Gerrit Bakker is an experienced Health Emergency Management leader with over four decades of experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. During his tenure, he held various positions at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, where he spearheaded numerous public health initiatives and emergency responses..

As the Senior Director of the Preparedness program at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials in Arlington, Virginia, Gerrit oversaw a diverse range of projects and provided technical assistance to health agencies and the organization’s emergency response efforts.

Gerrit concluded his career providing subject matter expertise, guiding project deliverables, and identifying industry best practices at Tetra Tech, Inc. as a Senior Executive.

Gerrit currently lives in Philadelphia and although he has retired from full-time employment, he remains actively engaged in the public health field. He serves as a Site Visitor for the Public Health Accreditation Board, and as an Adjunct Faculty member for the University of Iowa’s Department of Political Science, and the University of Denver’s Department of Healthcare Management.

Gerrit holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Iowa and has pursued additional training and certifications through the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Executive Leaders Program; the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University, and the Rocky Mountain Regional Institute for Health and Environmental Leadership.