Tamarra Jones, DrPH, is the director of Public Health, Policy and Planning. The division responds to disease outbreaks, provides medical outreach services to individuals experiencing homelessness and to migrant workers, compiles and analyzes data related to public health and matters of health equity and provides information to the public, community leaders and stakeholders. 

Jones was most recently the manager of the Health Policy and Planning unit and served as the public health equity officer for County Health, where she focused on identifying and supporting upstream primary prevention and health equity efforts. Her career includes over 20 years’ experience as a public health manager in local health departments in Nevada and Southern California. Her work began in the area of HIV, where she managed programs focused on prevention, early access to and continued engagement in care for those at risk for or living with HIV. This work sparked her passion for community engagement and collaboration. 

Her experience also includes oversight of a range of health services, including clinical services for family health, immunizations, oral health and HIV/STD care, as well as prevention and education programs for tobacco use prevention, injury prevention, nutrition education, oral health education programs and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Her leadership has also led to several awards for her work in continuous quality improvement and public health messaging. 

Jones earned a Doctorate in Public Health in preventive care and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in health promotion and education from Loma Linda University. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Jones is the proud mother of a school librarian and author. In her spare time, she enjoys vacationing with her daughter.