APHA will hold a special election for the Mental Health Section so that leadership can be in place at the end of the upcoming Annual Meeting. We have one Section Councilor, Cassandra Contreras, who will continue into next year as an elected officer. All the other positions will be newly elected in this special election. As you can see, this election is not a competition this year. But your vote is still important as an official method for our volunteers to step into positions to promote mental health in the larger APHA agenda of health care reform and to craft the section's activities and program in the next several years.  There is one candidate for each of the following positions:

Chair - Jean Demmler
Chair-elect - Kathleen Thomas
Secretary-elect - Erin Rogers
5 Section Councilors - Frank Bandiera, Christine Castles, Anita Saranga Coen, Christine Castles,
    Ahmed Kassem and Amy Signore
3 Governing Councilors - Rani Desai, Mary Evans and David Mandell

Please respond to the upcoming ballot to be sent by APHA as a way to endorse our leadership in the years ahead. Effective work of the mental health section depends on the volunteer time and energy that all members are able to contribute.  It will be critical that the leadership and general membership work together to plan a great 2012 APHA Mental Health Section program and promote knowledge and advocacy about good public mental health care.  Elect and challenge our leadership towards these goals!