NEHA AEC Wrap-Up
Seth Arends Kate Beasley Kristie Denbrock Soni Fink Heather Folker Angelica Ledezma
Kristen Ruby-Cisneros Michéle Samarya-Timm Jordan Strahle National Environmental Health Association
Raising the Voice of the Environmental Health Workforce The National Environmental Health Asso- ciation’s (NEHA) 86th Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition continued our longstanding tradition of providing innovative content to meet the varying needs of attendees with in-person and vir- tual options. The theme for the 2023 AEC was, “Raising the Voice of the Environ- mental Health Workforce,” with the goal of coming together as a profession. That is exactly what happened July 31–August 3 in vibrant New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually. Over 1,300 environmental health professionals participated in the AEC, with nearly 1,200 gathering in New Orleans and 150 engaging virtually. Attendees gath- ered to share best practices, innovations, solutions, and research to amplify the voice of our often-unseen profession. Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, opened up the conference on Monday, July 31, with an impactful pre- sentation on the integral role of environ- mental health in multiple facets of public health and health systems. Dr. Lichtveld addressed some of the biggest concerns in public health today and the role environ- mental health professionals must play in raising awareness and increasing knowl- edge to create impactful solutions. She closed out her presentation with a call to action for environmental health profes- sionals to work together with various part- ners to use data and research to create meaningful changes in our communities. The second day of the conference on »Ʒğƣėñǖ͓ ƷĺƷƣƯ͓̑ ĎğĺñŪ ǐňƯł Ưłğ ȌƛƣƯ Grand Educational Session Kickoff—A Rodent Symposium: Effective Commu- nications, Control Practices, and Uti- lizing Resources. The session was led by Dr. Claudia Riegel, director of the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Termite, and Rodent Control Board. Dr. Riegel
ing presentation from Frank Yiannas, founder of FY Smarter Solutions and prior deputy commissioner of Food Safety and Response at the Food and Drug Admin- istration. The presentation focused on creating a safer, smarter, and more trans- parent food system. Over 250 educational sessions, precon- ference workshops, and meetings were held at the 2023 AEC. Of these events, over 80 were available to the virtual audi- ence. More than 350 speakers shared their expertise to full rooms and virtual attendees throughout the conference. »łğ0ǕłňĎňƯPñşşǐñƣȌşşğėǐňƯłğǕłňĎňƯŵƛƣ from various industries or organizations who showcased their innovative products and services designed to improve the job functions and performance of environ- mental health professionals. During a time when many organizations have moved away from offering virtual conference options, we made the decision to continue the hybrid conference format. This format enables attendees with bud- ĺğƯ͓ ƯƛñǏğş͓ ŵƛƣƯñĹȌŪĺşňŨňƯñƯňŵŪƣƯłğŵƘƯňŵŪ to participate virtually. In total, 150 attend- ees participated virtually from 35 different states. Each virtual attendee was able to view live streamed sessions and network in real time within the virtual platform. The Raising Your Voice Networking Event proved to be a highlight for many in-per- son attendees with live music, local tarot card readings, Mardi Gras characters, and Cajun cuisine. The event brought together 800 attendees who reconnected with old friends and made new connections. We thank our attendees, members, board, technical advisors, presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, and staff who par- ticipated and contributed to the success of the 2023 AEC. We hope to see you next year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the 2024 AEC. Check out the promotion for the 2024 AEC on page 71.
stressed the importance of breaking down silos between departments and organizations to improve cooperation and generate new ideas. During the lunch hour, Dr. Umair Shah, secretary of health for the Washington State Board of Health, joined Dr. David 'ǖŘñĐś͓ ŵƷƛğǕğĐƷƯňǏğėňƛğĐƯŵƛ͓ ĹŵƛƯłğȌƛƣƯ Sound Check—An Honest Discussion on the Environmental Health Workforce and Leadership During Times of Change. The second day of the conference ended with Lt. General Russel L. Honoré, U.S. Army (Ret.), who delivered a powerful and engaging keynote address on leadership. He spoke candidly with attendees about effective leadership and communication, particularly during emergencies. Day three of the conference on Wednes- day, August 2, began with the second Grand Educational Session Kickoff—The Conundrum of Food Safety Culture: Break- ing Through Barriers to Drive Improve- ment. Dr. Dyjack moderated the panel discussion on the food safety culture in the private sector with executive leadership ĹƛŵŨ łňĐśͨȌş͓ͨsĐ'ŵŪñşė͵ƣ͓ñŪė»ŵƘĺŵşĹ͒ During the lunch hour, Dr. Darin Detwiler, a professor at Northeastern University, led an emotional conversation about his 30-year journey of educating and advocat- ing for food safety after the devastating loss of his young son, Riley. This journey is ĹğñƯƷƛğė ňŪ Ưłğ uğƯȍňǕ ėŵĐƷŨğŪƯñƛǖ͓ Poi- soned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food . Finally, the 2023 AEC came to an end on Thursday, August 3, with an excit-
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Volume 86 • Number 4
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