Michael Hodges

Senior public health executive and consultant with 20 years of experience leading health departments and complex initiatives in accreditation, emergency preparedness, regulatory compliance, community health planning, quality improvement, workforce development, health education, and infection prevention. Participated in PHAB's national accreditation beta test as Bloomfield's accreditation coordinator and later led Bloomfield to become New Jersey's first nationally accredited local health department. Led extensive PHAB readiness work for Essex County, which achieved national accreditation in 2026, and supported New Haven's initial accreditation readiness.

Certified Health Education

Specialist (CHES), a national competency-based credential covering assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation/research, advocacy, communication, leadership/management, and ethics/professionalism; developed evidence-based municipal health education programs aligned with New Jersey's Chapter 52 Public Health Practice Standards. Former municipal health department director of a 12-division, 150-employee, $9M operation; manager of a $5M CDC preparedness grant supporting 99 local health departments; lead environmental health consultant supporting NYC Department of Correction operations at Rikers Island; and national Project Public Health Ready reviewer. Known for translating complex standards and mandates into practical plans, documentation, corrective actions, and sustainable operations.

Co-Owner | Senior Public Health Consultant | Director of Business Relations at STRATEGIC HEALTH ADVISERS, LLC (2021-05 – 2026-06)

• Led complex consulting engagements for local and county health departments spanning PHAB accreditation, CHA/CHIP, strategic planning, quality improvement, workforce development, health education, emergency preparedness, infection prevention, grants, and organizational implementation.
• Led comprehensive PHAB accreditation readiness for the Essex County Office of Public Health Management, including standards interpretation, full documentation/evidence review, gap identification, foundational plans, mock-site-visit activities, and site-visit preparation; Essex achieved national accreditation in 2026.
• Supported New Haven Health Department's initial PHAB accreditation readiness through Standards and Measures interpretation, readiness assessment, detailed documentation/evidence review, gap identification, and site-visit preparation.
• Reviewed accreditation documentation across PHAB Domains for completeness, consistency, and alignment with applicable Standards and Measures; worked directly with leadership and workstream teams to strengthen evidence of conformity and close readiness gaps.
• Served as lead environmental health consultant supporting the New York City Department of Correction at Rikers Island from 2022-2026, helping address environmental-health and facility-compliance requirements associated with the federal Benjamin litigation; assessed conditions, identified deficiencies, and developed corrective-action recommendations related to sanitation, ventilation, physical plant, and health and safety.
• Developed and revised Emergency Operations Plans, Continuity of Operations Plans, Risk Communication Plans, Isolation and Quarantine Plans, SOPs, tabletop exercises, after-action reports, templates, and Incident Command System-related tools.
• Designed and developed municipal health education programs, campaigns, and public-facing materials aligned with N.J.A.C. 8:52-6 Health Education and Health Promotion requirements, helping local health departments translate state practice standards into effective community programming.
• Facilitated leadership sessions, stakeholder interviews, multidisciplinary workgroups, and community engagement to identify priorities, resolve barriers, and move initiatives into implementation.
• Managed multiple Strengthening Local Public Health grants, including program oversight, budget and deliverable tracking, and required programmatic and financial reporting; also supported proposal development, project scoping, and client relationships.
• Serve as a national reviewer for Project Public Health Ready, evaluating preparedness plans, supporting documentation, and organizational capabilities for completeness, consistency, and alignment with nationally recognized readiness standards.

Interim Director of Health | Interim Health Officer at TOWNSHIP OF MONTVILLE HEALTH DEPARTMENT (2024-12 – 2025-04)

Provided interim executive and statutory health-officer leadership during two assignments, ensuring continuity of essential public health services, regulatory compliance, staff coordination, and operational decision-making.

• Oversaw core local public health functions including communicable disease control, environmental health, emergency preparedness, health education, inspections, community services, and administrative operations; advised municipal leadership on priorities and requirements.

Interim Director of Health | Interim Health Officer at TOWNSHIP OF MONTVILLE HEALTH DEPARTMENT (2021-08 – 2022-02)

Provided interim executive and statutory health-officer leadership during two assignments, ensuring continuity of essential public health services, regulatory compliance, staff coordination, and operational decision-making.

• Oversaw core local public health functions including communicable disease control, environmental health, emergency preparedness, health education, inspections, community services, and administrative operations; advised municipal leadership on priorities and requirements.

Grant Administrator – Consultant | Project Firstline & Strike Team Grant Manager/Trainer at NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AND CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS (NJACCHO) (2021-05 – 2024-02)

• Managed New Jersey's $5M CDC COVID-19 Preparedness and Response grant supporting 99 local health departments, including agreements, funding guidance, mitigation technical assistance, disbursement authorization, expenditure review, and reporting.
• Managed CDC Project Firstline and Strike Team infection-control training initiatives and delivered practical IPC education and technical assistance to local public health professionals.
• Coordinated statewide grant deliverables, partner communication, programmatic reporting, financial accountability, and implementation support across New Jersey's local public health network.

Health Educator – NYC COVID-19 Hotel Program at HAGERTY (2021-02 – 2021-02)

• Partnered with NYC Emergency Management, NYC Health + Hospitals, and Doctors Without Borders to launch and sustain the city's COVID-19 isolation hotel program during emergency response operations.
• Led development of infection-prevention protocols and designed targeted training for residents, nurses, EMTs, security personnel, and other multidisciplinary staff, translating rapidly evolving guidance into practical procedures.

Regional Corporate Food Safety Specialist – Part-Time at EHA CONSULTING GROUP, INC. (2019-08 – 2022-02)

• Conducted outbreak investigations, infection-control assessments, HACCP-based food safety and sanitation inspections, preparedness consulting, and occupational health and safety audits for hospitals, Fortune 500 companies, law firms, private schools, and professional sports organizations.
• Developed corrective-action recommendations and delivered task-focused training to resolve critical observations, reduce exposure risk, and strengthen environmental health, food safety, and occupational health practices.

Director at EAST ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES (2018-08 – 2019-03)

Directed a 12-division, 150-employee municipal public health operation with a $9M budget, overseeing communicable disease, environmental health and safety, immunization, emergency/disaster preparedness, health education, HIV prevention, and other public health services.

• Organized multidisciplinary programs around regulatory compliance, continuous quality improvement, workforce education, community partnerships, and effective service delivery.
• Secured a $1.6M federal HUD grant to remediate lead hazards in local housing and convened cross-sector partners to address homelessness and other community health priorities.

Director & Health Officer at WEST MILFORD HEALTH DEPARTMENT (2016-07 – 2018-07)

Led municipal public health operations across communicable disease, environmental health, sanitation, immunization, emergency preparedness, wells/

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