Carissa Heinige

Carissa Heinige, MSGH, is a seasoned public health professional currently serving as the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Deschutes County since August 2020. In this role, Carissa performs various preparedness, response, and recovery responsibilities in alignment with national, state, and local policies. Previously, Carissa was a Public Health Educator II, focusing on community health empowerment, and has experience as a volunteer with the American Red Cross, where collaboration with public health departments enhanced unit objectives. Carissa's background also includes significant management and community engagement experience at Genentech, where leadership of a charitable giving team fostered partnerships with local organizations. Early career roles featured internships and academic positions that honed research and teaching skills in biochemistry. Carissa holds a Master’s Degree in Global Health from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from George Fox University.