290: Leadership Lessons from a Lifetime in Public Health Service

How did Dr. Antonia (Toni) Novello become the first woman and the first Hispanic to hold the position of U.S. Surgeon General in 1990? Hers is an inspiring story and compelling read as described in her book with Jill Tietjen, Duty Calls: Lessons Learned from an Unexpected Life of Service. In this conversation, we discuss Toni’s career path to that position as well as her role during 9/11 as the New York State Commissioner of the Department of Health. 

Toni and Jill are both highly accomplished women, extraordinary leaders, and trailblazers in their respective fields, so it was a real honor to have them as guests.

 Toni was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a B.S. and an M.D. She completed her residency and internship in pediatrics at the University of Michigan and a fellowship in pediatric and adult nephrology at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University. Also, she received a Master’s and a Doctor of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. 

 In 1990, Toni was sworn in as the 14th Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and became the first woman and the first Hispanic to hold this position. From 1999 to 2007, she was the New York State Commissioner of the Department of Health and served in this position during 9/11. 

 Jill S. Tietjen, PE, is an author, international speaker, and electrical engineer. After more than forty-five years in the electric utility industry, her professional focus is now on women’s advocacy worldwide. Her fifteen books include the bestselling and award-winning Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America and Hollywood: Her Story, An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies. She has been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame and has been elected to the National Academy of Construction. 

You’ll discover: 

• How Toni and Jill met and decided to collaborate on writing this memoir
• What Toni learned from her mother in her early years that influenced her throughout her life
• The experience that taught Toni to under-promise and over-deliver
• Why loyalty is a core value of Toni’s and how it served her in her various roles
• How always being prepared opened doors for Toni’s next position

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