ABOUT JONY WEISS, MPH

Career Summary

Jony Weiss is a motivating and highly skilled instructor/trainer with 20+ years’ experience in public health leadership roles, with a focus on developing and presenting innovative health education programs and workshops. She has a strong work ethic and excels at working collaboratively with others. She is known for excellence in creating an engaging learning environment for teens and adults from diverse backgrounds. She uses a professional, fun and practical approach that weaves in evidence-based content with advanced skills in Behavioral Science and Health Education. Jony’s excellent oral and written communication skills, and highly effective interpersonal and training skills, have been demonstrated with a variety of learners including undergraduate and graduate university students, staff and faculty, physicians and health clinic staff and administration, low income inner city community groups, high risk youth, and more.

Key Accomplishments

-Runs own small business developing and presenting health and wellness workshops.
-Lead Trainer/Program Specialist for the Partnership for Health (PfH) Train the Trainer program at USC, Keck School of Medicine. The PfH program was adopted as a CDC model program for the nation!
-Program Manager for Work/Life and Wellness Program, creating and presented health and wellness programs and workshops for USC faculty and staff.
-Practicum/Internship Coordinator and Seminar Instructor for undergraduate Health Promotion and Disease Prevention students and graduate Masters of Public Health students.

Jony’s Background and Story

Jony has a unique background and story. She comes from a creative upbringing that combines the arts with health and fitness. She grew up in the heart of New York City (literally on Broadway) and was a gymnast as well as a musician. She went to the High School of Music and Art in Harlem where she was a voice major. (Music and Art is the school featured in the original motion picture “Fame”.)

She then attended Ithaca College, in Upstate New York, where she graduated with a degree in Community Health Education with honors (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi, Dean’s List, and a Professional Excellence Award). She then moved to California and attended graduate school at UCLA where she earned a Masters in Public Health in Community Health Sciences and had her own radio show called “Health Rap”.

Professional Experience

Following graduate school, Jony set her mind and heart to her mission of improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities. She worked in a variety of interesting settings designing educational programs, managing work teams and doing direct trainings. Worksites included the Los Angeles County Health Department, Juvenile Court Health Services, spcaLA (the humane society), and the University of Southern California (USC). At USC she had the opportunity to work as the Program Manager for Work/Life and Wellness, designing and leading educational programs for USC faculty and staff, and also served as the Practicum/Internship Coordinator and Seminar Instructor for both undergraduate and graduate MPH students).
One of her most memorable jobs was working as the lead trainer on the Partnership for Health Program, which became a Train the Trainer program, chosen by the CDC as a model program for the nation!

When Jony left USC to care for her aging and ill parents she continued to do health education work and create her own workshops that she lead online and in the beautiful Los Angeles Arboretum. Her very well-received “Nature, Nurture and Happiness Workshop” combines her love of nature with Positive Psychology.

Next Career Steps – Focusing On Climate Change

Jony’s love and respect for nature, combined with her concern for the health and well-being of her community, country and the earth, has now compelled her to focus to Climate Change. She is thrilled to be collaborating with the UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions to continue to get the word out about the growing climate crisis and strategies for working together to implement innovative solutions.

Volunteering, Hobbies and Personal Life

When Jony is not speaking or training, she spends her time volunteering on the board of Diabetes Education Services (D.E.S.), an exceptional woman-owned company providing compassionate and cutting-edge diabetes education and training to healthcare providers across the country.

Aside from her public health work, Jony enjoys walking in the local gardens with friends and family, taking improv comedy classes and writing poetry. Jony also holds a certificate in photography and relaxes by taking photos of nature.