Biography

I set the stage for my career by making a controversial decision to step outside of my college prep high school diploma to go to vocational school in my senior year of high school and become a Certified Nurse’s Assistant. This is where my inspiration for healthcare and public health began, and it ended up being one of my best decisions. The intense internship requirements of the interdisciplinary BS, Human Science and Services at the University of Rhode Island gave me the practical experience that I needed to channel my passion in my formative career years. Lastly, I earned my MPH from Boston University, focusing in Epidemiology, and am a graduate of the CDC’s Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program.

I’ve been helping people do public health better for 25 years. I’ve worked at local, state, federal, and global levels, leading evaluation and research projects to ensure that findings are rigorous, practical and actionable. In 2023, I founded Hillman Associates, LLC, a Pittsburgh-based consulting firm offering customized and comprehensive evaluation services and training. In addition, I teach in the Master’s of Public Health Program at San Jose State University and am Visiting Faculty in the Master’s of Development Practice Program at Emory University. 

I view being a mentor in this program as the highest level of giving back to my alma mater. I’ve watched this program grow from non-existence, to an idea, to a proposal, to development, to a pilot year and now with real students with careers and an exciting future ahead. I’m honored to be matched with talented mentees during such a pivotal time in public health.

My best career hack is being active in my professional organization home, the American Evaluation Association, where I serve as Chair of the Evaluation Managers and Supervisors’ Topical Interest Group. What’s yours?