It is with great sadness that we announce the passing earlier this week of our colleague, Vivian Lasley-Bibbs, MPH, Director of Disease Intervention Initiatives for CDC-funded projects through the ASPPH Center for Public Health Workforce Development. Vivian was a dedicated public health professional with over 30 years of experience.

Since her hiring in July 2023, Vivian had been responsible for ASPPH’s disease intervention workforce initiatives, which include activities that support the recruitment, training, and retention to prepare the path for the Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) field. In her role, she worked collaboratively with ASPPH members, stakeholders, academic and practice partner organizations, and institutions, to provide pathways for professional development to ensure a competent and certified public health workforce.

“Vivian joined ASPPH after 12 years as the Acting Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Kentucky Department for Public Health and brought with her invaluable experience and insight that informed and inspired our vision for the ASPPH Center for Public Health Workforce Development and the work that we do each and every day. We will miss her calming presence and thoughtful guidance,” said Emily M. Burke, EdD, MPH, CPH, Senior Director of Workforce Development and Applied Practice, ASPPH.

Vivian had over 30 years of strategic leadership, engagement, and collaborative partnerships with federal, state, and local entities. She presented as a subject matter expert at numerous state, local, and national conferences in the form of workshops, panels, and posters to address health disparities and inequities related to the social determinants of health and the root causes driving health disparities. Her expertise afforded her the opportunity to publish in peer-reviewed journals and sit on regional and national committees, state and local advisory boards, commissions, and workgroups.

Her cumulative work in teaching, community-based participatory research, and applied practice using a health equity lens allowed her to study the barriers and challenges in addressing the root causes, and drivers of the inequities that manifest as disparity gaps in the most vulnerable, marginalized, and minority populations.

Vivian held a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kentucky State University and a master’s degree in Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is also a graduate of the Physician Assistant Program at the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences. She continued to expand her knowledge base by taking doctorate-level courses in Public Health with an Epidemiology concentration at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. Her professional affiliations included national, regional, and state public health organizations, as well as civic, and community-based organizations.
She will be deeply missed by her husband and daughters, both of whom are pursuing graduate degrees in health fields, and by many other loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Her memory and impact will always be felt here at ASPPH. May she rest in peace.