December 2022 • Journal of Environmental Health 61 NEHA NEWS Our recommendations included engaging food safety programs at state, tribal, local, and territorial governments; increasing and appropriately funding food safety agencies; educating, credentialing, and training food safety regulators and industry workers; and adoption of the most recent FDAFood Code, among other recommendations. We also commented on the challenges facing food safety programs. This feedback included diculties created by the legal patchwork of federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial rules and regulations; limited capacity within organizations to track and surveil foodborne illness outbreaks across organizations; limited funding allocated to the Human Foods Program within the FDA budget; and current program oversight within the FDA structure. We expressed support for the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards to encourage the use of a standardized set of guidelines for food safety, as well as delegation of FDA authority and funding to state, tribal, local, and territorial food safety programs. You can learn more about the FDA Operational Evaluation being conducted by the Reagan-Udall Foundation at https:// reaganudall.org/programs/operational-evaluation-fdas-humanfoods-tobacco-programs. NEHA Sta Profiles As part of tradition, we features new sta members in the Journal around the time of their 1-year anniversary. These profiles give you an opportunity to get to know our sta better and to learn more about the great programs and activities going on in your association. This month we are pleased to introduce you to two NEHA sta member. Contact information for all NEHA sta can be found on pages 54 and 55. Heather Folker I am the director of membership services and credentialing at NEHA. My team consists of Eileen Neison, credentialing manager; Bobby Medina, credentialing specialist; and Alfonso Valadez, membership services representative. Outside of membership and credentialing, I also manage our various awards and scholarships, as well as fundraising and aliate relationship building along with Michéle Samarya-Timm. I came to NEHA in December 2021 from the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations. At these associations I held the position of communications and membership director. My expertise in the area of membership comes from over 20 years of working in association membership positions. I have also held national ocer positions for bar association membership and communications professionals. After 20 years working with the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, I am excited about my new career with environmental health. I love meeting new people and understanding their challenges. My hope is to provide NEHA members with the support and resources they need to help them do their jobs successfully. In the next year my goal is the increase membership numbers by 5% and credential holders by 5%. The project I am most excited about right now is the launch of our online community. The platform will provide NEHA members with an inclusive online environment where they can seek advice, exchange information, develop relationships, collaborate, and enjoy camaraderie through an open exchange. I grew up on a farm in southeast Iowa and moved to Colorado after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Since moving to Colorado, I have worked as a wrangler, a sales representative, a marketing professional, and my 20-year career at the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations. During my free time I enjoy yoga, hiking, horseback riding, and hanging out with my cool 15-year-old son. Many years ago, I received the title of Miss Buckskin World and Miss Congeniality. I also volunteer as a kitten foster for the Maxfund Animal Adoption Center on a regular basis. Katherine Sheppard I joined NEHA in November 2021 and am excited to celebrate my 1-year anniversary as executive assistant to Dr. David Dyjack, NEHA executive director, and Gail Vail, associate executive director. I perform, coordinate, and oversee general administrative duties while providing an extensive level of support. I aid them in making the best use of their time and ensure work is handled eciently and eectively. I provide the invisible support and anticipate needs while managing the day-to-day workflow and assisting in prioritizing various projects. I most recently also took on the role as liaison for the NEHA Board of Directors that consists of five national ocers and nine regional vice-presidents. I work closely with board members to coordinate activities related to board correspondence, scheduling, expense reports, and meetings throughout the year. I am also responsible for maintaining the board handbook and the NEHA Policy and Procedure Manual and Articles of Incorporation. Working so closely alongside Dr. Dyjack has been an amazing education into the world of environmental health. Aside from that experience, my position allows me to work with literally everyone within the NEHA organization, as well as so many influential figures throughout the environmental health and public health sectors. I am truly honored to serve in this capacity and look forward to continuing my learning process. I am proud to have served as a 37F soldier—a psychological operations specialist in the U.S. Army. This training and education taught me how to be strong in the face of uncertainty and the importance of teamwork. I see this teamwork modeled within our organization. I received my bachelor’s degree in natural science and mathematics. My coursework included two senior-level environmental science studies that opened my eyes into developing a
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