2018 AEC

Building Bridges, Bonds, and Benefits

The NEHA 2018 AEC and HUD Healthy Homes Conference, presented by Green & Health Homes Initiative, proved to be an exciting, groundbreaking, and very successful event. This year, NEHA co-hosted the conference with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), bringing together more than 1,500 environmental health professionals to discuss and learn how their peers work with multiple agencies, industries, and levels of government to build bridges, bonds, and benefits to ensure the safety of the public and environment.

The 2018 AEC took place in sunny Anaheim, California, which provided the perfect atmosphere and energy for the over 1,500 environmental health professionals who attended. Kicking things off was a fireside chat with Pamela Hughes Patenaude, deputy secretary of HUD, which was moderated by NEHA Executive Director Dr. David Dyjack. Patenaude highlighted the importance of ensuring adequate resources for healthy housing and protecting families by promoting the prevention of hazards in the home.

Next up was Frank Yiannas, vice president of food safety and health for Walmart, who delivered a powerful Keynote Address to a packed house of 1,100 attendees. Frank discussed the importance of thinking about human behavior and how it relates not only to food safety but also all of environmental health: "The future of environmental health is both high-tech and high-touch. We have to also change human behavior. It's all about helping Americans live better."

The 2018 AEC offered a record 320 educational sessions spanning 4 days, covering 14 informative tracks on emerging environmental health issues such as emergency preparedness, food safety, water quality, and healthy homes and communities. Over 450 speakers and presenters from around the globe were featured. The Exhibition was packed with 55 exhibitors from a wide range of industries. With so much diversity and variety, there was something of interest for every attendee.

Each year, AEC attendees look forward to the social events and this year did not disappoint! Underwriters Laboratories (UL) hosted another exciting UL event, this time at Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team. Over 850 people attended the Good Vibrations! Reception, enjoying festive music, dancing, and food from various California regions (we're told the In-and-Out Burger line was long the entire time!).

We would like to thank HUD for its hard work in helping to make the 2018 AEC so successful. HUD has become more than a cohost of the event—we have become proud partners in advancing the field of environmental health. Thank you!

We also want to thank our attendees, members, staff, presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors. Without you, the conference could not be possible.

NEHA 2018 AEC Wrap-Up, Journal of Environmental Health | PDF

Past Conferences