APHA CHW Section History
In 1970, some 500 community health workers and their supporters joined together within APHA to from the New Professionals Special Primary Interest Group. Their name was chosen in protest of the many terms used to describe them, including non-professional, sub-professional, aide, auxiliary and para-professional. In the 1980s, membership and activity in the SPIG declined, but the group continued to present a limited program and hold a business meeting during the Annual APHA Meeting. Throughout the 1990s, the SPIG was able to revitalize its voice within APHA.
In 2000, the New Professionals SPIG changed its name to the Community Health Worker SPIG. The CHW Section has consistently been involved in APHA governance since 2000, when we gained our first Unaffiliated Governing Councilors, E. Lee Rosenthal and June Grube-Robinson. That same year, the CHW SPIG submitted a resolution in support of CHWs: Policy Statement #200115, "Recognition and Support for Community Health Workers' Contributions to Meeting our Nation's Health Care Needs." The policy statement was formally adopted in 2002. The CHW SPIG Became the CHW Section in 2009.
Current CHW Section Leadership
2022-2024 Chair: Floribella Redondo
Immediate Past Chair: Ashley Rodríguez
Chair-Elect: Lisa Renée Holderby-Fox
2022-2024 Secretary: Dina Ferranti
Secretary-Elect: Jessica Calderon-Mora
Treasurer: Kim Bush
Section Council Representatives: Angie Kuzma, Mario Bañuelos, Maria Otero, Michelle Archuleta, and Julie St. John
Governing Council Representatives: Mae-Gilene Begay and Paige Menking
Program Planners & Awards: Denise Vasquez, Shontel Minor, Paige Menking
Communications Chair: Katie Sutkowi
Policy Committee Chairs: Rumana Rabbai, Angie Kuzma
Education y Capacitacion Committee Chairs: Mario Bañuelos, Angela Ellison
Membership Committee Chair: Ricardo Garay
Mentoring Chair: Lee Rosenthal
Nominations Committee Chairs: Julie St. John, Lee Rosenthal
Special Advisors to the Section: Dr. Lee Rosenthal and Maria Herrera
2022-2023 Section Student Liaison: Laura Silva
For leadership contact information, log in to APHA LEAD using your member credentials.
The APHA Community Health Workers Section actively promotes the voice of community health workers within health care and public health systems and in communities by providing a forum to share resources and strategies. The Section provides opportunities for mentorship and networking, collaboration, education and advocacy.
Joining our Section allows you to stay up to date on the latest public health and community health worker news and activities nationally.
Section Goals
Leadership Development
Our goal is to continue our tradition of electing community health workers to our highest leadership positions, with support from allies and students. National recognition of community health worker leadership serves as a source of inspiration and power for community health workers everywhere.
Membership Engagement
Our goal is to recruit and retain community health worker allies and students as members of the Section. This will occur through local and regional networks, health networks, academic networks, and independent professional associations of community health workers throughout the United States and tribal communities as well as at national meetings where community health workers gather.
CHW Recognition
A key driver for the APHA CHW Section is to acknowledge and recognize the CHW workforce. We offer annual Sewell scholarships to applicants to aid attendance in the annual meeting (typically closes one month prior to Annual Meeting), as well as have an Individual CHW of the Year Award and CHW Group Award offered annually.
Policy Development
An important part of the APHA CHW Section is to develop and support policies for the community health worker workforce. The CHW Section's Policy Committee convenes CHWs, allies, and advocates from around the U.S. to do the following:
- Develop and support APHA policies that promote the CHW workforce and CHW self-determination
- Share best practices and advance institutional, local, state, and national policies that support the CHW workforce and self-determination
CHW-related APHA policy links:
Non-APHA Policy Links