Board and Council Member Biographies
Timothy Albright, CDR – Maryland
EHAC Council Practitioner
I have been practicing environmental health for over 20 years since graduating from Indiana State University in 2002. In those 20-plus years, I have worked for a county health department and three federal agencies (IHS, CDC, and FDA) with increasing complexity and responsibilities with each successive assignment. The type of work at each job was vastly different from the others, but the common thread of each was the educational foundation provided by an EHAC-accredited program. Having that foundation afforded me the opportunity to be immediately impactful on the job. The learning curve for me and other students from accredited programs is smaller given the robust standards and opportunities we had at our programs. With the growing demand for competent environmental health specialists, continuing those standards and developing well-rounded environmental health practitioners capable of responding to varying environmental health challenges is critical to improving the overall public health of the communities they will serve. I am interested in joining the EHAC Council to support the continued efforts to ensure institutions of higher learning can sustain and support these essential accredited programs. The education that I received was fundamental to my professional development. I am passionate about helping in whatever capacity that I can to allow others to have those same opportunities and ensure these programs thrive and remain viable for future students.
Gary Brown, PhD, CIH, RS
EHAC Council Academician
Dr. D. Gary Brown, CIH, RS, DAAS, Graduate Program Coordinator and Foundation Professor at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in the Environmental Health Science and Sustainability (EHSS) Department. Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of West Indies at Mona (UWI at Mona), OESH Programme in Kingston, Jamaica since 2007.
Dr Brown has over 30 years of professional experience with a diverse background in environmental health starting at the entry level as a laboratory technician eventually working my way into management possessing an intimate knowledge of the requirements at all job levels worked for both public and private entities including owning my own business.
Dr. Brown serves as a professional consultant for government and private entities nationally and internationally. Dr Brown has over 30 years’ experience in occupational/environmental safety and health.
He was the President of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) from 2022 through 2023. Dr Brown has been involved in leadership positions with the Kentucky Environmental Health Association (KYEHA), Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs and National Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC). He is a Jamaica Association of Public Health Inspectors (JAPHI) Life Member.
Tania M. Busch Isaksen, PhD, MPH – Washington
EHAC Council General Co-Chair, Academic
I am a Teaching Professor and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for University of Washington’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. Additionally, I am co-Director of the Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilience (uwCEER.org) – a network of environmental public health researchers and practitioners working together to build climate and disaster-resilient communities through evidence-based public health policy and practice; as well as the Director of Education and Training for the Center of Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE.) In addition to my teaching and administrative responsibilities, I maintain an active, practice-based research portfolio focused on characterizing public health outcomes associated with climate exacerbated hazards such as extreme heat and wildfire smoke; evaluating efficacy of adaptation-related interventions; and translation of findings into audience-appropriate risk communication tools. I have approaching 30 years of environmental public health experience working in local public, private, and academic settings, and since joining academia I have made it my goal to bridge the worlds of practice, training, and research. I earned my PhD from the UW in Environmental and Occupational Hygiene, my MPH from the University of Washington’s eMPH Program, and my BS in Environmental Health from Colorado State University. Lasty, I have demonstrated substantial commitment to EHAC and its mission serving in multiple board positions, participating in 5 rounds of UG/G requirement/guideline revisions, and conducting numerous self-study reviews and site visits. I look forward to continuing to make progress with such an important institution.
Mari Eggers, PhD – Montana
EHAC Council Vice Chair for Undergraduate Programs, Academician
Margaret Eggers, is a Research Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Environmental Health (EH) Program at Montana State University Bozeman (MSU). She teaches EH, advises the ~20 EH majors, mentors students in community-engaged EH research, helps them secure career-relevant internship placements, and serves on graduate committees. She and Dr. Seth Walk earned accreditation for MSU’s Program in 2019. Since 2005 Eggers has been working with Crow colleagues and others on community-engaged research and intervention to reduce environmental health disparities, improve safe drinking water security, understand the impacts of climate change on community health, increase community EH capacity – and co-publish on these issues (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1LIzgflcdN7kx/bibliography/public/). She’s the PI on two MSU grants to support STEM transfer students from two-year colleges, and serves on several campus DEI (diversity-equity-inclusion) initiatives. Eggers has served on the local Board of Health since 2017, gaining experience in pandemic management and septic system variances. She previously administered a congregate food program for seniors in rural Alaskan communities (two years), and worked as a restaurant cook. Eggers has a BA and MA (Stanford), an MS in Ecology and a PhD in environmental health (MSU). Nominated for the EHAC Council by Dr. David Gilkey, she would love to work with EHAC and other related programs. Eggers is also interested in increasing access to four-year EH degrees for students starting at two-year colleges; incorporating skills for building community resilience to extreme weather events into EH students’ curriculum; and exploring the potential for EH minors (for future collaborators of EH professionals).
Kim Hall, PhD – North Carolina
EHAC Council Secretary, Academician
Kimberlee Hall is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Health Program in the School of Health Sciences at Western Carolina University (WCU). Dr. Hall currently teaches courses such as Water Quality Control, Solid and Hazardous Materials Management, Introduction to Environmental Health, and others. She also maintains an active undergraduate research program involving students in the evaluation, development, and modeling of fecal pollution and source indicators in surface water. External to WCU, Dr. Hall is an Adjunct Professor in the Environmental Health Sciences Program at East Tennessee State University. She has served as a content developer and instructor for the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential review courses and on the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) Board of Directors. Dr. Hall received her Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology from Appalachian State University and her Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from East Tennessee State University.
My educational and professional experiences are rooted in National Environmental Health Sciences and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) accredited degree programs and provide my motivation to serve as a Council Member. I am firmly committed to recruiting, educating, and inspiring the next generation of environmental health professionals in support of EHAC’s mission and purpose.
CDR Andrew (Drew) Kupper
EHAC Council Practitioner
CDR Kupper is a dedicated environmental health professional with over 20 years of experience across local and federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, CDC, and FDA. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health from Ohio University and a master’s from The Ohio State University, he developed a broad-based career that reflects the strength of his EHAC-accredited education.
He currently serves as Team Lead in the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program in Florida, where he works closely with the cruise industry to prevent and control the spread of environmentally associated illnesses and hazards aboard ships. His responsibilities include overseeing environmental health inspections, providing technical guidance, leading training initiatives, and managing outbreak responses.
Throughout his career, CDR Kupper has contributed to the EHAC reaccreditation process at Ohio University and demonstrated leadership within the U.S. Public Health Service by reviewing and enhancing environmental health curricula for Environmental Health Officer accession standards.
He is passionate about strengthening the environmental health workforce and remains deeply committed to EHAC’s mission. His leadership and experience continue to support the advancement of excellence in environmental health education and professional practice.
CDR Jason Lewis, MPH, REHS – Oregon
EHAC Council Director-At-Large, Practitioner
Lewis’ twenty-eight-year career as an Environmental Health professional began while serving as a firefighter in the USAF. The prospect of continuing HAZMAT Emergency Response, upon separating from service, led him to East Tennessee State University. After graduating with a BS in Environmental Health (May 2000) and becoming an RS through the North Carolina Board of Sanitarian Examiners, Lewis gained experience in all programs at the county level. In 2005, as the Environmental Health Director for the Rutherford Polk McDowell Health District, he enrolled as a graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill completing a certificate in Field Epidemiology before obtaining a master’s degree in Public Health Leadership.
In 2008 Lewis accepted the position of Public Health County Director with the Tennessee Department of Health in the South-Central Rural Region. Operating as the Emergency Response Coordinator for a shelter during Hurricane Gustav and coordinating the delivery of H1N1 vaccine for their population were among the most memorable experiences during his time with TDOH. In 2011 he received a commission with the USPHS as an Environmental Health Officer, serving multiple agencies (USCG, IHS, & EPA) over the last thirteen years including his current assignment providing Safety, Health, and Environmental Management support to the Pacific Ecological Systems Division of the US Environmental Protection Agency in Corvallis and Newport, Oregon.
Lewis is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and a Certified Industrial Hygienist with expertise in public health emergency preparedness and response as well as program planning and administration.
Kim Lichtveld, PhD – Ohio
EHAC Council Vice Chair for Graduate Programs, Academician
My interest in serving as a Council Member with EHAC comes from both professional commitment and personal passion. Throughout my career, I’ve seen how strong environmental health education can shape not only students’ futures, but also the health and resilience of entire communities. As Chair of the ESOH Department at The University of Findlay, I have the privilege preparing students for meaningful, impactful careers. Watching students grow into confident, capable environmental health professionals remains one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.
My family instilled in me a deep appreciation for public health, medicine, and engineering; interests that guided my academic and professional journey. From studying atmospheric chemistry and toxicology at UNC‑Chapel Hill, to contributing to childhood obesity research at the U.S. EPA, to my current role at UF, I have always focused on connecting scientific learning with real‑world application. Over more than two decades of researching, teaching, mentoring, and facilitating hands‑on learning, I have seen firsthand that students thrive when science feels tangible, relevant, and connected to the world around them.
This philosophy aligns closely with EHAC’s commitment to scientific rigor, practical training, and consistent standards across environmental health programs. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my experience in curriculum development, accreditation, and student engagement to support the next generation of environmental health leaders. More than anything, I value EHAC’s role in ensuring that programs remain strong, forward‑thinking, and responsive to the needs of students and communities. It would be an honor to serve on the Council.
Sandra Long REHS/RS – Texas
EHAC Council Program Recruitment Chair, Nominations Committee Chair, Practitioner
Sandra M. Long is the Environmental Health Manager for the Town of Addison, Texas. Prior to hiring with the Town of Addison she was Environmental Health Supervisor for the City of Plano Environmental Health & Sustainability Department, and Director of Environmental Health for the City of The Colony, Texas.
Ms. Long is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University She is a Professional Sanitarian in the State of Texas and holds Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian and Certified Professional – Food Safety credentials with the National Environmental Health Association. She is a Certified Foodservice Manager Instructor & Proctor and a Food Code Standardization Trainer through the Texas Department of State Health Services. In addition to over 30 years of experience in food safety and inspections, other experience includes emergency preparedness, water and wastewater monitoring and testing, epidemiology, plan review, code enforcement and animal services.
Sandra is an active member of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and is a Past President of NEHA. She has served as a practitioner on the National Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council and has served on the Sanitarian Advisory Committee to the State of Texas as Presiding Officer.
Sandra has been an active member of Texas Environmental Health Association (TEHA), served on the TEHA state governing council and is a Past President of TEHA.
Tim Murphy, PhD – Ohio
EHAC Council Practitioner
Dr. Murphy has over 45 years in the environmental health, safety and sustainability fields. After graduation from Ferris State University in 1981 he served as the Roosevelt County Montana Sanitarian and Planner for two years. During this time, he gained valuable knowledge in working with the public and implementing inspection and enforcement programs as a public health sanitarian. The following 14 years were spent in the environmental remediation field employed as an Owner, Corporate Officer, Program Manager, Project Manager, and Health and Safety Officer.
In 1998 Dr. Murphy joined the University of Findlay where he started as Operations Manager for their multimillion-dollar training group before moving to the College of Sciences as a faculty member. Dr. Murphy spent 26 years in academia with 15 of those as the Department Chair for the EHAC accredited undergraduate and graduate environmental health programs. He is retiring from the University of Findlay after the spring term 2026.
During his tenure as an academician, Dr. Murphy was an EHAC Council member for over nine years, including twice serving as the Chair of the Council.
Dr. Murphy is the President of J&TM Training Services, LLC. Which is a small business specializing in the development and implementation of training services for corporations and public sector clients. In addition to training services the company performs risk and threat and vulnerability assessments for small corporations and local government organizations.
Mahmood (Nik) Nikbakhtzadeh, PhD – California
EHAC Council Academician
Dr. Mahmood Nikbakhtzadeh is a faculty member in Environmental Health Science (EHS) and the EHS Program Coordinator at California State University, San Bernardino. Trained as a Medical Entomologist and Chemical Ecologist, he brings over 20 years of experience in research, teaching, and professional service. He earned his second Ph.D. in Chemical Ecology from Universität Bayreuth (Germany), completed postdoctoral research at The Ohio State University, and has served as a scientist at UC Davis and as a vector biologist for the State of Vermont. He also holds adjunct appointments at San Diego State University’s School of Public Health and San Bernardino Valley College.
Dr. Nikbakhtzadeh directs the Vector Behavior and Mosquito Research Laboratories at CSUSB, where his funded research focuses on how agrochemicals influence mosquito development, behavior, physiology, and vectorial capacity. As an educator and program leader, he is committed to strengthening undergraduate Environmental Health training, expanding workforce pathways, and building partnerships with community colleges, environmental health agencies, and industry leaders across the Inland Empire.
He is active in professional organizations including ESA, AMCA and MVCAC and serves on editorial boards for multiple peer-reviewed journals. His academic and field experience across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the United States brings a global perspective to Environmental Health education.
Dr. Nikbakhtzadeh is deeply committed to EHAC’s mission and to advancing high-quality environmental health education. Serving on the EHAC Council would allow him to contribute his experience to the continued growth and excellence of EHAC-accredited programs nationwide.
Priscilla Oliver, PhD – Georgia
EHAC Council Practitioner
Priscilla Oliver, PhD is the Immediate Past President of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). She has served as NEHAPAC Treasurer. It has been an honor to serve in environmental health at various levels. She served as a Student Fellow in the U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Health and Environment Subcommittee, as a Scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and is a Faculty Member for the Morehouse School of Medicine, Master of Public Health Program teaching Environmental Health. Dr. Oliver served on the Technical Editorial Advisory Board, CoChair of the Hazardous Materials and Toxic Substances Section, and the Board of Directors of NEHA over the past twenty years. She is a strong advocate for education, funding, policy, and legislation for environmental health.
Dr. Oliver’s experiences include inspecting, teaching, writing, and advocacy. She was an EPA Greater Leaderships Opportunities Fellow. She wrote environmental impact statements, reviewed, managed grants and contracts to colleges, city, state, and community organizations. Dr. Oliver is a member of the National Council on Diversity in Environmental (NCODE) Health. She is the National Sanitation Foundation 2014 Walter F. Snyder Award Recipient in Environmental Health.
Dr. Oliver is a graduate of the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa with a B.S. Degree in Biology. She has Master and PhD. Degrees in Public, Educational, and Health Administration from Georgia State University Atlanta. Recruiting minority, diverse program, faculty, and students, improving relationships between organizations, faculty, students, and maintaining and advancing NEHAPAC are her environmental health interest areas.
Clint Pinion, DrPH, MA, RS, CIT – Virginia
EHAC Council Academician
Dr. Clint Pinion currently serves as the Vice President of Academic, Student, and Workforce Affairs at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Prior to Mountain Empire, he served as Associate Dean of Applied Practice and Continuing Education for the College of Health Sciences and Public Policy at Walden University, Dean of Health Technologies at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, Virginia, and as the Director of the Master of Public Health Program and Associate Professor of Environmental Health Science at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). He has experience as a Health, Safety, and Environmental professional in the oil and gas industry, serving as the Global Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Education and Training Manger for a global EPFC company.
Dr. Pinion earned his Doctor of Public Health degree (Environmental and Occupational Health Science) from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), School of Public Health. He also earned a Doctor of Education degree (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies), Master of Public Health degree (Environmental Health Science), and a Master of Arts degree (Student Personnel Services in Higher Education) from EKU. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Biology from Berea College.
Dr. Pinion currently serves as a technical advisor for the National Environmental Health Association. He is a Past-President of the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs, the Kentucky Environmental Health Association, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association-Kentuckiana Section. Dr. Pinion is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a Certified Instructional Trainer through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Lok Pokhrel, MSc, MS, PhD – North Carolina
EHAC Council Academician
Dr. Pokhrel is an Assistant Professor of Toxicology in the Environmental Health program (EHAC accredited) within the Department of Health Education and Promotion and holds a joint appointment with the Department of Public Health, at East Carolina University (ECU). He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Zoology, a second master’s in Biology, and obtained his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Environmental Health, East Tennessee State University (ETSU), where I currently serve as a full-time faculty. Trained as an environmental health specialist, toxicologist and risk assessor, Dr. Pokhrel brings a rich academic experience of 27 years in teaching and 14 years of research and service. He serves on the review panel for the national (USEPA-SBIR; ASPPH-CDC Public Health Fellowship) and international (Research Science Center of Poland, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong) granting agencies, as an expert reviewer for over two dozen peer-reviewed journals, as an editorial board member for two journals, and serves as an advisor for BHORE, Nepal.
At ECU, Dr. Pokhrel teaches at undergraduate (BSEH/BSPH), master’s (MSEH) and doctoral (DrPH Environmental and Occupational Health) programs, and directs Nanotechnology and Health Lab. He is very passionate about student learning and success, promotes hands-on training, robust curriculum development. Pokhrel’s long and rich academic experience in teaching environmental health and related courses contributes to EHAC’s mission to promote education and training in environmental health.
COL (Ret.) Welford Roberts, PhD, DLAAS, RS/REHS – Virginia
EHAC Council Practitioner
Dr. Welford Clayton Roberts has a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Environmental Health Sciences (focus, occupational health/industrial toxicology), from the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. He has Master (M.S.) and Bachelor (B.A.) degrees in biology from Hampton University, VA, and a Diploma from Philadelphia’s Central High School. He earned U.S. Army diplomas from the Command and General Staff College and the Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Roberts served in the U.S. Army for 23 years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Initially a Transportation Marine Terminal Operations Officer, he served with a transportation battalion for 2 years, and subsequently became a Medical Service Corps Environmental Science Officer. During his active- and post-military careers, he gained experience in toxicology, hospital safety & sanitation, radiation protection, occupational health, risk assessment, industrial hygiene, institutional sanitation, food sanitation, disease control, epidemiology, and more. He has been a professor in undergraduate, graduate, and medical degree programs, a consultant, and research principal investigator. Dr. Roberts authored 98 professional publications, including two munitions drinking water health advisory books. He is a past President of the National Environmental Health Association and is a Registered Sanitarian and Registered Environmental Health Specialist. He also is a Diplomate Laureate of the American Academy of Sanitarians. Dr. Roberts is currently retired but continues to voluntarily serve several environmental health and sanitation professional organizations to include the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), the NEHA Past Presidents Association, the American Academy of Sanitarians, and the Uniformed Services Environmental Health Association.
Rania Sabty, PhD, MPH, REHS, IH
EHAC Council General Co-Chair, Practitioner
Rania has 23+ years of academic experience. In her last academic role, she was assistant professor in Environmental and Occupational Health at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Her research covers workplace hazard and heat exposures in day laborers, exposure of children to near-roadway air pollutants, mitigation of indoor air pollutants, air filtration, school indoor air quality, and chromium aerosol exposure in aerospace workers.
From 2021-2024 she was Program Manager/Educator of the Western Region Universities Consortium, a four-university partnership funded by NIEHS and led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Labor Occupational Safety and Health (LOSH) program. She directed the consortium, including managing its NIEHS grants, to build capacity of underrepresented and underserved workers and communities, in EPA regions 9 and 10, for handling hazardous materials and disasters. After 3 years in this NIEHS-grant funded position, she transitioned to an independent consultant role in industrial hygiene and public/workers/children health and safety post-wildfires.
From 2018-2024, she held several roles in EHAC including Treasurer, site-visit lead, undergraduate and graduate curriculum committee member, and self-study reviewer. In 2024-2025, while off council, she co-chaired EHAC’s Strategic Planning Committee on Accreditation.
Since 2016, Rania’s served as government advisor providing technical guidance for California EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control on residential hazardous waste cleanup in minority and low-income neighborhoods. She also contributed to CalOSHA standard development for lead, heat and process safety management.
Most recently Rania is Associate Clinical Professor and the Program Director at Ohio University, Department of Social and Public Health. She is Coordinator of both the Environmental Health Science degree program and Workplace Health and Safety certificate. She is an environmental health scientist and educator with extensive experience across academic, governmental, private industry, and community-based settings.
Joshua Schaeffer, PhD – Colorado
EHAC Council Academician
Joshua W. Schaeffer, PhD, MS, CIH, is an Associate Professor at the Colorado State University in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences and an adjunct Associate Professor at the Colorado School of Public Health (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health). He has over 20 years of experience in industrial hygiene that integrates a background in biochemistry and toxicology. Dr. Schaeffer is the Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Education, the Director for the Undergraduate Environmental Public Health Program, and the Assistant Director of the IH Program. He aims to empower students by fostering skills in complex reasoning, leadership and communication through evidence-based teaching practices and active learning strategies – with the ultimate goal that the students feel confident to apply the ‘anticipation-recognition-evaluation-control’ framework to address existential threats and grand health challenges (including those they have not previously encountered). Dr. Schaeffer’s research assesses occupational and environmental exposure and health outcomes. This broad focus includes measuring bioaerosols, characterizing the aerobiome (including pathogens, antibiotic resistant genes and viruses), modeling exposure-response relationships in the context of the microbiome, inflammatory markers, pulmonary function, and kidney injury, and evaluating control strategies.
Laura Suppes, PhD, MPH, REHS
EHAC Council Academician
Laura M. Suppes, PhD, MPH, REHS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. She received her BSEPH from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire in Environmental Public Health, her MPH in Public Health Administration and Policy from the University of Minnesota, and her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Arizona. Her research interests are chemical and biological hazard identification and remediation in recreational water, exposure assessment, and Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment. Dr. Suppes became interested in recreational water safety while working as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist for a local health department in Minnesota. Dr. Suppes has served on the Model Aquatic Health Code Technical Review Committee, Pool and Hot Tub Alliance Education Cadre, and is a Pool and Hot Tub Alliance instructor of the Certified Pool Operator course. She has consulted for the National Environmental Health Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, assisting health departments compare state and local pool codes to the Model Aquatic Health Code. Her most recent research focuses on assessing the impact of cyanuric acid on gastrointestinal illness risk among swimmers and exploring float tank facility operating practices. Dr. Suppes has served on the EHAC Council and Board. She is passionate about environmental health and helping students in her EHAC accredited program. Serving on the EHAC Council has been one way Dr. Suppes can contribute to other EHAC accredited programs and their students.
LCDR Amanda Schaupp – California
EHAC Council Practitioner
I have practiced environmental health for over 10 years since earning my MPH in Global Environmental Health from Emory University in 2013, where I was selected for the Health Professional Scholarship Program in the United States Air Force (USAF). USAF funded my master’s degree, and I served three years at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Osan AB in South Korea, supervising approximately 20 public health personnel while overseeing retail food inspections, communicable disease outbreak investigations, and various other areas in public health.
After my USAF service, I transferred to the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and joined the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I spent five years as a Consumer Safety Officer inspecting wholesale food manufacturers across four specialties. For the past four years, I have served as the national subject matter expert and policy lead for FDA’s Interstate Travel Program (ITP), regulating food safety, water safety, wastewater management, communicable disease control, and sanitary construction of airplanes, vessels, trains, buses, and their support facilities. I currently serve as Acting Branch 2 Director, overseeing ITP and other retail food programs.
Cindy Weckwerth, REHS, MS – Minnesota
EHAC Council Treasurer and Practitioner
Cindy Weckwerth, MS, REHS, has been an Environmental Health professional for 25 years. She currently serves as the Director of Environmental Health for the City of Minneapolis Health Department (MN) and works in policy and program development; planning; and implementation. Her team consults with and inspects food businesses, hotels, public pools, body art and piercing businesses, farmers markets, food trucks and special event food vendors. In the past year, her team has also served in many roles in response to the COVID pandemic, including CICT, PPE distribution, assisting businesses in instituting COVID safe practices, and serving at COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics. Prior to her appointment as Director, Ms. Weckwerth served as a supervisor in Minneapolis for the 6 years.
Before joining the City of Minneapolis, Cindy served as a program manager in Washington County, MN for 8 years. Her programs included food, lodging and pools; groundwater; septic systems; indoor air/radon; and recreational and youth camps. Cindy has also worked in environmental health for Anoka County (MN), Minnesota Department of Health, and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MN).
Ms. Weckwerth has been a frequent presenter at NEHA and Regional NEHA conferences. She is also a Merit Award recipient from the Minnesota Environmental Health Assoc. Additionally, the Minneapolis Health Department was recently awarded the Samuel J. Crumbine Award for Excellence in Food Protection. Ms. Weckwerth earned her Masters Degree in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and her Bachelors Degree in Biology from Wartburg College.
Sunny Wesey, PhD – Georgia
EHAC Council Academician
I am an Assistant Professor at Fort Valley State University in the Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health. I was excited to hear the possibilities of running again for the EHAC Council. I bring a comprehensive set of skills that is invaluable to EHAC. As an Assistant Professor at Fort Valley State University, my goal involves empowering the students to see beyond their impossibilities. I am involved in teaching, mentoring, research, and other departmental duties which aligns with the Mission and Purpose of EHAC. Prior to academia, I worked in the health care system at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, as an Exercise Physiologist conducting Cardiac Stress Testing. Prior to acquiring my DrPH, I was a graduate assistant in Biology 1000 at Capella University. My collaboration, people-centric nature, and compassion have afforded me excellent leadership skills to function in this role.