Washington, D.C., November 12, 2008
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During the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 136th Annual Meeting and Exposition, several new leaders and officers were elected to guide the work of the Association. Additionally, the annual meeting also marked the beginning of the one-year term of APHA President Cheryl Easley, PhD, RN.
“I am very pleased to assume this new leadership position within APHA,” said Easley, dean of the University of Alaska Anchorage College of Health and Social Welfare. “This is a unique experience that will allow me to be involved in a wide range of public health issues and I look forward to working with the Association’s leaders, members and staff as we strive to improve our nation’s health.”
The newly elected APHA leaders include Carmen Nevarez, MD, MPH, vice president of external relations and preventive medicine advisor of the Public Health Institute, as president-elect; Cory Neudorf, BSC, MD, MHSC, chief medical officer and vice president of research for the Saskatoon Health Region, as vice president for Canada; Kenneth Olden, PhD, ScD, LHD, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, as vice president for the United States; and Mirta Roses Periago, MD, director of the Pan American Health Organization, as vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Elected as chair and vice chair of the APHA Executive Board were, respectively, Linda Landesman, DrPH, MSW, an assistant vice president at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, and Giorgio Piccagli, PhD, MPH, an independent consultant.
“This is a wonderful opportunity and I look forward to working with the Executive Board as we strive toward meeting the goals of the Association,” Landesman said.
Additionally, three APHA members were newly elected to the executive board. These members include Diane Conti, executive director of Parca; Susan West Marmagas, director of health programs with the Collaborative on Health and the Environment at Commonweal; and Joseph Telfair, DrPH, MPH, MSW, professor of public health research and practice at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
“I am excited about this infusion of new leadership to the Association’s executive board,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA. “Each individual brings with them an impressive level of expertise and knowledge, and I look forward to their contributions as we continue to work to protect and promote the health of our nation’s communities.”
APHA's Executive Board is a 24-member body that meets regularly throughout the year to conduct Association business. It supports APHA’s work to emphasize prevention, promote the scientific and professional foundation of public health practices and policy, advocate for the conditions for a healthy global society, and enhance the ability of members to promote and protect environmental and community health.