Background
Heidi Staats is the Director of WIC Strategy and Partnerships at Umoja Health. In this role, she leads enterprise-wide initiatives that optimize operations, improve partnerships, and enhance organizational performance across Umoja’s projects with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). She analyzes current processes, develops improvement strategies, and implements solutions to increase partnerships, roll-out, engagement, and efficiency while ensuring quality and repeatability. She also helps foster a culture of continuous improvement by ensuring WIC State Agencies have the knowledge, support, and tools needed to expand access and nutrition security for the maternal and child population through online shopping and home delivery.
Heidi has spent the past 18 years with WIC, most recently serving as state director of the program in West Virginia. In that role, she defined the vision and strategy for continuous improvement planning across clinic services, management information, retailer management, and research—including redesigning and strengthening key initiatives and processes that supported a range of core business functions. This included introducing a mobile pay solution for the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program that yielded the third highest benefit redemption rate in the nation. Previously, Heidi served as retailer and farmer management division director and as outreach and special projects coordinator for the West Virginia WIC Program, while serving with the National WIC Association Legislative Policy Committee and the Vendor Business Task Force.
Heidi earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a Master in Social Work with an emphasis in community organizing and social administration from West Virginia University. She is a lifelong West Virginian with her grown son in California, and three daughters still at home. Heidi loves to travel, read, attend concerts, and accept the challenge of any roller coaster.