Opening General Session

The Opening General Session will take place on Sunday, November 8, 2009 from 12:00 pm noon to 2:00 pm at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Opening General Session is the official kickoff of the Annual Meeting.

Immediately following the Opening General Session all registrants are invited to visit the Grand Opening of the Public Health Expo.

Céline Cousteau is daughter of ocean explorer and filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau and granddaughter of the legendary Jacques Cousteau. Céline travels the globe as an "oceanaut" and educational ambassador. Endeavoring to explore the many regions of the world both above and below water, as well as the cultures within them, Céline seeks to make connections between the human species and our environment. She is globally recognized as a representative of a new generation concerned with our responsibility to protect the natural world.

Fluent in three languages, Céline has collaborated with her father's Ocean Futures Society promoting the educational program, "Ambassadors of the Environment," throughout her travels. She has helped draw recognition to the Ocean Futures Society and raise awareness for the Cousteau mission of protecting the sea and its treasures. Her work and life experiences have led her to become one of the premier envrionmental speakers in the industry.

Céline is also featured in PBS' most successful new television series "Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures," and has recently been filming a documentary about various shark species in Australia for the Discovery Channel. Passionate about intercultureal relations, Cousteau received her masters in international and intercultural management from the School for International Training. She was worked for a number of prestigious organizations, from the University for Peace of United Nations to the Earth Council's Earth Charter Project. Her most recent project is trying to bring medical attention to the indigenous people of the Vale do Javari reserve in Brazil.

Not just an adventurer and explorer, Céline is an incredible storyteller, connecting unique and diverse cultures, showcasing the importance of learning from one another and helping to preserve and protect our natural world.