complete picture of our profession for our communities. I know some of you may be pessimistic about this approach and think that we cannot change the course we are on and how environmental health will continue to be invisible. Professional basketball player and sportscaster Bill Walton said it best: “If you think you’re too small to make a dier- ence, you’ve never spent a night in bed with a mosquito.”
With this optimistic look to the future, where do we go next? I do not want us to just talk about the changes but actually have some strategies in place to support and lead envi- ronmental health into the future. During my presidency, I will be working on the existential issue of our meaning and our purpose. I will be reaching out to you—our subject matter experts—for your perspectives and recommen- dations because it will take all of us to identify
who we are as a group and what we stand for. And then—and only then—can we move in the right direction. Together. And united.
akhan@neha.org
Our Government Aairs program advocates for support of environmental health programs and professionals at federal, state, and local levels of government. We function as a liaison between environmental health professionals and government ocials to inform decisions that support and fund our workforce. We track state and federal legislation, respond to federal and state inquiries on environmental health, and provide a voice for the environmental health workforce in policymaking. You can stay up-to-date on our work at www.neha.org/advocacy. View one of our Government Aairs webinars, explore our recent letters and sign-ons to Congress, read one of our active policy or position statements, or learn about recent state and federal legislative actions.
Did You Know?
326756-B
Get certified in environmental health and land reuse and help build a healthier community. Visit neha.org/ehlr. Healthy land, healthy people.
7
September 2024 • Journal of Environmental Health
Powered by FlippingBook