Haas joins NAO team as director of grants, strategic partnerships

July 26, 2022

Haas joins NAO team as director of grants, strategic partnerships

The National AHEC Organization welcomes its newest team member, Katie Haas, who is the NAO's first director of grants and strategic partnerships.

Haas brings more than a decade of experience in grant writing, program management, and partnership development. Her previous two roles were in local public health departments serving semi-rural and urban communities as a policy and partnerships supervisor and health planner. Prior to that, Haas worked in partnership with a healthcare system on community benefit programming.

"Katie is a natural collaborator and strategic thinker, and she has an impressive track record of innovation and accomplishment," said Dwain Harris, NAO CEO. "We are excited about what she brings to NAO in this critical new role."

Increasingly, national organizations are seeking to collaborate with NAO, often as a way to deliver educational content to the nation’s healthcare workforce, particularly those working with underserved populations.

“AHECs are imbedded within their communities and are natural collaborators,” Harris said.

“Events of the last two years have underscored the value of AHEC, whose mission aligns with the work of so many other organizations committed to improving health and healthcare,” he continued. “It’s critical that we have a point person on our team who understands how to make those partnerships work for our AHECs and their communities. Katie is that person.”

Haas has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs and a Master of Public Health, both from the University of Colorado. She lives in Avon, Colorado with her husband, six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter.

“I’m excited to join NAO at this pivotal time to bring additional capacity to the national network of AHEC organizations,” Haas said. “I am thrilled to be part of an organization that can address short-term needs while also optimizing strategies that will boost the healthcare workforce and support health in local communities for the next generation and beyond.”