I’m happy to send you my first message as the new chair of the Food and Nutrition Section (FNS).  The Section had a very productive year in 2007 that will, hopefully, be followed by equally impressive accomplishments in 2008.  We will continue the work that started under the leadership of Patti Risica:

• We had the largest volume of abstracts, over 300, and a wonderful program at the 2007 Annual Meeting Politics, Policy and Public Health held in Washington, D.C.  We had 20 oral sessions and five poster sessions, our largest program ever. Thank you, Sibylle Kranz!
• We had a wonderful award banquet highlighting leaders in the public health nutrition field.  Thank you, Deirdra Chester and Sarah Samuels!
• The Section focused a great deal on increasing communication with fellow colleagues, professional organizations and within the FNS.  Examples of these are:
  • Building collaborative scientific sessions at the Annual Meeting, creating joint sessions with the Environment, School Health Education & Services, Epidemiology and Maternal & Child Health Sections.
  • Formal liaison relationship with the American Dietetic Association, Society for Nutrition Education and National Association of Nutrition and Activity.  Thank you, Lissa Ong!
  • Launching a new Food & Nutrition Web site as part of the APHA Web site.  Thank you, Paul Cotton and Patti Risica!
  • The FNS volunteered to pilot the eCommunities function of the APHA Web site, so stay tuned.
• FNS sponsored the new Physical Activity Special Interest Group (SPIG) that aims to form a section within the next three years.  The FNS worked with the Physical Activity SPIG and established three Scientific Sessions focused on physical activity.  Thank you, Susan Kayman!
• The Child Overweight Committee outlined example “10 Steps” for schools and will be finalizing the approach this year.  Thank you, Gail Woodward-Lopez and Lynn Fredericks!
• We have created a new Public Health Nutrition Workforce Committee lead by Susan Kayman at the University of California, Berkeley, who will identify needs of the PHN work force over the coming year.
• Organized an exhibit booth for the APHA Annual Meeting to highlight the Section, Section activities, and food and nutrition materials.  Thank you, Janice Adams-King and Meredith Morrison!
• Published three newsletters to keep membership informed of Section activities and food and nutrition related issues.  Thank you, Angela Odoms-Young and Sarah Forrestal!
• We ushered in new APHA policies and continue to monitor issues pertaining to child overweight, agriculture and food programs and food safety and food security.  Thank you, Joan Trendell, Katrina Holt, Noel Chavez, Sue Foerster and Matthew Marson!

Our focus on child obesity will be strengthened as we develop concrete strategies to address this important issue.  Expanding the 10 Steps for schools, the Child Overweight Committee will also work on 10 Step approaches for other community venues.  We will continue to work with the Physical Activity SPIG to develop it as a Section.

The work of the Food Safety Committee is very vital and is bringing our Section into a new area of leadership.  This committee will continue to play a vigorous role in 2008 as we work to adopt a general resolution on food safety, continue to work with the Environment Section on policy issues and develop new scientific sessions.

Section membership remains a priority area for 2008.  We will encourage each member to bring others, especially students, into the Section.  Further, we plan to continue to highlight benefits of the Section and develop a formal mentoring program. This expansion of membership and a mentoring program should also help to diversify our membership in ways which will benefit the Section and our focus on food and nutrition policy.

We will build on existing efforts to establish strong Section linkages with the affiliates.  As you know, under the leadership of Patti Risica, in 2006 our section conducted a survey of affiliate needs in the area of supporting healthy weights.  She found that many affiliates had an interest in programs and activities related to healthy weights and wanted additional support from the Section including fact sheets and other resources.  Patti continues this effort in 2008 as the Communications Chair, and we will develop a comprehensive plan for fuller communication with affiliates, advising them on activities they can do and supporting their efforts, possibly through the eCommunities.

I look forward to working with you during this exciting year for our Section and for our field of food and nutrition.  Please continue your past efforts and work with us to increase our membership and our influence.  At this time I’d like to welcome our new 2008 secretary, Section Councilors, and Governing Council members: Lynn Fredericks, Susan Kayman, Noel Chavez, Gail Woodward-Lopez as well as the continuing members: Marcia Thomas, Sibylle Kranz, Katrina Holt, Joan Trendall, L. Beth Dixon, Janice Adams-King, Deirdra Chester, Sarah Samuels, Sara Fein, Paul Cotton, Angela Odoms-Young, Sarah Forrestal, Elaine Prewitt, Geraldine Perry-Allen, Sue Foerster, Matthew Marson, Ruth Palombo and Lissa Ong.