HB alumna to lead CDC training and development team

Nov. 7, 2014

Rhondette Jones

Rhondette L. Jones, MPH, Gillings School of Global Public Health alumna, has been selected as the new leader for the training and development team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, effective Nov. 30.

Jones has been a health education specialist in CDC’s capacity-building branch for 13 years, 11 of which were as a member of the training and development team. Since June 2013, she has served as acting lead for the prevention in clinical care team.

Jones, who received an undergraduate degree in international studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and Master of Public Health in health behavior at the Gillings School, began her public health career in 1994 as a community health educator for the Wake County (N.C.) Health Department in Raleigh. Prior to her employment at CDC, she was employed by the N.C. Department of Health’s Women’s Health Division, as program manager for two programs aimed at reducing infant mortality.

While serving in the Capacity Building Branch, her major accomplishments included developing HIV testing training curricula, leading projects focused on implementing rapid testing in clinical settings, using HIV surveillance data to link persons living with HIV into care, couples HIV testing and counseling, and developing cutting-edge, innovative e-learning resources designed for HIV providers to promote medication adherence among persons living with HIV, including developing a mobile application (app).

Jones has an extensive background in training, curricula design, health education, program management and public health administration, with strong interests in public health practice, social determinants of health and social justice issues.

“I attribute much of my public health success to the exceptional education I received while obtaining my Master of Public Health degree from UNC’s health behavior and health education department,” Jones said. “I was well prepared for public health service at the county, state and federal levels.”

Jones said UNC public health faculty members provided the knowledge, education and training that she needed then to serve in her capacity today.

“I’m grateful to Ms. Ethel Jackson, Mr. Leonard Dawson, Dr. John Hatch and Dr. Geni Eng,” she said. “Special thanks also to Dr. Carolyn Parks for serving as an extraordinary mentor, colleague and dear friend.”