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linkedin.com/in/natalieezzie/Education
MBA, Applied Economics, Depaul University
BS, Marketing Economics & Corporate Communications, Walsh University
Natalie is driven by a desire to build; whether she’s building personnel, processes, or systems, she consistently positions herself as a catalyst for growth. Her diverse career path has been intentional, building broad and deep experience in business strategy, operations, marketing, and project management, which, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit, have positioned Natalie for an Executive Leadership role in organizations where she can make the most impact for the most people.
Desiring to be a part of improving and building better structures and organizations, Natalie returned to school for her MBA in Applied Economics while working at Coleman Entrepreneurial Center, helping entrepreneurs develop business plans and strategies. This exciting environment catapulted her into the world of entrepreneurs, contracting, and consulting.
Natalie’s entrepreneurial and contracting work included: Director of Operations at DonorPath, building this startup from scratch in its infrastructure, operations, and product management; Quality and Patient Experience Project Manager at MetroHealth; and Business Director at the Studio of Christine Wisniewski, a boutique graphic design studio, where she managed a revenue growth of about 38 percent annually.
As Executive Director of Operations at West Virginia University’s Health Affairs Institute, Natalie has been an integral part of the meteoric growth of the office, which provides population-based research that directs critical health care resources to the people of WV who are in most need. In this position, the industry-equivalent of which would be Chief Operating Officer (COO), her key role is to build and implement infrastructure based on high-level strategies, operationalize it, and scale it fast.
The improvements we made to the infrastructure of Health Affairs demonstrated to our state partners that we could provide these critical consulting services just as well as private consultancies at a fraction of the price. And the academic rigor that we bring ensures that the quality of our work exceeds that of our competitors.
Natalie continues to perform many of the same functions as in my role as Director, however, now she leads and effects change organization-wide, including in research and data analytics, information management, contract administration, IT, and expert business office and financial advisors. She also serves as key liaison with university professional services.
In order to remain connected to the product, the processes, and the clients, Natalie also serves as consultant and principal investigator on projects.
Natalie’s intellectual curiosity and her drive to build and improve systems and organizations have allowed her to help the leadership team at WVU catapult Health Affairs to dramatic growth and relevance in the field of public health research. She continues to seek new ways to grow and build Health Affairs to positively impact more and more lives.