ASTHO Announces Sixth Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health Cohort
December 02, 2025
ARLINGTON, VA — Today, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) announced its sixth cohort of Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health (DELPH). This highly competitive program began in 2021 and continues to strengthen the leadership capacity of mid- to senior-level governmental public health professionals.
“I am thrilled to welcome the sixth cohort of the DELPH Program,” says Avia Mason, ASTHO vice president for leadership and learning. “This group of 20 scholars brings exceptional dedication and passion to the work of public health, and we are honored to support their journey as they strengthen their leadership, expand their impact, and improve the health of their communities.”
Cohort six scholars include:
- Faisal Adam, DC Health Department
- Vina Ayuyu, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation
- Misty Carney, Maryland Department of Health
- Colette Cobb, Office of the California Surgeon General
- Angela Cochran, St. Mary's County Health Department
- Jessie Fernandes, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
- Tynisha George, Chicago Department of Public Health
- Ethan Greenblatt, St. Louis County Department of Public Health
- Gabby Hadly, Snohomish County Health Department
- Shebra Hall, Delaware Division of Public Health
- Brandon Horvath, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
- Halana Kaleel, Austin Public Health
- Markeeta Keyes, City of Minneapolis - Health - Green Career Exploration
- Aracely Macias, New Jersey Department of Health
- Chelsea Moriarty Coffield, Harris County Public Health
- Natasha Pickens Shumpert, Jefferson County Department of Health
- Dipa Shah, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program
- Jamilia Sherls, Washington State Department of Health
- Iliana Siarmalis, Maryland Department of Health
- Tenneh Turner-Warren, Arizona Dept of Health Services
ASTHO continues its commitment to developing, elevating, and modeling strong leadership for the next generation of emerging public health leaders. At a time when public health demands courageous vision, strategic action and collaborative strength, programs like DELPH are more essential than ever.
Through an innovative, cohort-model, participants will deepen their leadership identity, enhance their communication, and grow their ability to positively influence their organizations. Each participant is matched with an executive coach, accountability partner and DELPH team member for personalized, transformative leadership development.
“Morehouse School of Medicine is proud to continue its partnership with ASTHO in facilitating the DELPH program,” says Sandra Harris-Hooker, senior vice president for external affairs and innovation and interim director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). “This ongoing collaboration between ASTHO and MSM’s SHLI advances our institution vision of ‘Leading the creation and advancement of health equity to achieve health justice.’ Together, we are equipping and empowering individuals to step into national and global arenas where strong, equity-centered public health leadership is needed most.”
With support from the CDC, the success of the DELPH program’s more than 100 alumni demonstrates how strengthened leadership translates into stronger public health systems as they take on the pressing challenges facing our communities.
Cohort six scholars will kick off their programming on December 8 in Arlington, VA.
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ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.