In celebration of Women’s History Month, Montana State University Bozeman’s Women’s Center sponsored a special lecture titled, Grassroots to Global: The Power of Public Health, by public health practitioner, policy advocate and non-profit strategist, Dr. Cora Neumann, founder of the First Ladies Global Alliance.
Dr. Neumann has over twenty years of experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including working at the U.S. State Department, the RAND Corporation, the Bush Institute, Care.com, and the World Health Organization. Throughout her career, she has designed
strategies and brought together local, Indigenous and national leaders to deliver quality, accessible health care and social services to under served communities.
In 2009, she launched the Global First Ladies Alliance (GFLA) in partnership with the offices of First Ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama, and has worked with more than 40 first ladies around the world to support their delivery of critical social services to their populations. In 2023, GFLA partnered with Columbia University to launch an annual executive leadership training with First Ladies, including First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
Cora Neumann currently serves as Chief Community Health Officer at the Native American Development Corporation. She brings her sense of public service to her professional life, including serving on the board of Columbia University School of Public Health, and as a former regional Vice
President of the Montana Public Health Association. She has a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University and doctorate in public health and development from the University of Oxford.

Cora Neumann grew up and is based in Bozeman, Montana, surrounded by four generations of family, from her grandmother to her two children. She is introduced by MSU Women Center’s Director, Betsy Danforth.