Pioneering Public Health Leadership and Community Transformation
Jeannine Riess is a towering personality who has excelled in many facets, including public health, safety, and community well-being, which stems from her passion for health and wellness. She wishes to create healthier and safer communities through her work at Colorado State University and her consulting business. She remarks, “I intend to continue expanding my portfolio, focusing on areas where I can leverage my expertise to address emerging public health challenges and continue making a positive impact on society.”
Currently, she serves as a public health administrator at Colorado State University. She is also a certified health coach and says, “My dedication is to empower individuals and educate them that extending lifespan isn’t just about living longer but living better. Through health coaching, I’m helping people unlock their potential to thrive, heal, and become self-aware on their own journey. My passion for this work speaks to my desire to inspire lasting transformations that create healthier, happier, and more fulfilled lives.”
As an entrepreneur, she is the owner and CEO of Public Health & Food Safety Services, LLC, where she offers consulting services that help organizations navigate the complex landscape of health regulations and safety protocols. She previously owned Monet’s Morning Coffee, LLC, which provided her invaluable insights into business management and accounting.
Challenges, triumphs, and lessons are a part of a business owner’s life, and for Jeannine, the road to success had obstacles that tested her resilience. One challenge she faced was navigating the complexities of public health regulations and the ever-changing landscape of safety standards. She mentions, “Whether running my consulting firm or leading health initiatives, the need to stay ahead of regulatory changes while ensuring the highest public health standards has been a constant balancing act.”
For her, another challenge has been managing the human element—ensuring that the teams she leads are motivated, cohesive, and aligned with the organization’s goals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the pandemic response at the university, she had to make quick, decisive actions in an environment of uncertainty and fear. This period demanded a great deal of emotional intelligence, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to the community’s well-being.
She describes her passion as the unwavering commitment to not only herself but also the well-being of others, which fuels her drive. From the earliest days of her career, she has been deeply motivated by the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities and the gift of giving back. The knowledge that her work contributes to creating safer, healthier environments is a powerful source of inspiration that keeps her moving forward, even in the face of challenges.
For Jeannine, leadership is the art of empowering others to realize their fullest potential while guiding a collective vision toward successful outcomes. She says, “Leadership is about inspiring and influencing people, not through authority or control, but through example, empathy, and shared purpose. True leadership is where individuals feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute their unique strengths to a common goal. I believe in leading by example—demonstrating the values, work ethic, and commitment I expect from others.”
Throughout her career, Jeannine has been fortunate to achieve milestones that reflect my dedication to public health, leadership, and community service. She was instrumental in leading the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team at Colorado State University, which stands as one of her proudest professional accomplishments, resulting in being awarded the Appreciation Award for COVID-19 Pandemic Response. She has also overseen the successful advancement of various public health programs at the university, including the Retail Food Program, which strengthened food safety protocols across 130 retail food establishments on campus and enacted programs to serve food to underserved populations.
She has led the university to become the first certified Bee Campus USA Institution in Colorado, for which she won the President’s Sustainability Commission Award. She has also had the privilege of teaching at the undergrad and graduate levels. This opportunity to educate and mentor the next generation of public health professionals has been deeply fulfilling for her. In light of her academic contributions, she says, “One of my notable contributions includes co-authoring a publication on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 using novel face mask sampling, a study that has added valuable insights to our understanding of infectious diseases and public health interventions.”
She summarizes her mantra for growth, development and success, which she feels are not destinations but are continuous processes fueled by passion, perseverance, repetition and clarity. She upholds these six values that she has learned in life:
- Embrace Lifelong Learning
- Lead with Purpose, authenticity and Integrity
- Persevere Through Challenges
- Cultivate a Growth Mindset
- Empower Others Along the Way
- Stay Balanced and Grounded
Jeannine’s mantra for success is, “Stay curious, ask questions, be humble and kind along the way, lead with confidence, persevere through challenges, and lift others as you climb.”