YOUR ASSOCIATION
NEHA REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PROFILES
Region 6
Region 6
Justin Dwyer, MPH-EH, LEHP, REHS/RS
Stephan Ruckman, MPH, REHS Stephan Ruckman is a strong environmen- tal public health professional with a proven record of association leadership, policy and rule development, and stakeholder engage- ment. He has over 30 years of experience working in a variety of capacities from work- ing in local health departments to advising the State Department of Health on existing
Justin Dwyer is an Environmental Health Practitioner with the Peoria City/County Health Department in Illinois. He possesses a diverse educational background, holding an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu in St. Paul, MN, a Bache- lor’s degree in Environmental Science with
a minor in Art from Eureka College, Eureka, IL, and a Master’s in Public Health with a focus on Environmental Health from the University of Illinois- Springfield. With over a decade of dedicated service working in the field at the Peoria City/County Health Department, Justin specializes in food safety for farmers markets and cottage foods (food freedom). His responsibilities include conducting food safety inspections, permitting and inspecting onsite wastewater systems and water wells, and working as a licensed lead risk assessor to address lead paint hazards in homes with children exhibiting elevated blood lead levels. He has also worked in the vector surveillance programs. He has also provided presentations at multiple conferences within the State of Illinois as well as during the National Environmental Health Association’s AEC in New Orleans. Since 2017, Justin has been actively engaged with the Illinois Environmental Health Association (IEHA), taking on multiple leadership roles, including Public Relations Chair, Central Chap- ter Vice President, and President from 2019 to 2023. Currently, he serves as Legislation Chair, advocating for public health in food freedom laws and collaborating on statewide committees to effect meaningful change in Illinois. He has been instrumental in drafting several legislative bills that have become public acts in the state. In 2024, Justin participated in the NEHA Hill Day, in Washington D.C., where he met with leg- islative staff to promote environmental health initiatives in Illinois. Deeply passionate about environmental and public health, Jus- tin is committed to fostering collaboration with industry stake- holders and providing educational resources to effectively address public health needs. He is eager to continue his service to the NEHA community and the field of environmental health. Justin would be honored to represent Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michi- gan, and Ohio as the Region 6 Vice-President on the NEHA Board of Directors and Affiliate Council.
and emerging environmental health issues. He is skilled at identify- ing, engaging, and establishing rapport and credibility with key deci- sion makers and providing association leadership at many levels. He is a two time Past President of the Ohio Environmental Association and a past Schools and Institutions Technical Advisor for NEHA. He also serves as a site visit chair for the Public Health Accreditation Board and Public Affairs Chair for the Ohio Environmental Health Association. These positions afforded him the opportunity to work closely with numerous public health partners in an effort to reach a common goal of promoting and protecting environmental public health in Ohio and Nationally. The past few years have highlighted the need for strong, forward thinking leaders in environmental pub- lic health to lead the National Environmental Health Association into the future. Steve believes he has the qualities and skills neces- sary to work alongside a very talented NEHA board to ensure that members’ interests are heard and future needs are addressed and would be honored to be considered for Region 6 Vice-President. Region 9 Bob Uhrik, REHS
I am a REHS with over 40 years of public health experience and have found it to be a very rewarding career. The two most satisfy- ing aspects of this occupation to me have been a deep sense of fulfillment by helping people and a very dynamic work environ- ment constantly evolving with new oppor- tunities. The accomplishment of serving
people and seeing tangible change in their well-being and the com- munity is immeasurable. Most enjoyable to me is the multidimen- sional and multidisciplinary nature of environmental public health practice which allowed me to draw from many different skill sets to adapt and continually expand my expertise.
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Volume 87 • Number 7
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