Long-time Section member and legislative leader Joseph Telfair has been nominated for a position on the APHA Executive Board.  This is a great honor both for him and for the Section.  The following is his position statement:

Public health issues facing the nation and world are diverse and complex.  APHA is faced with the challenge of how to help our members, affiliates and leaders in the field make the best decisions to capitalize on opportunities to:

1.   Address the diverse challenges facing public health through effective practice, advocacy, education and policies.

2.   Make a difference in both short and long-term efforts through the support of existing and new APHA policies in making health care a right for all, particularly the under-served, building public health infrastructure through work force development, increasing funding, and strengthening collaborative partnerships at the local, national and international levels.

3.   Use the Executive Board to make APHA a more effective organization through decisive, diplomatic and representative leadership in the areas of policy execution, organizational management, program review and coordination, membership functions and deployment matters specific to Association Boards and Committees.

My experience within my Caucus, on the Governing Council, as part of the leadership in my Section, familiarity with internal workings of APHA, and my background as an advocate, diplomat, and community-based participatory public health researcher can benefit the Association’s activities.

I will take seriously my responsibility to listen to the voices of APHA members and to learn and share effective approaches to challenges facing our organization. I promise to combine my passion for public health with a commitment to serve in a manner that allows for achievement of critical results that are mutually agreed upon and implemented to formulate sound decisions for the purpose of making APHA a more effective organization. I believe and have demonstrated throughout my public health career that – Commitment to service + Diplomacy = Results.