Brigid Riley

I am a graduate of the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. I majored in Psychology and Communications. Currently, I am the Executive Director of the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting (MOAPPP). MOAPPP is a non-profit organization, and our mission is to develop and strengthen policies and programs that promote adolescent sexual health, prevent adolescent pregnancy and support adolescent parents.

I have been employed by MOAPPP since June 2004, but I have been working with MOAPPP in a professional capacity since 2000, and served on its Board of Directors.

I first heard about MOAPPP while a CHE student, in the Legislative Advocacy course. I knew it had a public health approach, and aimed its work at the systems that have a direct impact on young people. I kept MOAPPP's work on my radar as I moved into my first jobs post-graduate school, and when I started working on adolescent sexual health promotion, I partnered with MOAPPP on a number of projects. I was asked to join the Board of Directors in 2002, which gave me a deeper understanding of the scope of its work.

Before MOAPPP, I worked for both the Bloomington City and Hennepin County Public Health Departments. My work was wide-ranging, but always focused on adolescent health promotion: I participated in and led projects in injury prevention, alcohol, tobacco and drug use prevention, physical activity and nutrition, adolescent sexual health, and parent involvement. I was involved in program planning and implementation, event coordination, strategic planning, grant writing, proposal reviews, report writing, budgeting, presentations, and leading collaborative efforts.

The CHE program introduced me to the full spectrum of places in which I could work. The academic program was rigorous, but balanced with practical, skill-building assignments. I met other students who brought a rich work history to the program, and learned as much from them as from my courses. There was an emphasis on collaborative, group projects that reflected the way real-world work gets done. The connections I made with faculty members have been long lasting, and have provided me with needed information and contacts throughout my career. The opportunity to focus a good portion of my coursework on advocacy-related topics has been extremely valuable.