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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Doug Taylor, the Director of Operations and Finance for Fact Forward. They discuss Doug’s career journey, how public health and health education has changed over the years, and the different paths that public health can take you.

You’ll Learn

• How Doug became interested in health and wellness after serving in the military health corps and a medical event in the family
• Doug’s experience with his undergrad and graduate degree and what extra value an MPH provides 
• How public health in the 90s differed from today’s environment
  • How sexual health education evolved as a result of the HIV pandemic
• The importance of being engaged in public health communities and societies and making connections 
• Why Doug pivoted from working in government to nonprofit
  • Doug’s experience stepping into a leadership and management role
• How to deal with the more abstract nature of getting results and making change in public health 

Today’s Guest

Doug Taylor is the Director of Operations and Finance for Fact Forward, a statewide non-profit in Columbia, SC, focusing on adolescent reproductive health. His role includes ensuring operational efficiencies, compliance with federal, state, and foundation rules and regulations, and collaborating with the CEO and Directors to secure financial resources that support the agency’s mission. He joined Fact Forward in June 2011 as the Director of Community Programs and Evaluation and oversaw all community-focused programming and the agency’s research and evaluation activities. The Department managed over 3 million in federal and private foundation funding to support youth-serving professionals in providing age-appropriate, medically accurate sexual health education to teens. Previously, Doug worked at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), where he coordinated the implementation of DHEC’s Health Services statewide performance management system and led quality improvement teams in process improvement projects. Doug also served six years active duty in the United States Army, and six years with the Texas Army National Guard. Doug has a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Education from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Education from the University of North Texas. 

Resources

• Follow Doug on LinkedIn  
• Learn more about Fact Forward and follow them on Twitter and Instagram 

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