Program Analyst, MCAH
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Washington, DC
Talei graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Science, Technology, and Society and a minor in Public Health. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Botswana, Nigeria, and Virginia, she brings a plethora of global experiences that fuel her passion to champion health equity and accessibility frameworks within public health initiatives everywhere.
Her transition to NACCHO was inspired by her role in the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As an Associate, she supported the Community Health Department of Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, NM as a Access Projects Coordinator. There, she was actively involved in community-based initiatives related to food access, nutrition security, and chronic disease prevention/management for communities of highest need. In this role, she became interested in the nutrition of infants, children, and mothers related to chronic disease prevention and management. Talei is now a Program Analyst with the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) team at NACCHO and supports the CDC funded initiative Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH); as well as initiatives related to chest/breastfeeding, early childhood nutrition, and COVID-19 early childcare education.
Talei is passionate about maternal and child wellbeing, restorative justice, community building, nutrition, and racial and ethnic health equity as it relates to design, implementation, education, and connection to resources. She hopes one day to return to her mother’s native country of Fiji to support similar community efforts. In her free time, she enjoys Thai food, brunch, painting, and tennis.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM CST