Another summer has passed and we are once again getting ready for our Annual Meeting, which will be held on November 5-8 in Boston this year. We will follow our standard format, with section and business meetings starting on Sunday the 5th. All members are invited to participate in the business meetings on Sunday; the meeting will again provide an opportunity for new and old Section members to mingle with each other, meet the Section leadership, and learn about Section activities.
Program Planning Chair Sonya Jones has worked hard and we will have very interesting sessions on, for example, “Targeted Food and Nutrition Marketing to Vulnerable Populations,” “Prevention of Childhood Obesity: the Role of the Food Industry and Local Governments in Creating Healthy Environments,” “Healthy Food Assistance and Agricultural Policy,” and “What Can Communities Do to Address Childhood Overweight?’ There will be many other stimulating presentations and discussions, and we will also have the Agnes Higgins Awards Reception and Presentation focused on fetal nutrition.
I am very excited about the plans for our annual meeting. The Section has been striving to bring those working in physical activity into APHA. Susan Kayman at the University of Southern California is leading this effort. Toni Yancy, MD, from UCLA, who works extensively in the area of physical activity also has agreed to work with us.
Congratulations to the newly elected 2006 Section Council members:
Chair-elect: Barbara A. Laraia, PhD, MPH, RD
Secretary-elect: Lynn Fredericks, BA
Section Council: Susan Kayman, DrPH, RD, MS
Governing Council: Noel Chavez, PhD, RD, LDN
Joan Trendell, MS, RC, CD
All elected Section Council members will officially begin their duties at the end of the Annual Meeting on November 8th.
Mark these dates and times at the Annual Meeting:
- On Sunday the 5th from 2:00 to 6:30 pm we will hold an open business meeting of our Section—all are welcome.
- On Sunday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, everyone is also welcome at the annual networking and awards dinner. This year the dinner will be supported by a generous gift from the National Seafood Association.
- On Monday the 6th, the Food Safety Committee will be meeting from 7:00 to 8:00 am and would welcome those of you are interested.
- On Tuesday the 7th, in the evening, a joint social meeting will be held with the Environmental Health Section entitled “Breaking Bread: Celebrating the Common Ground of Food, Nutrition, Agriculture & the Environment. Since last year we have increased collaborative efforts with the Environmental Health Section and this evening meeting will allow us to meet and greet each other, network, and explore options for collaborative endeavors in a pleasant social setting. There will be free hors d’oeurves and a cash bar.
I look forward to seeing you all at the annual meeting!
Pat