78th NEHA AEC
By Anonymous | |
Proquest LLC |
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IFEH 13TH WORLD CONGRESS
It was great that so many members (and potential members!) were able to join us in
We're confident that all were pleased with the high quality educational sessions at the conference, as well as a taste of the entertainment capital of the world that attendees were able to experience while staying in
This year's combined NEHA and IFEH event offered sessions designed to help environmental health professionals adapt to and excel in the ever-changing economic, professional, and global landscape by learning the best tips, tricks, and tweaks needed to thrive in their positions. Approximately 15% of sessions in each educational track had an internationally focused topic or presenter. A block of sessions was also dedicated to IFEH presenters who covered environmental health issues from an international perspective.
In addition, 20%-30% of sessions highlighted innovative approaches to barriers and day-to-day issues faced by environmental health professionals. We hope attendees benefited from the conference by enabling them to do the following:
* develop their environmental health workforce and apply its proficiency to new areas,
* manage very real funding shortages and leverage resources in new ways,
* apply technology in new ways or use new technology,
* build novel partnerships and collaborative projects, and
* find innovative solutions by exploring international approaches to shared concerns from the local to the global level.
Attending the AEC allowed environmental health professionals opportunities to enjoy a multifaceted experience that gave them training, education, networking, advancement, motivation, inspiration, policy involvement, and enjoyment of the destination. NEHA strives to provide the most updated and relevant information so that the AEC continues to be the premier event in environmental health education and training.
As one attendee stated, "I thoroughly enjoyed the NEHA and IFEH combined AEC this year.
Greening of the AEC
Fourth Annual Community Volunteer Event
For the fourth year, NEHA organized a community volunteer event at the AEC to support
Clean the World's mission is to collect and recycle soap and shampoo products discarded by the hospitality industry and prevent millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses through the distribution of these and other donated hygiene products to impoverished people. Clean the World has accepted in-kind donations of more than
Clean the World is committed to maintaining an environmentally and hygienical ly safe recycling process. As the world's first high volume soap recycler, it ensures all bars of soap that are recycled are completely safe using two recycling methods: rebatching and sterilization. The result is the complete elimination of pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, Pseudomonas aerogenes, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.
Twenty-two volunteers attended a 15-minute orientation and unwrapped two pallets of soap that had 15 boxes each and weighed 900 pounds each. The unwrapped soap was melted and made into half a pallet of new soap. This new soap will be donated to local charities in need.
Volunteers worked so quickly and efficiently that they had time for a short tour to learn about the new soap machine and melting/sanitation process.
Volunteers had the opportunity to work alongside their fellow AEC attendees for a great cause and give back to the local community, all while supporting environmental health and sanitation. NEHA again provided collapsible water bottles and
Volunteers and NEHA staff also donated at least five large bags of soap, baby hygiene products, and other travel-size amenities. Soap donations will be placed in outgoing hygiene kits to local and international charities in need. Thank you to all of the volunteers for their dedication and participation!
Green Initiatives at the AEC
NEHA continues to make the AEC a more environmentally sustainable event with guidance from the ASTM/APEX Standards, a set of nine formal voluntary standards developed by the meetings, conventions, exhibitions, and events industry. Below are tangible ways NEHA and The Cosmopolitan of
Destination Choice:
*
* The venue was within five miles of an airport.
Exhibits
* Advised exhibitors how to green the exhibition.
Transport/Shuttles
* Contracted with a shuttle company for airport transfers and used mass transit when possible.
AV
* Turned off or placed equipment in powersaving mode at the end of each day.
* Used energy efficient equipment.
* AV supplier participates in an equipment recycling program.
Marketing
* Used online and electronic communications, registrations, and confirmations.
* Printed in ways that reduced the use of paper.
* Reduced waste related to attendee name badges.
* Employed reusable signage wherever possible.
On-Site Offices
* Printed in double-sided mode whenever possible.
* Reused shipping materials.
Food and Beverage
* No bottled water was served.
* Used reusable or compostable glasses, mugs, utensils, and napkins.
AEC Venue/The Cosmopolitan of
* Employs a comprehensive waste management program that hand sorts all solid waste for asset recovery, recycling, and diversion from landfills.
* Considers environmental impact and ethics/reputation of food vendors such as ecological destruction; endangered species; treatment of animals and raising practices; use of chemicals, preservatives, color enhancers, and hormones; etc.
* Purchases organic, local, seasonal, or sustainable foods and beverages.
* Offers vegetarian/vegan meals.
* Donates leftover food from large events to community organizations.
* Composts food waste.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TRAINING & EDUCATION
Innovation and International Focus
Training and education are the top reasons why people choose to attend the AEC. This year's agenda was focused around innovation in environmental health and the partnership with IFEH. NEHA included sessions with an internationally focused topic or presenter in each educational track and offered an "International EH: IFEH Special Sessions" track dedicated to IFEH presenters who covered environmental health issues from an international perspective.
We solicited presentations that addressed the challenges of building agency capacity under budget cuts and a fast-changing workforce with innovative responses such as new research/ tools/technologies, novel approaches/strategies or collaborations, alternative business models, new programs or methods of program management, new funding streams, new applications of existing skills or resources, new applications of technology, and process improvements across environmental health disciplines.
The educational program included over 170 oral presentations in several formats including mini lectures, lectures, interactive lectures, and learning labs (facilitated group exercises). These sessions provided opportunities to obtain comprehensive information from more than 250 experts. Also, we had some educational sessions that were more attendee driven. In two poster sessions 59 posters were presented, and several dropin learning lab sessions took place. Poster sessions allowed attendees to look at poster graphics and displays and inquire with the presenters specifically about their area of interest or about their own application of the information. The 15 drop-in learning labs allowed a similar interaction, except that the stations "presented" a live demonstration or hands-on practice in which an attendee could inquire specifically about their own needs to solve their own problems in many areas of environmental health.
This year NEHA also made an effort to crowdsource solutions to common problems environmental health practitioners encounter. The "Graffiti Wall" was a quick and easy way for attendees to exchange ideas and take home valuable ideas, solutions, and practices. Information from the Graffiti Wall is available on the Virtual AEC Web site.
Two preconference workshops were offered this year: Springboard to Prevention: The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), 1st Edition and Industry-Food borne Illness Investigation Training and Recall Response (l-FIIT-RR). Both were very successful. The MAHC workshop had over 135 attendees and l-FIIT-RR was filled to capacity.
Review courses and exams for
Overall, training and education at the conference spanned an amazing eight days!
Return on Investment (ROD
NEHA intends for attendees to return to their workplaces with the ability to more than pay for their trip to the conference by continuing to incorporate ROI principles into the education and training structure. The AEC planning committee set out to deliver sessions that 1) were relevant to attendees' job duties; 2) offered new knowledge, skills, or strategies; and 3) gave attendees either an opportunity to practice or the means to apply and implement the new knowledge, skills, or strategies upon returning to their workplace. To that end, presenters were guided to create presentations around learning objectives as tangible outcomes for attendees.
NEHA will measure the ROI of the AEC by distributing a series of electronic surveys to conference attendees over a span of approximately six months inquiring about what was gained, what was applied or implemented, and the quantifiable difference it made in performance, efficiency, or expense.
Environmental Health Topics Covered: You Spoke and We Listened!
Comments and suggestions provided in the 2013 AEC attendee survey, 2014 AEC market research survey, and on
Many sessions also addressed evaluation of the built environment and its link to public health, water reclamation and reuse, and the role of environmental health in sustainability and climate change. The AEC's training and education program covered all of the following topics.
*
* Emergency Preparedness and Response
* Emerging Environmental Health Issues
* Environmental Justice
* Food Protection and Defense
*
* Hazardous Materials and Toxic Substances
*
* Indoor Air Quality
*
*
* Land Use Planning
* Leadership/Management
* Nuisances, Zoonoses, and Vector Control
* Onsite Wastewater
* Pathogens and Outbreaks
* Recreational Waters
* Schools/I nstitutions
* Sustainability/Climate Change
*
* Terrorism/AI 1-Hazards Preparedness
* Uniformed Services
* Wastewater
* Water Quality
Expanded Onsite Wastewater Offerings
NEHA again partnered with the
The educational program included more information on the technology and regulations behind wastewater reuse as well as an indepth look at real estate point of sale inspection requirements. The education concluded with a data sharing discussion intended to ease the implementation of new onsite wastewater products and technology.
Partners
Other organizationsthat worked synergistically with NEHA to produce educational content for the conference include the
Finally, NEHA would be remiss if it did not give recognition and thanks to the group of dedicated individuals who make up
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH VIRTUAL AEC
For those who did not attend the AEC or who attended but did not get to view all the desired sessions, 35 sessions were recorded forviewingonline at www.neha2014aec. org/virtual-aec-sessions. These sessions are eligible for NEHA continuing education credits and will be available to conference attendees and Virtual AEC purchasers for the next 12 months to view at their convenience.
Many attendees also used the Virtual AEC Your Meeting Companion to get more out of the conference using the mobile app. Present at the AEC were on-site staff from Zerista's App Squad, who added a personal touch helping attendees use the tool on their mobile devices.
Features of the Virtual AEC Meeting Companion included viewing the AEC schedule, interactive maps, session information, exhibitors, speaker information, and attendee profiles; setting up personal profiles, engaging and networking with other attendees, speakers, and exhibitors; and swapping digital business cards.
Grants
*
Partners
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* U.S.
Sponsors
Tier 1
* UL
Tier II
*
*
*
*
Tier III
*
*
* Prometric
* Remco
* Skillsoft
Tier IV
*
*
Tier V
* Anua
* GloGerm
*
* Mars Air Systems
* Mycometer
*
*
*
*
*
Honorable Mention
*
* LCDR James Speckhart
*
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NETWORKING
Exhibition
This year's exhibition was loaded with information, new products, and invaluable services to help attendees and their organizations improve their environmental health programs and operations. The exhibition opened on Tuesday night with the Exhibition Grand Opening and Party. All enjoyed an evening of food, fun, and of course, the opportunity to do business at this party! The exhibition also gave attendees the chance to view over 30 posters covering a broad spectrum of environmental health topics and engage with presenters in a lively, interactive format.
This year's door prizes included a Roomba, Bluetooth wireless speakers, and a Kindle Fire. Three lucky winners received the door prizes, which were made possible by generous donations from
Silent Auction
A big thanks to all those who participated in making this year's Silent Auction a huge success! All 41 items were won and purchased for a grand total of
Some of this year's big ticket items included a two-night stay in a terrace suite at The Cosmopolitan of
Perhaps the most interesting donation came from the
Foreign attendees also participated.
NEHA offers its sincere gratitude to volunteers
Silent Auction Donors
NEHA affiliates:
France A.
NSF
NEHA board of directors and staff
Renaissance
Walter Saranleckl
T,he c°s,m°0°litan of Las VeSas
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH POLICY INVOVEMENT
Board of Directors' Meeting Highlights
1. AEC guests: The AEC meeting is the only one in which guests may address the board on various topics. This year, the board welcomed guests from the
2.
3. AEC and exhibition topics: Former Executive Director
4. Audit: NEHA auditors confirmed that no issues existed with
5. Search for a new executive director: President-Elect Carolyn Harvey indicated that the NEHA subcommittee had its first meeting and the committee is currently developing a list of search firms and a request for proposals (RFP). She also indicated that the committee established a tentative salary range for the new executive director. She added that a list of firms should be finalized by the end of August.
6. Membership: The board reviewed and approved staff proposals to the new tiered membership to become available on
7. Position paper in support of the Registered Environmental Health S p ec i a I i st/R eg i ster ed Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential: The board reviewed a position paper to support the REHS/RS credential for environmental health professionals. Pending approval of this document, the position paper will be added to the other position papers on the NEHA Web site.
8. E-voting for regional vice president vacancies: In an effort to reduce the amount of time between a vacancy in the office of a regional vice president and appointment by the board, the board approved the process that such vacancies will be decided by the voters of the region, rather than the board.
In what has become almost a tradition,
*
* Ned Therein was appointed vice president of Region 1,
*
*
*
President Enriq uez-Col lins asked for any nominations from the floor for 2015 second vice president candidates. None were made. Second vice president candidate
NEHA Managing Director
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION
Awards Ceremony & Keynote Session
This event opened with tradition and style. NEHA incorporated a long-standing IFEH tradition of a cultural event to welcome attendees and delegates to the
Keynote
NEHA attendees were privileged to have
He defined risk as the probability that an event will occur, and that the convergence of four key factors affect one's disaster riskhazard, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity. He gave definitions and examples of each of these factors. He posited that countering disaster risk requires reducing the hazard, amount of exposure, and vulnerability of individuals while increasing the capacity of potentially affected individuals or populations. He noted that reducing exposures can be accomplished by floodplain management, land use planning and regulation, and population protection through increased sanitation and hygiene.
In addition to reviewing DRR concepts,
He explained that the National Prevention Strategy aligns with DRR key factors of mitigating health hazards, reducing exposure, and decreasing the vulnerability of populations affected by a disaster. He added that a last factor, building capacity, can be addressed by societal actions of providing public health and safety, health care, education, and reducing poverty. He noted that environmental health programs reduce the disaster-related morbidity and mortality by encouraging healthy communities (reducing exposures) and healthy people (reducing vulnerability).
If interested in more information, you can visit the Linkedln DRR group at www.linkedin. com/in/disasterdoc/or contact Dr.
Awards and Honors
Walter F. Snyder Award
A. Harry Bliss Editor's Award
This award was named after Dr.
This AEC marked the final in a long line of AECs attended by former NEHA Executive Director
It gave NEHA great pleasure to announce that by unanimous decision, the 2014 recipient of the A. Harry Bliss Editor's Award was
Educational Contribution Award
This award recognizes NEHA members, teams, or organizations for an outstanding contribution within the field of environmental health. The award is a pathway to share creative educational methods and tools to educate one another and the public about environmental health.
Nelson E. Fabian Environmental Health Innovation Award
This award recognizes the creation of new ideas, practices, or products that have a positive impact on improving environmental health services or quality of life. This award also encourages other environmental health professionals to search for creative solutions to challenges. In honor of his innovative spirit and service to NEHA, it was announced at the awards ceremony that the name of this award was being officially changed to the Nelson E. Fabian Environmental Health Innovation Award.
NEHA was pleased to name the
Excellence in Sustainability Award
Energy Smart Colorado was selected as this year's winner. Energy Smart Colorado is a multi-jurisdictional, comprehensive energyefficiency retrofit program that provides health, safety, and energy efficiency services to rural mountain communities in
Sabbatical Exchange Award
This award offers an amazing opportunity for professional growth and information exchange on an international level. The recipient may go either to
The award jury this year selected
NEHA/AAS Scholarship Awards
This scholarship program is cosponsored by NEHA and the
*
*
Student Research Presentations
Every year, the
Effects of Blood Meal Source on Aedes albopictus Life Table Characteristics and Vector Competence for Dengue Virus
Removal of Arsenic From Water Under Static-State Conditions
Single and Binary Adsorption of Heavy Metals in Aqueous Solution Using Shrimp Shells Derivatives
Noel le A. Mware, Undergraduate Student,
Competitive Adsorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cr2+ via a Packed Bed Column Using Pinecone Derived Adsorbents
Faith A. Kibuye, Undergraduate Student,
The Lurking Element: A Study About the Dangers of Lead and Other Harmful Elements In Northern Kentucky Toy Vending Machines
PM25Airborne Particulates Near Frac Sand Operations
NSF International Scholarship
AEHAP, in partnership with
Dr.
The Dr.
Past Presidents Award
Each year, the Past Presidents group, comprised of former NEHA presidents, identifies a hero from the profession who accomplishes much on behalf of environmental health, but who does a lot of work behind the scenes. This year, the presidents identified two NEHA members who have made enormous contributions to the field. They were happy to recognize Dr.
Presidential Citations
This special award is given to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to NEHA during the president's term of office. President
Bob Custard
Dick and Sandi
Pantages
Certificates of Merit
Certificates of Merit are awarded to affiliate members who make exemplary contributions to the profession. Each affiliate selects winners based upon its own criteria for recognition. For 2014, the following winners were announced.
* Alaska-Bruce Gazaway
* California-Corwin Brown
*
* Connecticut-David Rogers
* Iowa-Timothy Dougherty
* Massachusetts-Michael Blanchard (Individual) and
* Michigan-Peggy Dawn French
* Minnesota-Christopher Forslund
* National Capital Area-Erin May (Individual) and
* Nebraska-Scott Holmes
*
* North Dakota-Douglas E. Jensen
* Texas-Bryan W. Brooks
* Virginia-Bob Custard (Individual) and
* Wisconsin-Natalie M. Vandeveld
* Wyoming-Shawn Moore
Decade Scholarship Awards
Each year,
Bramlett
Ugochukwu Uzoeghelu
Courtney Ziemar
Student AEC Scholarship Awards
NEHA received donations through its
Scholarship Recipients
Cyprian Aende
Genette Stump
Scholarship Donors
Hohite Fetene
Humble
2014 Mangold Award Recipient
Lieutenant Colonel
(Retired),
EHA is proud to present the 2014 Walter S. Mangold Award, its highest honor, to
While attending
Among his many accomplishments in this position from 1978 to 1983 were the development and implementation of industrial hygiene, sanitation, risk evaluation, management, and regulatory programs. During this time
After leaving
Not one to let retirement slow him down,
During this time
He is a member of the
Major
Colonel
Thus, it is a privilege and honor for NEHA to present this award to Dr.
2014 Walter F. Snyder Award Recipient
As a member of the
She was responsible for the Community Action for a Renewed Environment program, which helps communities reduce exposures to toxic pollutants and has worked with the
She secured a grant and served as project director for a
Earlier in her career, she worked as a life scientist inspecting municipal and industrial wastewater facilities for the
''As a trailblazer,
"Dr.
Annual UL Event
The AEC started off with a hoot at the Terry Fator Show at The Mirage. Fator is a talented ventriloquist who won the second season of America's Got Talent and immediately became a staple on the Las Vegas Strip. Attendees were transported to The Mirage from The Cosmopolitan of
Enhanced Feature Accessible Through the E-Journal
Check out the amazing AEC video where you'll see a dancing Elvis, dancing in the streets (okay, sidewalk), and so many photos taken during the conference.
The AEC was packed with many opportunities to network-be it at the Networking Luncheon, Exhibition, President's Banquet, the various meetings and sessions, or in the hotel hallways.
Copyright: | (c) 2014 National Environmental Health Association |
Wordcount: | 8353 |
Brident Dental & Orthodontics Opens New Office in Waco
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News