YOUR ASSOCIATION
NEHA NEWS
New Policy Statement Approved to Support the Profession In January 2023, the Board of Directors of the National Environ- mental Health Association (NEHA) approved an update policy statement on the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Reg- istered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential. Environmental health programs carried out by REHS/RS credentialed individuals, as well as other credentialed personnel, serve to prevent illness, injury, and death. Credentialed personnel within these programs work to improve the health and quality of life of people living in their com- munities. Their services prevent adverse health outcomes and help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disease out- breaks and disasters. NEHA supports the credentialing of the environmental health workforce, in particular people who earn the REHS/RS credential. This credential is recognized in many states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, some jurisdictions have local environ- mental health credential programs that are required for the prac- tice of environmental health. A credentialed environmental health workforce is essential to meet the demands required of federal, state, local, tribal, and ter- ritorial environmental health agencies. As such, NEHA supports the following: • Health is the basis of prosperity in every community. • Safe food, safe drinking water, clean air, safe sewage disposal, emergency response, and healthy living and workplace environ- ments are basic necessities for communities. • Assuring health equity and a healthy living environment requires a workforce of well trained and technically competent environ- mental health specialists and sanitarians who are credentialed. • Environmental health agencies and industry partners should strive to attract and retain credentialed and trained environmen- tal health professionals to provide capacity and quality in their environmental health programs. The policy statement was drafted by the NEHA Credentialing Committee and NEHA sta. The policy will sunset in January 2026. Visit www.neha.org/policy to view the full statement, as well as other policy statements on body art, climate change, food safety, preparedness, vector control, water quality, and more. NEHA Sta Profiles As part of tradition, we feature new sta members in the Journal around the time of their 1-year anniversary. These profiles give you an opportunity to get to know our sta better and to learn more about the great programs and activities going on in your associa- tion. This month we are pleased to introduce you to three NEHA sta members. Contact information for all NEHA sta can be found on pages 44 and 45.
Joetta DeFrancesco I joined the NEHA Entrepreneurial Zone team in April 2022 as the Retail Pro- gram Standards coordinator working on the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM) Grant Program. Com- ing from a state regulatory agency, I was excited to begin work as the importance of this grant program and the impact of the funds are well understood.
My role here involves supporting grantees to aid in the success- ful completion of their grant work. This support can be anything from reviewing grant reports to developing guidance to aiding jurisdictions in meeting the Voluntary National Retail Food Regu- latory Program Standards or reaching out to our stakeholders to share information. It is a job I not only enjoy but also get the plea- sure of working with a remarkable group of professionals to help improve food safety nationwide. My background includes 14 years with a state regulatory agency, most recently running retail quality assurance and training with a team that was responsible for all aspects of the training and cer- tification process for all new inspection sta. Prior to working for the state, I spent over 20 years working in both restaurant and private club food service operations. Additionally, I have taught as an adjunct instructor for both business and hospitality courses. When not working for NEHA you can find me gardening, spend- ing time with friends and family, taking my camper on adventures, or enjoying countless other hobbies.
Adrienne Gothard After I received my undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado, I began my professional career as a clin- ical dietitian in an acute care hospital. During my 10 years at the hospital, I wore many hats while providing nutri- tional care to patients in clinical and food services. I greatly enjoyed being
able to care for patients and serve as a leader in the nutrition department. I realized, however, that I wanted to be part of pre- venting disease, not just treating it. This realization led me to begin graduate studies in public health. I started my journey with NEHA as an intern while I was finishing up my master of public health from the University of Nebraska Medi- cal Center. From the moment I started, I knew that NEHA was an organization where I could really see myself thriving and making a dierence. I was hired full time in April 2022 to assume the role of internship coordinator for the National Environmental Public Health Internship Program. I love getting to work with students who are passionate about environmental health and connecting them with
48
Volume 85 • Number 8
Powered by FlippingBook