In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aaron Schekorra left a role in nonprofit fundraising and development to take on the role of Public Health Information Specialist at the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
He started out as the first member of a new team focused reaching out to business, organizations, churches, and event planners to provide guidance and education on COVID-19 prevention and response.
Aaron eventually became the leader of the COVID-19 Outreach Team and continued to use federal, state, and local public policy to create guidance for the community.
“The knowledge and skills I gained from the program helped me step into the role and hit the ground running,” Aaron, a 2020 Master of Public Administration and Graduate Certificate of Public Policy alum, said. “I was eventually put in charge of a second team of the COVID-19 Communications Division.”
No two days at the Springfield-Greene County Health Department look the same, and Aaron’s list of job duties continues to grow as the communication and outreach needs evolve. The coursework he was able to complete in policy analysis, quantitative analysis, heath care policy, intergovernmental relations, and local government management as a part of the MPA program has prepared Aaron to take on each new task or project ably.
“There were a few times where I wasn’t sure where some classwork would fit into my career, but now that I’m working in local public health during the biggest public health crisis in a century it is all coming together” Aaron said.
The success that Aaron has had in his role during the COVID-19 crisis will open doors to career advancement. “And I can confidently say that the MPA program has opened a lot of doors for me as well,” he said.