A.    Policy

1.     New Policies

    Sincerest thanks to everyone involved in the creation and revisions of the four resolutions and the position paper that have been submitted!  Kyle Kinner, John Balbus and Tracy Kolian submitted an updated policy on climate change and health, which has been adopted by APHA. Roni Neff and the Healthy Food Systems Committee have submitted a new policy position paper on food, environment and nutrition.  This policy is still being reviewed, but has been received favorably.  Please feel free to contact John Balbus at <jbalbus@ed.org> if you have questions about the policy submission process.

2.      Subcommittees

    A new climate change committee has been formed, co-chaired by Kyle Kinner and John Balbus.  Please contact John at <jbalbus@ed.org> if you have not already and wish to be involved in this activity.

    A Built Environment Initiative Committee has been formed, and is working on helping the Section identify goal areas and a strategy for moving forward as a Section and together with APHA.  

    A Healthy Food Systems Committee has been formed to address issues of nutrition, environment and health.  The committee has developed a special session proposal both for APHA and for the Section.  If interested in joining a committee on this issue, please contact Jill Litt at <jill.litt@uchsc.edu>.

    Jill Litt, Karen Perry Stillerman and David Wallinga among others are working with APHA as an advisory group on advocacy efforts related to the Farm Bill and other connections that relate to food and environment. 

B.   Program Planning

    Barbara Glenn and Bill Daniell have been doing a fantastic job planning the program for 2007!  They have been reviewing many abstracts, and are looking to recruit session moderators and future program planners.  Please contact them if you are interested: <Glenn.Barbara@epa.gov> and <bdaniell@u.washington.edu>.

C.   Nominations Committee

    Interested in getting involved in the leadership aspects of the section?  If so, please send your name to Nse Obot Witherspoon at <nobot@cehn.org>.  

D.   Student Involvement Committee

    The Student Involvement Committee has sent out the announcement for the Student Scholarship Program Awards.  Results from a survey sent to all the students in the Student Assembly and previous poster and travel award winners has provided important feedback for revising the acceptance criteria to help foster further participation in the section.  The student liaisons, Taylor Anderson and Becky Gluskin, have been busy strengthening the connection with students via the creation of an Environment Student Council subcommittee.  Nse Obot-Witherspoon and Devon Payne-Sturges are brainstorming fundraising activities in D.C. for the Annual Meeting.  Please send ideas to Nse at <nobot@cehn.org>.

E.   Committee on 2011

    Leyla McCurdy has volunteered to chair this newly formed committee that will work to plan events related to the Section’s upcoming 100th Anniversary in 2011.  If you would like to work on this committee, please contact Leyla McCurdy at <mccurdy@neetf.org>.

F.  Green Meeting Committee

    Maureen O’Neill, a section councilor, has agreed to chair the Green Meeting Committee.  She is being assisted by Section members Tim Parsons, Darlene Messina, Michelle Gottlieb and Jennifer Thatcher, as well as Anna Keller at APHA. The goal of this committee is to identify practices for APHA to adopt to increase nutrition and decrease waste at the annual meetings, and as an organizational leader.  Please see the Web site that has recently been posted about Environmental Initiatives and the Annual Meeting <http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/Environment.htm>. 

G.  Membership Committee

    Welcome to new and returning members! We want the Environment Section to meet your needs for professional development and networking while advancing the Section's mission of a sustainable and healthy environment.  Robin Lee and the Committee would like to help you customize your Section membership by sending updates based on member interests, so please update your professional interests and expertise at the APHA Web site.  You can update your interests by accessing your member profile at www.apha.org.  Click on the ‘About Us’ drop down menu (upper left-hand corner of the screen), then ‘Member Information’ and lastly, ‘Update Your Member Profile.’  Enter your username and password to access your member profile.  Update all fields and click Submit Changes at the bottom of the screen. 

    Please get involved in our activities and help this section continue to be one of the best at APHA (see Participation Opportunities Table).  If you have suggestions or membership ideas, please contact Robin Lee.