At a glance
Listen to current CDC Preparedness Field Assignees (PFAs) describe their one-of-a-kind experiences and how the PFA program impacted their public health careers.
Jennifer Johnson
Jennifer Johnson, MPA, CEM, NEMAA
Senior Preparedness Field Assignee
PFA Assignment: Tennessee Department of Health - Nashville, Tennessee
Brief Bio
Jennifer Johnson describes her experience building emergency management and evaluation capacity in the emergency preparedness program at the Tennessee Department of Health. As a public health advisor and emergency manager, she explains how she enjoys the challenge of coordinating the implementation, and evaluation of preparedness exercises to strengthen response readiness. This includes, Fight Flu TN, an annual statewide vaccination event that tests numerous public health emergency response capabilities while providing access to free flu shots to thousands of people in Tennessee each year.
Learn more about Jennifer's PFA experience.
Lauren Manning
Lauren Manning, MPH, CHES
Senior Preparedness Field Assignee
PFA Assignment: Florida Department of Health - Tallahassee, FL
Brief Bio
Lauren Manning describes her preparedness field assignee journey, starting at the Vermont Department of Health and growing with the program into a senior preparedness field assignee providing higher level capacity building to PHEP recipients. Currently, she serves as a senior preparedness field assignee supporting the Florida Department of Health’s PHEP program.
Learn more about Lauren's PFA experience.
Aaron Otis
CDR Aaron B. Otis, MPH, REHS, MEP, FCP
Executive Public Health Advisor
PFA Assignment: Florida Department of Health - Tallahassee, FL
Brief Bio
Prior to his current role CDR Otis served as the deputy PHEP director in Florida where he supported the program office and CHDs in building and sustaining their readiness capabilities. But his journey in preparedness began at the local level where he served as a regional public health coordinator before accepting a commission in the United States Public Health Service.
CDR Otis serves as the assistant deputy secretary for county health systems. In this position he responsible for supporting the 67 county health departments in the implementation of core public health programs to include readiness and response, communicable disease, environmental health and primary care. This is accomplished by empowering the 55 health officers and supporting them in building the capacity and capabilities within their organization. CDR Otis also serves as the state ESF-8 agency representative and in this capacity assume the role of ensuring agency priorities and strategies are completed during emergency response. CDR Otis has served in key leadership roles during responses to include Hurricane’s Irma, Michael, and Ian along with major outbreaks such as Hepatitis A and mpox.
Learn more about Aaron's PFA experience.
Kyndall Raburn
Kyndall Raburn, BS
PFA Assignment: Kentucky Department for Public Health - Frankfort, KY
Brief Bio
Kyndall Raburn describes her experience serving as the state Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) coordinator for the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Kyndall details the recent successes of Kentucky’s MRC after restructuring the program to implement lessons learned from the COVID-19 response. Serving in this role has been both fulfilling and rewarding for her.
Learn more about Kyndall's PFA experience.
Andrea Skewes
Andrea Skewes, MPH
Senior Preparedness Field Assignee
PFA Assignment: Utah Department of Health and Human Services - Salt Lake City, UT
Brief Bio
Andrea Skewes is a senior preparedness field assignee with the Division of State and Local Readiness in the Office of Readiness and Response. Since 2018, she has been assigned to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services in Salt Lake City, UT providing hands-on support to the Preparedness and Response Program. Day to day she serves as the program deputy and provides guidance and technical assistance for the program with an emphasis on preparedness workforce development, volunteer management and coordination, and other special projects. The PFA program provides an invaluable opportunity to work in the field with state and local partners and making connections across public health programs to advance preparedness and response efforts in Utah.
Learn more about Andrea's PFA experience.