CALO Member Spotlight: Yasmin Nachum, CEO, Israel Public Health Association

For 19 years, Yasmin Nachum has been at the heart of the Israel Public Health Association (IPHA), guiding the organization through growth, transformation, and times of national crisis. Her journey began unexpectedly—while working as an attorney representing IPHA in legal matters, Yasmin was offered a position as the CEO’s assistant shortly after deciding to leave her law firm. What began as a career shift quickly evolved into a lifelong calling.

Over the years, Yasmin’s leadership has shaped IPHA into a cornerstone of Israel’s public health ecosystem. Rising from assistant to legal advisor, then Deputy CEO, and finally to CEO, she has helped the organization expand its reach, deepen its impact, and navigate challenges with resilience and vision.

Under her leadership, IPHA has strengthened its position as a national leader in promoting holistic health—viewing well-being not merely as the absence of illness, but as a state of balance that encompasses education, environment, housing, and community. The organization has also been recognized by multiple municipalities across Israel and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Ministry of Health for its outstanding efforts in eradicating Hepatitis C among individuals with substance use disorders.

Yasmin’s tenure has not been without its challenges. She has led the organization through some of Israel’s most difficult times—including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war following the attacks of October 7th, 2023—while maintaining operational stability and supporting staff through uncertainty. These experiences reinforced her belief in the importance of organizational resilience, open communication, and transparency—values she now champions as essential tools for any nonprofit leader.

She also speaks candidly about the ongoing challenges of the nonprofit sector: securing stable funding, balancing care with prevention, and maintaining service quality while scaling nationally. Through it all, Yasmin remains committed to fostering innovation, developing cross-sector partnerships, and creating systems that support long-term public health and equity.

Looking to the future, Yasmin envisions the Israel Public Health Association as a national leader in cultural change—driving the understanding that public health is a shared social responsibility and an integral part of community well-being. Her vision is both ambitious and deeply human: to ensure that every individual, regardless of geography or background, has access to health, dignity, and opportunity.

For Yasmin, CALO has provided an invaluable space for reflection, connection, and shared learning.

“Participating in CALO has been a deeply human, connecting, and empowering experience,” she shares. “For me, the forum is a community of sharing and learning—a place where it’s safe to speak honestly about challenges, exhaustion, failures, small victories, and deeper meaning. The conversations in CALO reconnected me to the essence of leadership: the ability to listen, to share, and to truly see the person in front of you—not just their role.”

Yasmin describes her forum as a circle of genuine partnership—a place where leaders from different fields come together with one shared belief: that through the heart, we can transform organizations—and through organizations, we can transform society.