Bio of a public health professional. "How may I help?" and "what can I do?" two simple questions that have guided my professional career, as well as my personal growth and development. Whether working for health equity, helping a fellow team member succeed, or seeking to improve myself, they are the principles that guide me daily.

1. Michael A. Hernández
Community and External Affairs Professional
Developing and fostering relationships
to improve communities, outcomes, lives.
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michael_a_hernandez@hotmail.com

2. “It is like the seed put in the soil - the more one sows, the greater the harvest.”
- Orison Swett Marden

3. Sowing the seeds of Change
A forward-looking Community and External Affairs Professional with a
consistent record of excellence, achievement, and ability to motivate
diverse multi-sector stakeholders around a common cause; building
community capacity through collective impact approaches; highly skilled
at contract negotiations, forging strategic partnerships, and connecting
with a broad range of audiences — C-Level to Grassroots Volunteers.
Ø Community Capacity Building
Ø Strategic Partner Relations
Ø Advocacy and Education
Ø Mentoring and Team Building
Ø Marketing and Promotion
Ø Project & Program Management
Ø Program Development and Analysis
Ø Budgeting and Cost Accounting
Ø Event Management and Fundraising
Ø Meeting Facilitation and Public Speaking
“Michael is both a strategic thinker skilled at looking outside the box to accomplish the task at hand and a
calming presence under pressure. …He gets the job done.”
- Sonia Rodriguez
Former Asst. Commissioner, NYC Dept. for the Aging
Core Competencies:

4. Community Impact
Directed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Racial and Ethnic
Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program to reduce obesity, improve
health outcomes in at risk neighborhoods, build sustainability through
community partnerships, and maintain fiscal responsibility of this three million
dollar grant.
u Improved health outcomes for 580,855 African American and Hispanic Bronx residents
u Expedited cohesion of partner organizations to form a mission-focused coalition
u Implemented community-based participatory interventions for healthy eating, physical
activity and clinical community linkages
u Coordinated community efforts to support interventions and create sustainability
u Developed partnerships with key stakeholders to successfully implement Policy, System
and Environment changes to reduce health disparities
Ø Program Development
Ø Operations Management
Ø Legislative Process/Analysis
Ø Contract Negotiation
Ø Team and Coalition Building
Ø Training and Mentoring
Transferrable skills

5. External Affairs
Freelancers Health Services Corporation (FHSC)
u Leveraged congressional relationships to gain Statewide support for FHSC
u Secured support from 23 strategic chambers of commerce across New York State
u Expanded network of insurance brokers and potential health service partners
u Liaised with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The Monday Campaigns, Inc.
u Drafted health legislation summaries — Advised of potential support and opposition
u Spearheaded environmental health awareness campaigns
u Advised on Health communications strategy and cause marketing
Healthy Monday (HM) Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
u Spearheaded HM programs for communities, worksites, and college campuses nationwide
u Aligned initiatives with national NGOs, Federal and local government agencies
u Initiated Health Promotion Service Learning at The City College of New York CUNY
u Worked in tandem with Columbia University Office of Government and Community Affairs
to expand campaign awareness to elected officials and community leaders
u Tracked and monitored health policy legislation; regularly interfaced with elected officials

6. Public Health Leadership Roles
Governing Council, American Public Health Association (APHA), 2010 – 2015
The Governing Council is the representative legislative body of the Association. It consists of voting
and nonvoting members who represent different constituencies within APHA. The primary roles of the
Governing Council as set forth in the Bylaws are to:
u Establish policies for the Association and for the guidance of the Executive Board and the officers; amend
the Bylaws of the Association and to adopt rules for the conduct of its own business.
u Receive and act upon reports or recommendations from any organization constituent, the Science
Board, the Action Board, the Education Board, the Standing Committees and the Executive Board.
u Elect the Executive Board, the officers of the Association, and honorary members.
u Establish Sections of the Association; combine or discontinue Sections; prescribe the composition of the
Section Councils; maintain coordination among the Sections; and formulate general rules governing their
policies; and recognize Affiliates Associations.
Board of Directors, State Society for Aging of New York (SSA), 2013 -2015
SSA of New York is an interdisciplinary membership society. SSA brings together individuals and groups
from health, government, educational and community settings committed to improving the quality of
life for older New Yorkers through education, research, service, and advocacy.
Awards Committee Co-Chair, 2013 – 2015
u Review candidates for a number of SSA awards, including the Walter M. Beattie, Jr. Award for making
significant contributions to the field of aging in New York State, and the SSA Student Awards for students
who have written high-quality research papers on a gerontological issue.

7. President, Public Health Association of New York City (PHANYC), 2013 – 2014
Led sustainability efforts through membership expansion, fundraising, and organizational sponsorships.
u Worked closely with American Public Health Association to align policy priorities and agendas
u Authored and presented policy statements and testimonies at City, State, and Federal levels
u Built relationships with for-profit sector, increased organizational memberships, and doubled revenue
u Oversaw 21 academic & community learning sessions on vital public health issues
Advisory Board, 2014 – Present
Co-Chair, Policy and Legislative Committee, 2010 – 2013
Board of Directors, 2009 – 2013
Chair, Community-Based Public Health Caucus (CBPHC), 2012 – 2013
National coalition dedicated to empowering underserved communities. The caucus promotes the
use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) as a way to assure equitable relationships in
community-academic partnering for research. CBPHC is a member group of APHA.
u Spearheaded sustainability efforts to raise funds for financial scholarships to assist community champions
attend APHA Annual Meeting, and help CBPHC Youth Council members participate at national youth
conferences including APHA
u Promote opportunities for students interested in public health, CBPR, medicine, and health equity
u Advocate for community presence so their voices can heard in policymaking decisions
CBPHC, Chair, Policy Committee 2010 - 2012
Public Health Leadership Roles

8. Peer recommendations
“Whatever role Mike was
asked to serve—leader,
support, or connector—
his contributions proved
to be invaluable in
achieving our shared
objective.”
- Judy Ouziel, Sr. Exe. Dir.
Strategic Programming,
YMCA of Greater New York
“The ultimate servant-leader, Michael is unafraid to roll up his sleeves and do
the non-glamorous parts of any project that are necessary to its success.”
- Cheryl McCourtie, Director of Special Projects, Day Care Council of New York
“Whether connecting me to the right individuals, or supporting my efforts…, he
is always willing and able to lend a hand. His vast knowledge and
experience in community health is inspiring, and his passion and enthusiasm
always leaves me feeling excited about what I do. A people builder, a
community health builder, Michael is simply a delight to partner with.”
- Karen Campbell, Director of Wellness at Northern Kentucky University
“Michael is a focused and dedicated project manager, who cultivated and
maintained strong collaborative relationships with key organizations that
enabled the formation of many successful initiatives centered on healthy
choices.
Most importantly, Michael takes the time to educate himself to better
understand the needs of the organizations that he works with and provides a
professional level of service and expertise that is like no other.”
- Dionne Polite, Manger of State Operation for Florida, AARP
“Working with Michael is
such a pleasure. He is
strategic, goal oriented
and results driven. Being
on committees with him
always guarantees
results.”
- Stacey Lea Flanagan
Dir. of Health & Human
Service
City of Jersey City