PCD Staff

Brandi Baker, MBA

Production Coordinator
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Brandi Baker has been with PCD since its inception in 2003. Beginning as editorial assistant, Ms. Baker was instrumental in developing the initial manuscript submission system and creating policies for manuscript tracking, peer review, and production processes. Since 2004 she has been responsible for the journal's production, including editorial assignments and scheduling publication dates, and special projects such as the establishment of CME credit with Medscape and translations. Before joining PCD, Brandi held management positions in television and radio, nonprofit organizations, and associations. She has a bachelor's degree in mass media arts-broadcasting from Clark Atlanta University and a master's degree in international business from Georgia State University.

 

Kim Bright, PMP

Information Technology Project Manager
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Kim Bright has provided technical direction to CDC journals since 2003 and joined PCD as technical lead in 2011. She oversees the technical infrastructure, production workflow, and maintenance of the PCD website and mobile applications and is responsible for the journal's compliance with all CDC and HHS technical governance and reporting. Previously, Ms. Bright worked in the corporate sector in web development, project management, and information technology consulting. She received a bachelor's degree in computer and information sciences from the University of Florida, and she is a certified project management professional.

 

Elizabeth Davis, MPH

Public Health Analyst

Elizabeth Davis is a public health analyst for PCD's editorial office, where she monitors the journal's manuscript submission and peer review activities and identifies opportunities for improving the quality of the journal's publication practices. Elizabeth joined CDC in 2021 to work for the COVID-19 Taskforce in the Immunization Services Division and later the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. Before joining CDC, Elizabeth worked in quality improvement in state and local health departments. Elizabeth has a BA in Anthropology and History from Smith College and an MPH in Health, Policy, and Management from Boston University. She holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt from the Council for Six Sigma Certification.

 

Tiana Garrett, PhD, MPH

Lead Technical Writer-Editor

Dr. Tiana Garrett is lead technical writer-editor at PCD. Before joining PCD, she served as technical writer-editor for CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention and as a contracted editor for Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. She began her federal career in 2011 in CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service and has worked for several state and local public health agencies. Dr. Garrett has a PhD in cell and developmental biology and epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a certificate in copyediting from the University of California San Diego.

 

Kate Harris, BA

Technical Editor
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Kate W. Harris has been editing documents, slides, and more at CDC since the 1990s, when her first major freelance project was editing the manual for EpiInfo Version 2. She went on to become senior editor at The Community Guide for 14 years, and was team lead in the development and publication of The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? (Oxford University Press, 2005). She has also developed other books, including the first edition of Robert Hahn's Anthropology in Public Health (Oxford University Press, 1999) and The Clever Sheikh of the Butana, a collection of Sudanese folktales (Interlink, 1999). Her other interests include storytelling, gardening, and keeping up with her 4 cats, who are very glad she telecommutes.

 

Ivory M. Jones, MS

Editorial Assistant
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Ivory M. Jones joined the PCD team as the Editorial Assistant in November 2018. She brings more than 15 years of editorial experience with her, having previously worked full-time as a journalist and editor in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York City. She returned to her hometown of New Orleans in 2009 where she spent 9 years working with teenagers in the nonprofit education sector. Ms. Jones has a BA in English from Clark Atlanta University and returned to school to earn her MS in Communications from Syracuse University in 2017. She enjoys using her vast array of experience to assist in the day-to-day operations of the PCD team.

 

Shawn Jones

Software Engineer
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Shawn Jones joined the PCD team in 2015. He has more than 15 years of experience in business, marketing, and information technology in the private and public sectors. Mr. Jones uses his expertise in front-end web development to keep journal articles accessible and responsive across various digital channels and devices. Since 2008, he has volunteered as a mentor for at-risk youth as part of the 5th Ward Boys Association of Atlanta, a youth organization sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Jones is a founding member of the City of Stonecrest founded in 2017. He was also appointed by the Governor of Georgia to serve on the city of Stonecrest Commission prior to the city's formation.

 

Camille Martin, RD, LD

Senior Technical Editor

Camille Martin is a senior writer-editor for PCD, where she started in 2003 as an editorial intern while obtaining her bachelor's degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. She is a registered dietitian. Before joining PCD, Ms. Martin worked for the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons hotels and lived in Biarritz, France. She received certification as an editor in the life sciences from the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences in 2005 and has a bachelor's degree in English literature and French language from the University of Georgia.

 

Susan McKeen, BA

Senior Software Engineer
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Susan McKeen has been developing software for more than 30 years. She joined the PCD team in 2005 and writes various parsing tools to support automated journal publication. Previously, she developed software for publishing medical texts and journals on hand-held devices such as tablets and telephones. Ms. McKeen is especially interested in the use of XML in data workflows and the automated production of journal-quality PDFs. She received a bachelor's degree in computer science with a concentration in electrical engineering from the University of Maine.

 

Robin Sloan, MA

Technical Editor
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Robin Sloan joined PCD as a technical editor in May 2019. She began her CDC career in health communication in 2004 and has worked across the agency in several centers and roles. She is pleased to have found work that she enjoys the most, honing her editing skills and translating science. Earlier in her career, she wrote grants and managed programs for nonprofit organizations and Emory University. Ms. Sloan has a bachelor's degree in communication science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in human communication and social influence from Georgia State University. In 2015, she was awarded certification as a Communicator of Public Health from the National Public Health Information Coalition.

 

Martin Steib

Multimedia Specialist
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Martin Steib joined PCD in September 2019 as a Multimedia Specialist, bringing more than 2 decades of experience in design, illustration, animation, video, and audio to the team. Mr Steib started his career originally in the UK music industry before relocating to Chicago to be involved in the burgeoning IPTV world in the early 2000s. His family now enjoys the warmer climate of Atlanta along with the ever-growing diverse culture of art, theatre, and music.

 

Rebecca Schwartz, MS Ed

Technical Editor
Contractor, Akima Data Management
Rebecca Schwartz is a technical writer-editor at PCD. Ms. Schwartz began supporting OMS and the Office of Communication as a technical writer-editor beginning in 2021. Before coming to PCD, Ms. Schwartz was a contracted writer-editor and plain language consultant for several agencies. While supporting CDC's Office of the Associate Director of Communication in the early 2010s, she developed a template for plain language fact sheets. Ms. Schwartz has a BA in French Studies from Wellesley College and an MS Ed in intercultural communication from University of Pennsylvania.

 

Terri Still-LeMelle, MSPH

Managing Editor
Terri Still-LeMelle is managing editor at PCD. She has been with CDC since 2008 and has worked in the areas of HIV/AIDS, TB, global health, chronic diseases, and public health security for the agency. Prior to joining CDC, she was a health communications manager and contract administrator for several healthcare companies. Ms. Still-LeMelle has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Virginia and an MS in Public Health from Excelsior University.

 

Ellen Taratus, MS

Senior Technical Editor
Contractor, Akima Data Management

Ellen Taratus is senior technical editor at PCD, contracted through Akima Data Management. Ms. Taratus has been with PCD since March 2003 and served as editorial team lead until 2006. As team lead, she designed details of the production schedule and helped to establish editorial policy. Before coming to PCD, Ms. Taratus was a communications specialist at fundraising consulting firms and public relations firms in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. She has a BA in English from Dartmouth College and an MS in biology from Georgia Tech.