Nov 11, 2020   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Military Veterans Recalibrate Duty and Service to Country to Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

AM TRACE LLC (“TRACE”), a public health firm that supports state and local health department efforts to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, thanks and salutes our proud U.S. military veterans, including TRACE leadership team members Miranda Weaver, MPH, and Naphtali Odongo, MPH. As key leaders overseeing the company’s COVID-19 contact tracing, case investigation, and epidemiology consultation programs across the United States, their contributions to public health are exemplary of the contributions our veterans make after transitioning out of military service.

"I take pride in my continued service to the overall health and well-being of the United States and its citizens,” said Weaver. “During my military service, I worked in public health across various military branches. Regardless of the role or area, the overarching factor for program success was expert management and resilience. I am thrilled to bring those skills to TRACE to help our state and local government partners create more favorable public health outcomes."

Weaver served for over 12 years in multiple U.S. Army combat positions. Weaver's professional experience includes health-related leadership positions with the Army and Department of Defense, including acting as a Research Team Lead, Quality Assurance Manager, and Program Manager at United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). While at USAMRIID, Weaver managed viral therapeutics projects, serving as the technical laboratory manager for the Ebola Response Team for Operation United Assistance during the 2014 Ebola epidemic in western Africa. Her contributions to public health research were recognized with the Armed Forces Service Medal. Weaver holds an MPH from American Public University, and a Bachelor's degree in Clinical Laboratory Science from Thomas Edison State University. She is a nationally-certified medical laboratory technician and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

Naphtali Odongo served for over eight years as a U.S. Navy Corpsman, many of which were in fast-paced, agile, public health leadership roles. He has over a decade of experience with patient and community healthcare operations. Odongo served as a project manager for epidemiology programs, domestically and abroad. He has also worked at the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Influenza Programme Department in Geneva, Switzerland. During his time at WHO, he analyzed and reported data, reviewed data utility platforms, and helped create a country-level data reporting tool. Odongo has a Masters of Public Health degree from Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland. He is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

"My military service gave me real-world exposure to highly-challenging, complex, and demanding public health challenges," said Odongo. "This expertise came through hard work, dedication, and commitment to our national security. Now, I’m proud to bring that knowledge and commitment to TRACE, where I can adapt my experience and lessons-learned to the fight against COVID-19."

About AM TRACE LLC ("TRACE"):

AM TRACE LLC ("TRACE") is a research, informatics, and public health firm that combines expertise in public health, epidemiology, and information communication technology to support COVID-19 disease mitigation efforts. TRACE, headquartered in Arlington, VA, specializes in COVID-19 testing, surveillance, and epidemiological programs. TRACE's evidence-based approach and proven capability to rapidly deploy technology-enabled contact tracing solutions to support local public health agencies have earned it a national reputation as a leading provider of COVID-19 solutions. The leadership of TRACE shares more than 75 years of combined experience working in disease prevention, testing, and surveillance & control.