Health Manager
Resume:
CRYSTAL JAMES SERMONS
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Permanent Address: 3759 Trotters Run
Douglasville, Georgia 30135
*********@***************.***
Business Address: Managing Attorney/CEO
Crystal James & Associates, LLC
3400 Chapel Hill Road
Douglasville, Georgia 30135
Telephone: 678-***-****
Research Coordinator/Adjunct Faculty
Public Health Science Institute
Morehouse College
820 Westview Drive, SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
Telephone: 404-***-****
Place of Birth: Douglas, Georgia
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Married
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND AND TRAINING
1990 Broxton High School, Broxton, Georgia
1990-1994 B.S. Degree in Biology-Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta,
Georgia
1994-1996 MPH Degree-Emory University Rollins School of Public Health:
Environmental & Occupational Health (Concentration)
1998. J.D. Degree - University of Houston Law Center
2008 Mediation and Arbitration Training by Henning Mediation to meet State
registration requirements
2009-Present Pursuing the Master of Divinity Degree-
Interdenominational Theological Center
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
1998-2003 Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, Public Health
Sciences Institute, Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia,
responsible for teaching Introduction to Public Health and
Public Health Practicum courses
1999-Present Member, External Advisory Committee, Public Health
Sciences Institute, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA
1999-2002 Instructor, Program in Public Health, Morehouse School of
Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, responsible for team teaching
Public Health Law course
2004 Instructor, Allied Health Program, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta,
Georgia, responsible for teaching Public Health Law course
2006-Present Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, Public Health
Sciences Institute, Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia,
responsible for teaching Introduction to Public Health
Public Health Practicum courses
Employment History
1994 Intern for the Morehouse College/Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Project: IMHOTEP
1997 Intern for Proctor and Gamble Patent Division
1
2 1996-1997 Legal Assistant to Risk Manager, The Methodist Health Care
System
3 Houston, TX, performed legal research regarding issues pertinent to risk
reduction, risk transfer, risk assessment, and community
standards of care, assisted risk manager with yearly
budgetary procedures and tasks, prepared articles on a bi-
monthly basis for a nursing periodical circulated through
the health care system wherein legal issues were discussed
at a level that would be easily understood and referenced
by the nursing staff
1998-1999 Program Manager/Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biology
Public Health Sciences Institute, Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA, managed programs created to meet objectives
outlined in strategic plan for the Public Health Sciences
Institute funded by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC); assessed and reported progress of
programs through systematic evaluation methods consistent
with strategic plan of the institute to internal and
external advisory boards; during tenure at Morehouse, also
work with the Office of the General Counsel to prepare real
estate closing documents; drafted and reviewed contracts,
and drafted licensing agreements. Instruct undergraduate
courses in Introduction to Public Health and Public Health
Practicum.
1999 Professional Fellowship National Institute of Health,
National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences
Research Triangle Park, NC, attended meetings and conducted
daily activities side-by-side with Director, Dr. Kenneth
Olden; gained insight as to federal funding mechanisms;
established essential contacts within the Dept. of Health
and Human Services
1999-2000 Consumer Rights/Risk Assessment Specialist,
Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Mental
Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse (DMHMRSA),
Atlanta, GA, managed, assessed, and investigated
allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation among
consumers of services provided by the DMHMRSA and its
Regional Boards; established protocols, collected and
analyzed data pursuant to a death reporting policy;
assessed and evaluated consumer assistance data, provided
training on state and federal laws applicable to consumer
programs; developed a database in SPSS-10 to facilitate
analysis of data collected pursuant to policies; created
standards for consumer protection safeguards and strategies
2000-2002 Program Director Infectious Diseases,
Environmental & Occupational Health Council of State and
Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) National Headquarters,
Atlanta, GA funded by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), assumed full responsibility for all daily
activities, functions, and decisions regarding programs;
set priorities, organized procedures and created plans for
workflow; formulated, administered and monitored operating
budgets, analyzed federal and state legislation for
programmatic impact; analyzed legal decisions for impact on
state based programs; successfully negotiated and executed
contracts, memoranda of understanding, and work plans with
professional contractors and corporations; conceived,
designed, planned, administered and evaluated programs and
special projects after thorough assessment of needs;
solicited membership support and utilization through
effective marketing and public relation techniques to
stimulate and increase image and visibility; represented
organization at national and statewide meetings; motivated
and evaluated professional personnel; maintain open
channels of communication to result in optimum delivery of
service, a positive working environment and timely
achievement of objectives; sought and secured grants and
creative funding opportunities to improve the public's
health status through the initiation of programs to target
identified needs
2002- Present Managing Attorney/CEO, Crystal James & Associates, LLC,
assume full responsibility for all daily activities,
functions, and decisions regarding the management of law
firm activities; lead counsel on legal matters handled by
the firm focusing on civil rights, employment law, and
domestic law matters; represent clients in federal and
state courts; represent clients in administrative hearings
and mediations, perform legal research and prepare legal
briefs in response to dispositive motions; prepare
contracts and memorandums of understandings for business
clients; prepare and deliver oral and written arguments of
law; consultant to Morehouse College for Environmental
Health projects funded by the National Institute for
Environmental Health Sciences; conducted evaluation of
programs funded under cooperative agreement with the CDC;
participated in the development of program planning based
upon evaluation findings to enhance programmatic
activities; consultant to Morehouse College on Pandemic
Influenza and Emergency Preparedness issues
2008-2009 Pandemic Influenza and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator,
Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) Institute for
Faith Health Leadership (IFHL), responsible for developing
and providing direction for planning, organizing, assigning
and coordinating the ITC's pandemic influenza preparedness
activities; organize, coordinate, evaluate, and maintain a
comprehensive, integrated emergency preparedness planning
for ITC; provide or coordinate staff training; work with
employees to correct deficiencies; develop and implement
discipline procedures, develop program guidelines for the
purpose of evaluating and improving the ITC's readiness for
disaster operations; work closely with the ITC's emergency
management personnel and other stakeholders to coordinate
and integrate the preparedness, response, recovery, and
mitigation efforts of the ITC; relay information from
higher level emergency management organizations to the
community; and assist the ITC with the development of the
emergency plans and procedures to ensure conformance and
compatibility with other applicable emergency operations
plans; conduct or obtain training for employees and
students; recruit and train volunteer personnel; coordinate
community response and recovery training; design, execute,
and evaluate emergency/disaster preparedness, response, and
recovery exercises; identify pandemic influenza resources
(both civic and external resources); develop and conduct
public education materials and awareness programs; and
promote information sharing across Atlanta University
Centers (AUC) schools.
2009-2010 Consultant, Tuskegee University Tuskegee University
National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care
(Bioethics Center), consultant tasked with identifying
funding announcements that are in line with the strategic
plan of the Bioethics Center and the development of
proposals for submission; developing a proposal submission
protocol, managing the proposal submission process within
the Bioethics Center, and implementation of evaluation
plan. To achieve these objectives the following activities
were engaged: meetings with senior staff members to develop
narratives of current research and capacity building
activities, developing program activities that are
responsive to the program announcement and are congruent
with the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the current
faculty and staff, preparation of drafts of the proposal,
facilitating proposal drafting meetings to edit drafts for
final submission.
2010-present Research Coordinator/Adjunct Faculty, Department of
Biology Public Health Sciences Institute (PHSI), Morehouse
College Atlanta, GA, serve as the faculty advisor to the
PHSI Interns who are conducting research with preceptors at
sites at CDC, Morehouse School of Medicine, and other local
and international community organizations. Instruct
undergraduate courses in Introduction to Public Health and
Public Health Practicum.
AFFILIATIONS
State Bar of Georgia National Bar Association
American Public Health Association Emory University Alumni
Association
Clark Atlanta University Alumni Association Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc
Volunteer with Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Program
(Past)
HONORS
1990-1994 Full Academic Scholarship, Geosciences Scholars Program funded
by the National Science Foundation, Clark Atlanta
University
1990-1994 Honors Program, Clark Atlanta University
1995-1998 Academic Scholarship, Dean's Scholars, University of Houston
Law Center
1996 Awarded research grant to conduct study entitled "Affirmative Action
in Texas Medical Schools" by the Department of African
American Studies, University of Houston
1996 Dean's Public Interest Fellowship, University of Houston Law Center
1998 Awarded the Barksdale Stevens Award from the University of Houston,
Health Law Center
2007 Attorney of the Year, Employment Law, Legal Match, San
Francisco, California
OTHER ACTIVITIES
1994 Treasurer of Student Government Association, Clark Atlanta University
1994 President, Sigma Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Clark
Atlanta University
1999 Participant, National Institute for Environmental Health Science,
National Conference entitled: "Obesity and the Built
Environment: Improving Public Health through Community
Design"
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/events/pastmtg/2004/built/docs
/summary.pdf
2002 Member, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center
for Environmental Health National Workgroup, developed "A
National Strategy to Revitalize Environmental Public Health
Services"
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/Docs/nationalstrategy2003.pdf
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