EngenderHealth Names Traci L. Baird as President and CEO

August 29, 2018 (Washington, DC) – EngenderHealth, a leading global women’s health and sexual and reproductive rights organization, today announced that Traci L. Baird, MPH, will join the organization as President and CEO on October 1. Baird, an experienced and respected leader in the field, comes to the organization after serving as CEO of SHIFT NC, a nonprofit organization working to improve adolescent and young adult sexual health across North Carolina. Previously, she was the Executive Vice President of Programs for a global reproductive health organization, Ipas, where she held numerous leadership positions over more than 20 years.

EngenderHealth Board Chair, Robert D. Petty, said, “Traci is the ideal leader for the next phase of EngenderHealth’s work. She has a blend of mission-driven passion, managerial expertise, deep technical experience, and program design and management. She has shown a proven ability to grow organizations and expand funding. After a comprehensive search, I am confident that Traci is the right person to successfully lead this organization.”

Baird’s expertise includes organizational strategy; business development; fundraising; program leadership, design, and evaluation; and board relations. She has worked in nearly every region of the world, including East Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Baird added, “This is an exciting time to join EngenderHealth. With a mission to advance women’s and girls’ health and rights and its highly respected field operations and technical expertise, EngenderHealth is well positioned to grow its work with partners globally. The recent move of its headquarters to Washington, the creation of regional offices to support country and program teams, and the caliber of new talent joining the organization recently all speak to EngenderHealth’s bright future. Having watched EngenderHealth for over 20 years, I have always been impressed by the quality of its programs, and I now look forward to working with the entire team to advance our mission and increase our impact.”

Baird will succeed Rosemary Ellis, who has been serving as Interim President and CEO for the last year. Ellis, who was a member of the EngenderHealth board before she became Interim CEO, will resume her position on the board. “Rosemary stepped in at a crucial time, and EngenderHealth has thrived under her leadership, including her oversight of the headquarters move to Washington,” said Dr. Linda Rosenstock, chair of the board’s executive committee. “We are thrilled that she will soon return to the board.”

Baird has a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina, and a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University, with a concentration in Women’s Health. She has published articles in multiple public health and medical journals.

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About EngenderHealth
EngenderHealth is committed to creating transformative, sustainable change by delivering high-quality sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services; expanding access to information and training; and advancing acceptance of sexual and reproductive rights as human rights. To achieve this vision, EngenderHealth collaborates with governments, private sector partners, international experts, and local organizations and communities around the world to deliver programs that give girls and women freedom to reach their full potentials. www.engenderhealth.org