2023 Board of Directors Election

Our General Election runs from March 1 through March 31, 2023. This year there is only one contested position - Region 1 Vice President (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington). Ballots will be emailed to all eligible voters on March 1, 2023.   

Eligible Voters 

NEHA members are eligible to vote if they are Professional or Life members with a current account as of February 15, 2023. Please read, review, and consider the candidates in the contested position carefully. 
 
All ballots must be received by March 31. 

Contested Positions

The following candidates seek election to the Region 1 Vice President position:   

Bill Emminger, REHS, CPM (incumbent) 

"I have over 42 years of experience working with state and local environmental health programs in Indiana, Utah, and Oregon. I have had the honor to serve as Presidents of both the Oregon and Indiana Environmental Health Associations and as Vice-President/President Elect of the Utah Environmental Health Association. During my career I have been a guest lecturer at various state and national environmental health conferences, colleges, and universities. I helped both the states of Oregon and Utah to adopt the FDA Food Code and in helping Utah to adopt the Food Safety Manager Certification Act and rules. After working twenty years as the Environmental Health Director in Benton County Oregon, I retired on July 1, 2022. As Region 1 Vice President I am looking forward to using my experience to promote and advocate for the environmental health profession."

Dr. Steve Konkel, Ph.D.

"Dr. R. Steven Konkel connects environment and human health. Based in Anchorage, Alaska, he consults on scientific and technical aspects of Environmental Health (EH).

His program and policy evaluations in Alaska include the State’s first inventory and economic analysis of wind generation, assessment of the Alaska Rural Utility Cooperative delivering piped drinking water and sanitation services, and current analysis of Alaska’s climate adaptation and mitigation.  He teaches courses on Arctic Policy as well as Negotiation as well as Conflict Resolution.  He has worked on renewable energy policy as a Legislative Aide in Alaska’s 29th State Legislature.  He served in the Office of the Governor as a Strategic Planner and Policy Analyst in Hon. Gov. Jay S. Hammond’s 2nd Administration.

Dr. Konkel and Prof. Joe Beck founded the Masters in Environmental Health Science at Eastern Kentucky in 1999; it achieved accreditation in 2004 that it has successfully renewed every 5 years."

Uncontested Positions  

Three of the Board positions were uncontested this year:  

Scott E. Holmes, REHS, MS – Second Vice President

"Scott E. Holmes, REHS, MS, is passionate about protecting public health and the environment upon which all life depends, coaching and mentoring young environmental health professionals, and building resilience against health impacts from climate change.  He has managed the Environmental Public Health Division with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department in Nebraska since 1991. The Division has a broad range of environmental health programs including Air Quality, Children's Environmental Health (including Lead Safe Lincoln), Climate and Health Resilience, Environmental Health Education, Food Safety, HazMat Response, Land Use Plan Review, Waste Management, and Water Quality.  The Division has 45 staff and a $5 million budget.  Scott served as the Department's Epidemiologist (3 years) and worked as a sanitarian for the North Dakota Department of Health (3 years).  Scott earned a B.S. in Microbiology - Environmental Health from Montana State University (1981) and an M.S. in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (1988).   

Scott is an active member of NEHA.  He currently serves as a mentor for NEHA's Environmental Health Leadership Academy and previously served as a Technical Advisor (Food Safety and Air Quality). Scott has presented numerous times at the Annual Education Conference and reviewed NEHA position papers.  Scott was honored to receive the NEHA Past Presidents Award in 2017 for his work behind the scenes promoting environmental health.  He is an active member and past president of the Nebraska Environmental Health Association. Scott currently serves as co-chair for the multi-Federal agency, multi-association Council for Improving Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR).  While on CIFOR, he has reviewed and edited the CIFOR Guidelines, Toolkit, and Industry Guidelines.  Scott served on the Nebraska Board of Environmental Health Specialists for ten years - six as its chair.  He also served on the State Emergency Response Commission.  Scott served on the National Center for Environmental Health Board of Scientific Counselors and helped develop National Environmental Health Performance Standards.  He served on UL's Environmental and Public Health Council for 15 years.  Scott has lectured at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and College of Public Health on topics including health impacts of climate change; environmental health; emergency response to outbreaks and disasters; land use planning and public health; and air quality impacts on health.  Scott has presented at numerous state, regional and national conferences."

Jaime Estes, MS, CP-FS, PCQI - RVP Region 5 (Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)  

"Jaime Estes is currently Director of Food Safety with Albertsons Companies Corporate Offices based out of Plano, Texas. Jaime has spent 20+ years in the environmental and public health fields, the last 10 years with Albertsons Companies. Jaime’s current role with Albertsons focuses on driving and implementing standardization within Division retail store food safety and sanitation programs, pest control programs, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Albertsons Companies, she worked for National Everclean Services in Agoura Hills, California and the Department of Defense in Fort Hood, Texas. Jaime is an active member of the Texas Environmental Health Association (TEHA), recently completing her 3-year State Governing Council Member term and continues to serve as Chair for the Committee on Constitution, Bylaws and Policies. She is an active member of the Conference for Food Protection and National Environmental Health Association. Jaime holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science degree in Food Safety from Michigan State University." 

M.L. Tanner, LRA – RVP Region 7 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)

"A native of Mississippi, M. L. Tanner holds a BS in biology from the University of the South, Sewanee, TN. She got her start in environmental health at the Halifax County Health Department in North Carolina, then moved to NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Children's Environmental Health Branch. Since coming to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, she has worked in preparedness, rabies, and childhood lead poisoning prevention. She is Program Manager for the SC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

An active NEHA member since 2003, M. L. received the Sabbatical Exchange award and served as Technical Advisor for the Children's Environmental Health Section. M. L. was a member of the first cohort of NEHA's Environmental Health Leadership Academy and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Environmental Health. M. L. is currently serving as a Technical Advisor for Healthy Communities."