Deborah Holmes graduated from the Master of Public Administration program in 2014 and is currently a lead program analyst in the California Department of Public Health’s Emergency Preparedness office.
Since 2012, I have been working for the California Department of Public Health in the Emergency Preparedness Office (CDPH-EPO) as the lead program analyst in the fiscal unit and overseeing the Resource Management Unit (I currently supervise the procurement, personnel and administrative functions for the office, in addition to providing back up for the fiscal unit). Our office allocates more than $70 million in U.S. Health and Human Services funding annually in addition to providing guidance and oversight to ensure that every local health jurisdiction in California is prepared for and able to respond to any incident that may negatively impact public health. Other duties I have had while at EPO include, serving as the Section Coordinator in both the Planning and Finance Sections of the CDPH Emergency Operations Center during activations, two years as a CDPH duty officer and contract manager for local entities receiving Hospital Preparedness Program funding through our office.
My career began in 1995 when I was hired by a small nonprofit organization to run a family resource center. For the next 12 years, I was responsible for managing several grant-funded social service programs such as addiction treatment and family reunification programs. I transitioned from the nonprofit sector to the public sector in 2007 and from then spent the next six years serving as the Administrative Analyst for the Butte County Library responsible for all administrative functions of the department.
Higher education has always been one of my passions; I earned my AA degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences at Butte College in 2002; went on to receive a BA in Sociology at Chico State in 2006; and graduated the Chico State MPA program in 2014. In addition, I have also completed certificate programs in office administration and accounting.
For fun I enjoy being outdoors, boating, riding motorcycles, exploring national and state parks, amateur photography, interior decorating, and spending time with family and friends.