Claudia S. Plaisted Fernandez

Claudia S. Plaisted Fernandez is a Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She holds leadership roles including Director of Executive Leadership Development at UNC-Chapel Hill, Director of the ACOG National Leadership Institute, and Program Director for the Provost's Distinguished Faculty Leaders program. Her expertise spans leadership development, health equity, and healthcare systems improvement.

Education:

• DrPH in Public Health Leadership/Health Policy, UNC-Chapel Hill (2003)
• MS in Clinical Nutrition, Boston University (1988)
• BS in Dietetics/Nutrition, Miami University (1986)

Research focuses on leadership program outcomes and effective executive development strategies. She co-authored It-Factor Leadership: Become a Better Leader in 13 Steps (2014) and has published extensively on leadership training impacts. Current work includes evaluating virtual vs. in-person leadership training efficacy and documenting long-term community health impacts of leadership initiatives.

Key service roles include:

• Chair of MCH Adjunct Professor's Committee (2015-2022)
• Associate Chair for Inclusive Excellence (2023-2024)
• Member of the Full Professor's Committee (2022-present)

Awards highlight her leadership program innovations, including the 2016 Leadership Excellence Awards recognizing the Food Systems Leadership Institute. Her leadership programs have trained over 700 OB-GYNs globally and produced scalable community health solutions documented in her 2021 book Community Based Changes in the Culture of Health in the US.

Labs/Initiatives:

• Food Systems Leadership Institute (Director of Leadership Core)
• ACOG National Leadership Institute (Director)
• Provost's Distinguished Faculty Leaders program (Program Director)
• Practical Effective Advocacy Laboratory (PEAL) Committee (2024-2025)