Name:
Yvonne Akukwe
Office:
Cherry Hill, NJ
Practice Area:
Health and Safety
Areas of Expertise:
Infectious diseases, Community Health & Global Health
About Me in 140 Characters:
Hi there! My name is Yvonne Akukwe and I live in Elkridge, MD – about 40 minutes outside of Washington, DC. My background is in Public Health and International Development. Earlier this year, I obtained my Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate, and looking ahead, I’m excited about working with different teams across the company to build lasting relationships with new and existing clients.
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and immersing myself in different cultures – this allows me to connect with different people and to see the world from a broader perspective.
What is Your Favorite Thing About Being a Health and Safety Practitioner?
Yvonne Akukwe Practitioner Spotlight
What are some of your favorite tools/resources for professional development in this practice area?
When leading a project, there are so many moving pieces and deadlines to keep up with and without proper monitoring, tasks could easily fall through the cracks. My go-to tools are Asana and Monday – they are super helpful with keeping track of project tasks/deliverables, status, etc.
What is a key ingredient for success as a Health and Safety practitioner?
Adaptability. Quickly and easily adjusting to changing circumstances while executing projects. Being adaptable also means having good communication, interpersonal, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. From my experience, mastering this will be key to your success!
What do you consider your biggest professional achievement so far?
When I think of a response to this question, a quote comes to mind, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. A few years ago, I led the development of a vocational training program for a community of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, as a means of economic empowerment.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid, I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. I was actually on the Pre-Med track in college when I decided to transition to Public Health. I believe the focus should be more on prevention than on treatment.
What was your first job?
I was an Usher at my university’s performing arts center.
If you had one month off, where would you go or what would you do?
I would take the first flight out to Bali, Indonesia (on my bucket list). During my time there, I would take in the rich history, natural settings, scenic beaches, and enjoy connecting with the local people.
