NEHA NEWS
I thank Sandra Long, Brian Collins, Bob Custard, Pricilla Oliver, Adam London, Keith Krinn, and Carolyn Harvey. I thank you all and others that were not mentioned by name. I must also thank my wife and family who supported travel over the past 16 years. My daughter and I even had the opportunity to travel together during her time as an environmental health professional in Denver. As part of my family, I must include some coworkers who often held down the fort when I was gone—my thanks to Tiany Gaertner and Jennifer Escobedo,” Kroeger stated.
grown so much professionally and personally by being a part of this great community,” reflected Michelson. “If you are considering volunteering for an organization that puts its members, commu- nity, and profession first, NEHA is the one for you!”
Region 7 Vice-President Tim Hatch, MPA, REHS, leaves the board after 9 years of dedicated service and leader- ship from 2014–2023. Region 7 includes the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. During his tenure on the board, he has served on numerous committees including chair of the AEC Planning Committee,
Region 5 Vice-President Traci Michel- son, MS, REHS, CP-FS, leaves the board after 3 years of dedicated service and leadership from 2020–2023. Region 5 includes the following states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mex- ico, and Oklahoma. Over the past 3 years, she has been a member of the NEHA Food Safety Committee; partici- pated on NEHA board committees
as well as a technical advisor and Journal peer reviewer. He was the first chair of the NEHA Global Engagement Committee and was on the committee in 2014–2015 that selected a new executive direc- tor. “I decided that three terms is a good point to where I have learned the association, given back, have become one of the ‘old heads,’ and worked to recruit new people, ideas, and diversity into this board,” stated Hatch. Hatch was proud to serve his region and work in one of the most disaster-prone areas in the U.S. Hatch observed, “The Gulf and Atlantic states are home to some of the best environmen- tal health practitioners in the country who not only serve their communities on a regular basis but also respond to unique and complex environmental health challenges after disasters like hur- ricanes, floods, tornadoes, oil spills, and hot and cold weather events. From 2013–2019, I was blessed to represent NEHA and environmental health in general through international training sessions on environmental health and disaster response.” These trainings were held in countries including Australia, Croatia, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, and the U.S. and U.S. Virgin Islands. Hatch was also a core contributor to the Under- standing the Needs, Challenges, Opportunities, Vision, and Emerging Roles in Environmental Health (UNCOVER-EH) ini- tiative led by NEHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC), and Baylor University in 2019. Hatch began as a county-level environmental public health prac- titioner in 1995 and rose to the position of administrator, over- seeing all public health services for an 11-county district. “I have always considered environmental health the core of public health. What matters most is human health, longevity, and environmental quality for a happy and safe existence. Environmental health prac- titioners ensure that,” commented Hatch. From his first NEHA AEC in 2005, Hatch knew NEHA was the place to learn all he could about our profession. He was the first environmental health practitioner in Alabama in two decades to earn the NEHA REHS/RS credential in 2007. Since that time, he has mentored and encouraged a dozen more professionals to
including AEC planning, aliate engagement, and credentialing; participated in three Hill Days for the organization, and served as the legacy advisor to the Business & Industry Aliate. “It has been a fantastic 3 years participating on the board. The team has accomplished so much and I’m so proud to be a part of the growth and enhancements that we have accomplished,” stated Michelson. “I’ve met so many new people, learned more about the environment health profession than I ever thought possible, and helped to drive awareness and engagement within our aliates and our industry. As the sole industry constituent on the board during my term, I’ve continued to support and push our Business & Industry Aliate to engage and grow our collaboration eorts with NEHA and other state aliates. It has been an interesting and fulfilling experience—I can’t thank NEHA and all its members enough for providing me with this opportunity. I’ll be a NEHA member and advocate for life!” Michelson has spent more than 20 years in the food industry working in various food safety and quality auditor roles within regu- latory, manufacturing, and food service sectors. She currently works for McDonald’s as a food safety manager and has worked for iconic brands like Brinker International, Darden Restaurants, Pepperidge Farm, and Smucker’s. Furthermore, Michelson is actively involved and volunteers in other professional associations like the Confer- ence for Food Protection, Partners With a Common Purpose within the Association of Food and Drug Ocials, National Restaurant Association, and National Council of Chain Restaurants within the National Retail Federation. She also was a past president and secre- tary/treasurer for the Business & Industry Aliate. “Being elected and participating on the NEHA Board of Direc- tors has been one of the most impactful and rewarding experiences in my life. The sta and leadership at NEHA are amazing and I’ve
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September 2023 • Journal of Environmental Health
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