COLUMBIA, MO (March 31, 2011) -

Public Health and Human Services Director Stephanie Browning was recently accepted into the National Public Health Leadership Institute (NPHLI).

According to the NPHLI, the one-year leadership development program is geared toward “high-potential leaders with a commitment to leading in their own organizations and communities, but also leading system change on the national scene.” NPHLI works to recruit high-potential leaders, foster individual development, build a network of committed leaders and combine learning methods.

Kevin Gipson, Springfield, Mo., Director of Health, recommended the program to Browning.

“I felt it was an opportunity for extensive interaction over a period of time with other public health officials that would give me greater insight and help me improve what I do here,” Browning said.

The program launched March 10. The group has weekly conference calls, webinars, readings and assignments. Two on-site sessions, that will include training in systems change, leadership assessment, developing others and individual coaching, will be held at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health at the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, where the program is based. Leadership assessments are being done by the Center for Creative Leadership, a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that develops better leaders through its exclusive focus on leadership education and research.

The NPHLI’s mission is “to strengthen the leadership competencies of senior public health leaders and to build a network of senior leaders who can work together and share knowledge on how to address public health challenges.” The NPHLI is sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).