Public Health Expertise. National Reach.
A Search Process Built Around Your Mission.
A Vacancy Is Never Just a Vacancy.
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Whether you are preparing for a retirement, responding to an unexpected departure, building leadership capacity, or recruiting for a hard-to-fill role, the right hire can shape your organization’s momentum for years to come.
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The Public Health Network brings specialized public health expertise, a disciplined search process, and a relationship-centered approach to every engagement. We help you define what the role truly requires, reach candidates beyond the active applicant pool, and make a confident, well-informed hiring decision.
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​Local Health Departments & Governmental Public Health
We understand the complexity of leading in governmental public health: community expectations, governing bodies, funding realities, workforce needs, and the responsibility to protect and improve health.
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Public Health Institutes & Mission-Driven Nonprofits
We help organizations recruit leaders who can pair strategic vision with operational discipline, subject-matter credibility, and a strong commitment to mission.
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Associations, Foundations & National Networks
We support organizations seeking executives and senior leaders who can build alignment, strengthen partnerships, represent the organization well, and move a shared agenda forward.
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When the Stakes are High, Trust Matters Most.
Organizations choose us when they need more than a list of applicants.
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A board is preparing to hire its next Health Director, Executive Director, or Chief Executive.
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A senior leadership vacancy creates uncertainty during an important period of growth or change.
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A specialized or difficult-to-fill role requires targeted outreach beyond traditional posting methods.
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Leaders need help clarifying the role, compensation, organizational context, or ideal candidate profile before recruitment begins.
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A search committee wants a trusted, neutral partner to guide a fair, organized, and thoughtful process.
Our Approach to Executive Search
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ALIGN
We begin with a focused discovery process to understand your organization, the role, its challenges, stakeholder expectations, and what success should look like.
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DEFINE
Together, we develop a clear leadership profile and recruitment narrative that reflects the opportunity honestly and attracts the right candidates.
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RECRUIT
We combine targeted outreach, public health networks, research, and thoughtful marketing to reach active and passive candidates.
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ASSESS
Candidates are evaluated through a structured process that considers experience, leadership capacity, technical expertise, motivation, cultural alignment, and readiness for the role.
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SELECTION & TRANSITION SUPPORT
We guide candidate presentation, interviews, reference checking, offer discussions, and early transition support so your organization can move forward with confidence.
Why The Public Health Network
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Public health is not simply a sector we serve. It is the work we understand.
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Our team brings firsthand public health experience to the search process. We understand the roles, the funding environment, the community and political context, and the leadership qualities that matter when the work is complex and the stakes are high.
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Clients choose The Public Health Network because we offer:
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A search process tailored to the role, organization, and decision-making structure.
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Direct access to experienced leadership throughout the engagement.
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Targeted outreach to candidates who may not be actively applying.
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Clear communication, practical guidance, and honest counsel at every stage.
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A commitment to finding leaders who can succeed not only in the position, but within the organization and community they will serve.​
Trusted by Organizations Advancing Public Health
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“The Public Health Network invested time in getting to know our organization. That investment paid off with strong groups of candidates who projected to be good fits not just for the positions advertised, but also for our organization and culture.”
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Kari Bruffett, CEO
Kansas Health Institute