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NEHA NEWS
NEHA Government A airs Director Wins Calver Award
I received my undergraduate degree in global health and Span- ish from Allegheny College in 2019 and started my MPH program soon after. During my MPH program at DePaul University in Chi- cago, I had the opportunity to intern with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. During that internship, I focused on understanding environmental health literacy and dierent health messaging strategies. I currently live in Chicago and am always on the move! During the short summer months that Chicago has, I love rollerblading on the lakefront with my dog Indie in my backpack, paddleboarding, or enjoying a good game of beach volleyball. When the weather starts to get colder, I spend a lot of time in my favorite boxing classes and local pottery studios.
In November 2023, Doug Farquhar, JD, our Government Aairs director, was awarded the Homer N. Calver Award from the Environment Section of the American Public Health Association. The Calver Award recognizes an envi- ronmental health expert who has con- tributed significantly to the field. Farquhar has provided policy direc- tion for environmental health for more
than 25 years. His experience includes state legislative policy with a focus on the nexus between state and federal policymaking. “Receiving the Calver Award is an unexpected honor,” Farquhar stated. “It made me think about my career, about environmental health.” Farquhar has a long career of identifying and analyzing state leg- islation and policy, and has testified more than 60 times before 32 state legislatures. “We have a story to tell. A positive story. One that every elected ocial, every appointed board member, every public health leader in this country must hear,” said Farquhar. “Environ- mental health does the impossible daily. We make sure that busi- nesses can operate without causing health hazards. That body art studios can perform piercings safely. That novel food operations, such as food trucks, do not lead to outbreaks. That drinking water from any source can be free from waterborne pathogens.” In 2024, Farquhar will be focused on expanding the connection of state, territorial, local, and tribal environmental public health pro- grams to federal representatives to increase awareness of environ- mental health issues in their communities. To learn more about our current government aairs eorts, visit www.neha.org/advocacy.
Danci Miles I have been in the accounting field since I was 15 years old and went to college at the University of Oregon to continue pursuing accounting. I have always enjoyed numbers and being organized, which is the main reason I chose the field of accounting. I have worked in multiple sectors of accounting, includ- ing both the private and public sectors.
I started with NEHA in January 2023 as a senior accountant. After working in the public accounting sector for many years, I decided I wanted to learn something new and focus more on the nonprofit field. I spend the majority of my time at NEHA working on the annual budgets, monthly reconciliations, and assisting with subaward tracking. In my personal life, I currently live in Oregon and enjoy spend- ing my time hiking with my dog, traveling to new countries, and hanging out with my family.
Show them you are an expert. You are dedicated to environmental health. Earn the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/ Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential to let your community and employer know just how much. The REHS/RS credential is the gold standard in environmental health. Learn the requirements: neha.org/rehs-rs-credential
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Volume 86 • Number 6
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