Introducing the Recipients of Accela’s Scholarship for the NEHA 2022 Annual Educational Conference

The NEHA AEC is back! The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) will host its annual educational conference (AEC) from June 28 – July 1 in Spokane, WA. As a long-time NEHA partner and sponsor, Accela always looks forward to attending the AEC, and every year we bring a few EH professionals with us! This year, the Accela NEHA AEC Scholarship program recognizes six creative thinkers who offer smart solutions to an essay prompt covering innovation and best practices in environmental health.

Meet the winners of the Accela NEHA AEC Scholarship 2022! For four days, our six environmental health professionals will attend sessions on topics such as climate change, data and technology, food safety, emergency preparedness and response, and more at the NEHA AEC.

Myla Blandford Director St. Clair County, IL	Gary Cantwell Environmental Health Supervisor Yuba County, CA	Lindy Wiedmeyer Environmental Health Coordinator City of Racine, WI
Lewis Kimble Supervising EHS Yolo County, CA	Corrine Ow Environmental Health Specialist III Monterey County, CA	Sharon Valentine Director of Environmental Programs St. Clair County, IL

We received many great responses this year on our discussion question:

Many in the US workforce are considering changing careers. How does local and state Environmental Health preserve and grow its workforce in face of this trend?

Respondents spoke of necessary institutional changes, including alternative work schedules for those employees who can work from home, bonus pay, extra sick days, and promoting from within. Many responses covered how to help younger or newer environmental health employees see a future of growth and opportunity within the field. One of the ways agencies addressed this was by developing training programs and leadership academies, mentorship programs and cross agency training, and sitting down with individuals to create a career development plan that maps their future with the department. Several noted a need to create or improve workforce development and degree advancement opportunities for individuals wishing to further their credentials.

Increasing awareness of the opportunity in environmental health was also discussed, with several responses noting that state and local agencies must market Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) opportunities better. One agency is sending current staff to college career fairs and another is even working with a local marketing firm on messaging to educate and attract the next generation of public health professionals!

Meet Accela at the NEHA 2022 AEC

Stop by Booth 504 to catch product demos of Accela Environmental Health, discuss the best ways to leverage ARP funding for technology spends and enter our drawing to win Apple AirPods!

At the conference, plan to attend my presentation on State/Local Data Exchanges, where I’ll be discussing the benefits and pitfalls.

“State/Local Data Exchanges: Do They Work”

Thursday, June 30th

3:30 PM to 4:20 PM

Room 206A

See you in Spokane!