I’m Dr. Sarah Merkle, a public health strategist and former CDC leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations turn complex challenges into practical action.

Throughout my career, I’ve led and supported work across chronic disease prevention, school health, environmental health, policy, organizational strategy, and emergency response. I’ve worked with leaders and partners at the federal, state, and community levels—often at moments when priorities were shifting, resources were constrained, or the path forward wasn’t obvious.

The work I enjoy most is helping people make sense of complexity: bringing together evidence, perspectives, and practical realities to clarify priorities, strengthen programs, and move good ideas toward implementation.

I founded Kindling Collaborative to bring that experience to public health agencies and mission-driven organizations that need an experienced thought partner, facilitator, strategist, or advisor.

My approach is collaborative and pragmatic. I listen carefully, ask the questions that help uncover what matters most, and work with organizations to develop solutions that are not only thoughtful, but workable.