Thank you to all who joined us for Thursday's May Quarterly Meeting in Needham which included a special member meeting and food truck training. We had a full house, an excellent training, outstanding scholarship & awards honorees, and a great lunch!
The member vote to flatten membership passed, opening up MHOA to a broader group of people and keeping up with the changing landscape of Massachusetts local public health. The next step in the bylaw revision process is for the Board of Directors to vote on the additional changes at its June 26 meeting. There's still time to weigh in. You can review the bylaw changes and summary, and send feedback to tkett@mhoa.com for the Board to consider.
We're grateful to our excellent presenters - Maureen Lee, Executive Consultant, MoJin Solutions, LLC and Bri Dupras, Lead Public Health Trainer, Franklin-Hampshire Training Hub, Franklin Regional Council of Governments. Contact hours and presentations will be available next week.
And a huge thank you to the Needham Public Health Division staff who braved the rain and wind to deliver lunch from the food trucks. We greatly appreciate it!
Congratulations to this year's 10 Naparstek Scholarship recipients who each received $1,000 toward their degrees. We recognized them during Thursday's meeting, and wish them luck as they continue their studies. They are: Debra Bruinooge (Yarmouth), Samantha Chartier (Springfield), Kelliann Coleman (Lexington), Shemeka Hill (Newton), Catherine Paciorkowski (Dedham), Adolis Ramos (Lawrence), Angelica Sanchez (Northampton), Christopher Savoy (Worcester), Jamie Terry (Brimfield), and Lindsay Wright (Abington).
We were also pleased to recognize Linda Walsh, recipient of the 2024 Hilliard Award, and Newton's retired Commissioner of Health & Human Services. MHOA annually honors exemplary contributors to excellence in local public health. Walsh was unable to join us for the conference, so she was recognized at the quarterly meeting.
Thank you to our 2025 Roster of Local Public Health sponsors: BME Strategies, G&L Laboratories, J&R Sales and Service, Inc., Oakson, Western Massachusetts Public Health Association and the Yankee Onsite Wastewater Association. We're grateful for your support. Members who attended the May Quarterly Meeting took home a Roster, and those who attend future MHOA events this year will be able to pickup one as well. The online version will be available this summer!
