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DHPE Board of Directors

President
Jayne Andreen
Health Promotion Unit Manager, Division of Public Health, DHSS
Alaska

Jayne has worked with the Alaska Division of Public Health in Health Promotion since 1999. During that time she has overseen the Health Promotion Unit, which has included Community Preventive Services, the Health Survey Lab, the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant, School Health, Cardiovascular Health Program, Obesity Prevention and Control, and Tobacco Prevention and Control. She has is a past President of the Alaska Health Education Consortium, currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alaska Public Health Association, and is active in several statewide task forces, working group and collaborative efforts. In addition to public health, Jayne has 16 years experience in community development in the domestic violence and sexual assault arenas. She has a BA from Winona State University, and is a graduate of the Public Health Education Leadership Institute.

President-Elect
Don Bishop, PhD,

Minnesota

Past President
Lavell R. Thornton, MPH, CHES
Director, Office of Public Health Education,
Columbia, SC

Lavell is currently State Director, Office of Public Health Education, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Lavell assumed this position in December 2000 and is responsible for the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of public health education services provided in the eight public health regions. The Office of Public Health Education's primary role is to support and develop quality health education practice delivered by staff to our customers. Lavell has 16 years of experience in Health Education.

Education

Lavell attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and received a Bachelors of Science in Community Health Education. She received a Masters of Public Health in Public Health Administration from the USC School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina. Lavell is also a Certified Health Education Specialist. Lavell recently completed the Public Health Education Leadership Institute, Cycle 7 in April 2005. The Institute is sponsored by DHPE and the Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE).

Affiliations

Lavell currently serves as DHPE - President 2006-2007. Prior to that she served as Member at Large. She serves as co chair of the Continuing Education Subcommittee - Training and Education Committee and as co chair of the Membership Services Committee.

Lavell has held several offices with the South Carolina Public Health Association (SCPHA), including Secretary, Vice President, President Elect and President. She received the Ethnic Minorities Service Award from the SC Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the President's Award from the SC Association for the Advancement of Health Education in 2004. Lavell also received the Lucinda Thomas Health Education Award, SCPHA, in 2000. She has held two offices (Member at Large and Secretary) for the South Carolina Association for the Advancement of Health Education. Other affiliations include the Southern Health Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc

Lavell enjoys listening to jazz music, attending cultural events and traveling. She looks forward to seeing more of the world with an upcoming cruise to the Carribean.

Vice President
Victor D. Sutton, MPPA,

Mississippi

Treasurer
Thomas C. Sims, BA,MA
Director, Division of Health Promotion
and Chronic Disease Prevention
West Virginia Bureau for Public Health

Secretary
Mary Bobitt-Cooke, MPH,
Director, Office of Healthy Carolinians/Health Education
Chronic Disease and Injury, Division of Public Health
NC Dept. of Health and Human Services

Members at Large

Johnnie (Chip) Allen, MPH,

Ohio

Janet W. Baggett, BS, CHES,

Florida

Joyce A. Dantzler, MS, CHES
Deputy Director
Center for Health Promotion, Education and Tobacco Use Prevention Maryland Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Joyce is responsible for providing leadership, direction and overall management of a number of statewide health education and health promotion initiatives, which include rape and sexual assault prevention, maternal and child health, transportation safety, arthritis and tobacco use control. She has a BS degree in Health Sciences at the University of Maryland and a MS in Public Health & Education at Towson State University.

Kathy Paras, MS, CHES

Utah

Doreleena Sammons-Posey
Director for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Services
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

She administers and coordinates all aspects of a federal and state funded program designed to provide breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancer screening, with an emphasis on minority communities; diabetes, asthma, renal disease, cystic fibrosis, cardiovascular disease and Huntington's disease.

Ms. Sammons-Posey’s previous positions held at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services included Program Manager for Cancer and Reproductive Health Services; Director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Services; and Director for the Division of AIDS Prevention and Control. She had been Director of the Georgia WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program; Program Specialist for the District of Columbia WIC Program; and, Public Health Nutritionist for the Person County Health Department in Roxboro, North Carolina.

She is a renowned speaker on the issues of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, AIDS, reproductive health, relationships, conflict resolution, cultural diversity, healing through the ministry and stress management and reduction. Ms. Sammons-Posey and has received numerous honor and awards including:

· Omega Crystal Award – February 11, 2006 – From the Omega Delta Upsilon Foundation, Delta Upsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

· Leadership Award for Community Service – 2005 - From the National Association of University Women (NAUW), Trenton Branch

· Joint Resolution Legislative Resolution from the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey – 2005

· Bennett College National Alumnae Association Achievement Award – 2001

· Bennett College 1999 Phenomenal Women Award – 1999

· 1996 Department of Health Women’s History Month Award

· 1995 Health Promotion Medal of Excellence -- The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the Association of State and Territorial Directors of Health Promotion and Public Health Education (ASTDHPPHE) presented in Atlanta, Georgia on May 23, 1995.

· 1995 Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit -- Boston, Massachusetts, on April 26, 1995.

· 1991 Caretakers Award -- Awarded by the Trenton Area Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., May 4, 1991.

Although Ms. Sammons-Posey has numerous professional publications, she has written several plays one of which is “Helping Mother Lucas See the Light”, a comedy centered on Bright Hope Baptist and the cervical cancer of a member of the choir. The play is now on videotape. She also has a one-woman show entitled: “A Walk through Slavery in Song”. She is also an accomplished vocalist and has been singing all of her life. She has performed gospel, jazz and blues all over the country and was the lead signer and songwriter for the blues group and CD entitled The Bluescasters. She is a proud member of the Trenton Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Galilee Baptist Church of Trenton, New Jersey, In January 2005, she became a Breast Cancer Survivor!

Barry D. Sharp, MSHP, CHES
Program Specialist
Texas Dept. of State Health Services
Austin, TX.

He has practiced in the areas of health promotion, clinical preventive services, community and worksite wellness and most recently, in tobacco prevention and control. Barry also served as program lead for legislative and policy analysis and special projects for Governor Perry and the TX Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. He is also the executive director of the National Center Linking Public Health and Faith and presently has affiliations with Texas and national SOPHE. Barry is an active member of DHPE serving as chair or member of various committees and the DHPE minority health program. He holds a BS in Kinesiology fro the University of Texas in Austin and an MS in Health Professions from Texas State University at San Marcos

Joan Stine, MHS, MS, CHES,
Director,Center for Hlth Promotion Education & Tobacco Prev,
Baltimore, Maryland

Margaret Tate, MS, RD
Chief, Chronic Disease Prevention and Nutrition
Arizona Department of Health

Margaret Tate currently serves as the Chief of the Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Nutrition Services at the Arizona Department of Health Services. In this capacity, she oversees the chronic disease prevention programs, as well as the public health nutrition programs. Margie has worked in public health, at both the local and state level, for 28 years. She has held a number of public health positions in Arizona, Virginia and Colorado progressing to higher leadership opportunities. Margie has served is a number of leadership positions within American Dietetic Association and its district and state affiliates. She has also served in leadership positions in several public health organizations such the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors, the National WIC Association and Chronic Disease Directors, and most recently, the Director of Public Health Education Association.