- Candidate for Executive Board
Evelyn Cherow, MA, MPA
Biography
Evelyn Cherow, MA, MPA, CEO/Founder, GlobalPartnersUnited, created a consultancy (2007-present) with unique implementing partnerships designed for global adoption of 21st century digital health technology systems to ensure accessible, inclusive, integrated and affordable public health, healthcare, early childhood, and education systems strengthening and capacity building. Focused on mitigating inequities in human + social capitol development in underserved countries and the US, GPU offers expertise to improve health, well-being and economic outcomes for individuals and nations, bridging the digital divide.
In senior and executive management, I co-created two national, federally-funded, university-based, demonstration programs serving children with disabilities and families and building workforce competencies. Earlier as a clinician at DC’s Children’s Hospital, our grant-funded interdisciplinary team offered comprehensive diagnostic and habilitative programs for at risk children and families lacking equitable access to quality healthcare. I have secured, directed and evaluated grants for national health projects.
Over a two-decade senior management career for a US national professional and scientific health association (ASHA), as an early adopter of knowledge technologies, I expanded inclusive early childhood, education, public health and healthcare workforce development, established profession-wide communities of practice, and formed coalitions for influencing public policy development and advocacy. With committees and coalitions, I facilitated consensus-building of 45 evidence-based practice policies and advocacy for US and global public policy infusion.
I represent APHA with Thrive coalition and WFPHA/Women, Children and Youth Committee, served as advisor to Congressional policymakers, US federal agencies (CDC, NIH/NIDCD, Education Department, FDA, OSHA, EPA, SSA), UK’s National Health Services, Asia and Africa Ministries/Ambassadors, academics, US medical diasporas, and for community-based capacity building for cross-sectoral service delivery and accessible technology. UN approved in Special Consultative Status, I participate in invited UN human rights treaty meetings, served in core leadership of UNICEF ECD international task force, co-led UNICEF CWD Task Forces, and as a UNESCO research project consultant.
As Chair, APHA’s Global Maternal and Child Health Network/Intersectional Work Groups, and member of the International Health Section leadership team, I disseminate cutting-edge resources via LEAD across component entities, and conduct professional development panels for APHA Annual Meetings and webinars, collaborating with APHA Office of Global Health, WFPHA WCY Committee, the Global Mental Health Committee, and initiated co-sponsorships with Mental Health and HIIT Sections and the Global Alliance on Behavioral Health and Social Justice.
Candidate Statement
"One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe… To transform, form connections, and leverage the tribe for growth and thriving." (Tribes; Seth Godin, 2008)
During my first graduate school stint, the Northwestern University faculty encouraged incoming students to join our national professional and scientific association¾the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA, est. 1928)¾US Education Department’s approved accrediting and standard-setting organization. Attending my first national ASHA conference set the stage for my career-long Association involvement, and senior and executive leadership for two university-based, federally-funded national demonstration programs. As ASHA spokesperson for twenty years, my focus evolved to collectively moving the research and evidence-based clinical practices forward programmatically, and concurrently, public policy development and advocacy.
I chose to enter this APHA Executive Board campaign now because as an APHA ‘tribe’ working to improve disease prevention, mortality and morbidity reduction, health care equity, social justice, climate change, women’s reproductive rights, mental health, nutrition and human rights, we understand stark negative consequences of this current political moment both nationally and globally, and the need to act collectively. As advisor for federal agencies (CDC, NIH/NIDCD, FDA, Education Department, OSHA, EPA, and SSA) and testimony author with consensus- and coalition building, I’ve applied cutting-edge evidence for program development plus US and global policy formulation.
Joining APHA (2008) IH, MCH, and Disability Sections, I bring these experiences to serving on IH Policy and Leadership committees and Chair of the Global Maternal and Child Health Network (2021-present). With national and international scope in UN consultative status, international Task Forces, representing APHA with OGH to the Thrive coalition, and the WFPHA WCY Committee, I believe I can contribute through EB participation to APHA’s initiatives combating Administration’s funding cuts, inaccurate science messaging, research obliteration attempts, and workforce politicization while fulfilling APHA’s strategic plan initiatives.