Health Institute & Montana 21C 
• Lisa Dworak, Executive Director, Confluence Public Health Alliance & Montana 21C
• Megean Gillespie, MBA, Local & Tribal Support Specialist, Public Health System Improvement Office, Public Health and Safety Division (PHSD), Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MT DPHHS)
• Jacqueline Isaly, Bureau Chief, Family and Community Health Bureau, Early Childhood & Family Support Division, MT DPHHS & Montana 21C 
• Anna Kiley, MEd, Operations Manager, Montana Public Health Training Center, Training Coordinator, Montana Clinical and Translational Research Center, University of Montana, School of Public and Community Health Sciences 
• Kaela Schommer, M.Ed., Instructional Coordinator & TRAIN Montana Admin, Public Health System Improvement Office, PHSD, MT DPHHS