try to stress is that I thought I understood what this community leader was saying, but in 2020, during the COVID-19 pan- demic, I lived through what he had lived. My mother—despite all the science and all the data that I could share—needed to be with family and friends, just like the people in his community. She needed hope. I thought about this community leader and I thought if I take away hope, I take everything from her. So, I practiced at home what I preach at work. Using the same risk communication principles that I present around the world for CDC and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), I approached my mother with messages of hope and empow- erment through preventive methods. Sharing this message with her is what got us through the next steps of the pandemic. It was through these moments of self- awareness and personal impact that I realized that being an environmental public health practitioner does not only come with great power but also great responsibilities. We may often be regulators who enforce compliance, mandate protocols, and create guidance, but we also change perspectives for the better of our communities.
I realize my story is not unique and some of my environmental health colleagues lost parents, grandparents, and friends during the pandemic. They also continued to work in dicult environments and sometimes the choices they had to make for the communities they served were not easy. Hope is, however, what environmental health professionals give to our communities. Every time you go into an outbreak and search for the cause—the why behind the outbreak—you provide hope. Every time you worked in a community and provided guidance during the pandemic, you gave hope. Every time you did an inspection and found something that needed to be cor- rected, you gave hope that someone would not get sick and that the prevention (the good) prevailed. You handled the good, the bad, and the ugly in stride and with grace. It is an honor and privilege to serve as your NEHA president. I take this responsibility with pride. I am the first female USPHS com- missioned ocer to hold this position as well as one of only nine other women to hold this position. My goal is to make a dierence to the generations that follow and to give them hope for the future through better strategies. I also want to take on dicult issues such as climate
change and its impact on health, water, food safety, and lead poisoning prevention. One of my colleagues, Dr. Bryan Brooks, said to me, “The world needs what NEHA provides.” The environmental health prac- titioners that make up our organization are world leaders in environmental health. We have more than 3,000 Registered Environ- mental Health Specialist/Registered Sani- tarian (REHS/RS) and approximately 2,600 Certified Professional–Food Safety (CP-FS) credential holders. NEHA is focused on the present while forging a path for our future. Our commitment to empowering future leaders in environmental health is evident in the National Environmental Pub- lic Health Internship Program (NEPHIP). which has amassed over 40 participants in 3 years. I look forward to serving with you. Of course, none of this work and progress is pos- sible unless I listen to you, the experts.
akhan@neha.org
Did You Know?
We support your continuing education (CE) needs by providing educational opportunities to complement your credentials and life-long learning. We have improved and expanded our virtual CE oerings, which are available in a variety of formats and free to members. Learn more at www.neha.org/ continuing-education.
Stand out in the crowd. Show the world you are the environmental health expert you know you are with a credential. You might even earn more or get promoted. neha.org/credentials
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July/August 2024 • our:-l o2 :A5ro:me:?-l e-l?4
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