In this heartwarming and powerful episode, Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES, reflects on the lessons she inherited from her grandmother's kitchen and how they continue to shape her purpose in public health. From folding butter into biscuit dough to centering culture and community in maternal health work, Kimberly shares how legacy is both recipe and roadmap. With deep faith, fierce love, and a calling to uplift Black women and birthing people, she invites us to consider what we carry forward—and what we're called to transform.

Meet Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES

Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES, is a dedicated public health leader with a Master of Public Health in Urban Public Health from Rutgers and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from Montclair State University. As Deputy Director at a local municipal health department, she leads community-focused outreach and education efforts across diverse populations including older adults, migrants, and at-risk residents.

A first-generation college graduate, Kimberly brings a personal and professional commitment to health equity, with particular passion for sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and maternal and child health. She also teaches at Montclair State University, serves as Associate Director of Health Communications at Yale's Substance and Sexual Health Lab, and sits on the board of the NJ Society for Public Health Education.

Her work encompasses strategic planning, community outreach, public health programming, and culturally responsive engagement—always rooted in a mission to reduce disparities and elevate underserved communities.

Listen To This Episode of The Courageous Public Health Podcast

Conversation Highlights

• Courage to Pivot — Kimberly shares how not getting into medical school led her to discover public health, a field where she could merge her love of science, service, and people in more meaningful and lasting ways.
• Owning Her Voice — As a first-generation Haitian American, Kimberly describes how finding and using her voice—especially in academic and professional settings—has been an act of courage and healing.
• Birthwork as Advocacy — Her experience as a doula and bereavement care provider reflects her deep commitment to showing up for people at their most vulnerable moments, particularly Black women and immigrant families.
• Legacy Through Food — Kimberly views baking and cooking—especially her legendary peach cobbler—as acts of cultural connection, generational love, and joyful resistance.
• Leadership on Her Terms — She rejects the myth that leadership must follow one path. Instead, she embodies courageous leadership by choosing authenticity, honoring her lived experience, and creating space for others.
• Vision for the Future — Kimberly calls for a public health field that centers equity, sustainability, and belonging—and for institutions to invest in long-term community relationships, not just short-term outcomes.

"I want to be in spaces where I can show up fully as myself—Haitian, woman, loud laugh, peach cobbler and all. That's how I know I belong." — Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES

Stay In Touch:

Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-pierre/

Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/publichealthkim/

Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES on X - https://x.com/PublichealthKim

Wealth in Public Health – Empowering Communities Through Health Education and Strategic - https://wiph.org/

Email Dr. Kristi McClamroch - [email protected]

Dr. Kristi McClamroch on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-mcclamroch/

www.CourageousPublicHealth.com

Subscribe to Weekly Courageous Public Health Podcast Updates - http://eepurl.com/jcgQv6

**Remember to Like the Episode, Subscribe, and Leave a Review!**

Public Health Consulting To Support You

At Courageous Public Health, we are turning up the volume on courage among public health professionals.

We support public health organizations through workshop design and facilitation, and speaking engagements. Interested in working with us? Reach out on email, LinkedIn, or our website!