New Jersey

New Jersey

Who We Are

History:

Founded in 1875, the New Jersey Public Health  Association is the oldest public health organization in the U.S. Its mission is to strengthen, advocate and  advance public health in New Jersey. Past activities have included:

  • Annual Conferences about public health concerns regarding our returning veterans and lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy
  • National Public Health Week activities
  • Public Health Symposium

Mission:

To advocate and advance public health issues in New Jersey

Vision for the organization:

To be a highly visible, respected, and non-partisan authority on public health issues and policy  in New Jersey with committed partners in government, non-profit, educational, and corporate sectors throughout the state.

Vision for the community:

New Jersey will have a robust statewide public health infrastructure and services that promote prevention activities and access to health care and works to eliminate health disparities.

Core Values:

Advocacy: The New Jersey Public Health Association should be an independent voice for public health policies, standards and practices that informs, inspires and mobilizes members and the public to act.

Collaboration: Health professionals, students, funders, educators and public health officials must collaborate and communicate effectively to promote better public health policies, standards and practices.

Education: New Jersey residents should have access to information about public health issues and be empowered to make choices to protect their health and the health of their families.

Equity: All New Jersey residents have the right to live in an environment that promotes and protects their health and well-being.

Professional Development: Since the landscape of the public health field is constantly changing, it’s important for public health professionals to routinely assess and update their skills and knowledge in order to effectively address present and emerging public health issues.

Responsibility: The government has a responsibility to promote an environment in which all individuals can make healthy choices. All individuals must take personal responsibility for their own health and well-being.

Sustainability: Environmentally and economically sustainable cities and communities are critical to ensuring good public health.

Executive Board

Kevin McNallyPresident: Kevin McNally, MBA Chair – Nominating Committee Kevin McNally is an independent consultant specializing in strategic planning, community health improvement planning and public health accreditation. His professional experience includes 40 years of working in healthcare and public health, including 31 years with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). Kevin has an MBA in Health Care Administration from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

President-Elect: Paschal Nwako, MPH

Immediate-Past President: Oliver Lontok, MD, MPH o-lontok-nrsa-photoOliver is the immediate past-president of the NJPHA and is currently serving as the Affiliate Representative to the Governing Council. Additionally, Oliver is a Research Analyst at the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy (CSHP). His current focus is in providing project management and research support to the CSHP’s portfolios: Access and Coverage and Health Systems Performance Improvement. Prior to joining the CSHP, he worked with the Cancer Institute of NJ and the Institute of Complementary and Alternative Medicine studying the role of alternative medicine among cancer patients. Additionally, Oliver was a National Research Service Award Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine Research Division at the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where, among other responsibilities, he worked with provider groups participating in the SCOPE project, studying colorectal cancer screening rates in New Jersey. In December 2012, Oliver was elected to the executive board of the New Jersey Public Health Association. He is a graduate of the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine and the UMDNJ School of Public Health (now a school of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey).

First VP: Elizabeth Brewer, MS, MPH

Chair – Advocacy Committee

Elizabeth is currently Director, on Policy/State Legislative Affairs with Sanofi. In this role, she lobbies state legislatures and executive branches of government to assure immunizations policies, rules and regulations advance public health interests. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from Emory University, a MS in Biology from Old Dominion University and is currently working toward an Executive MBA at the University of Florida.

Second VP: Michelle Terreri Secretary: Cornelius Mootoo

Chair – Communications Committee

Treasurer: Uzman Khan

Chair – Finance Committee

Member at Large: James W. Brown, PhD, MS, HCLD

Chair – Awards Committee

Dr. Jim Brown is currently President of James W. Brown Associates LLC, a past president of the NJPHA and a former Assistant Commissioner of Health for the State of New Jersey. Dr. Brown currently teaches totally online for a number of colleges and universities. He is considered a pioneer in developing online courses especially in public health, health care and the life sciences. He is a former academic Dean at Ocean County College and Assistant Dean at New Jersey City University and helped to launch their online programs. The Center for Digital Education recently designated Dr. Brown as one of the Top 40 Innovators in Education. Dr. Brown has been honored for his work by both houses of the NJ Legislature and both houses of the United States Congress and has been nicknamed “Dr. James Brown: the Godfather of Online Science.”

Member at Large: Stanley Weiss, MD

Chair – Awards Committee

Dr. Weiss was the past president of NJPHA and has been the chair of the Epidemiology committee for the past few years. Dr. Weiss is a Professor at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Preventive Medicine & Community Health at the Newark campus.

? Member at Large: Bernice Carr, MPH, MS

Chair – Communications Committee

Bernice Carr is currently an Accreditation Consultant/Intern at the Princeton Health Department in Princeton, New Jersey. She received her Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree from the The George Washington University in Washington D.C., in January 2016. She received a Masters degree in Food Science from Rutgers University, which produced two co-authored papers on the attachment of Listeria monocytogenes to food contact surfaces. She also serves as a member of the Data Committee of the North Jersey Health Collaborative. In addition to her public health experiences, Bernice has many years of experience working as a service provider scientist in both the Food and Biotech industries. Bernice is very passionate about public health and using the principles of public health to advance the health of residents of New Jersey and beyond.

Gwyneth Eliasson, JD, MPH

Chair – Newsletter Committee

Gwyneth M. Eliasson is a health law consultant for solo and small firms in New York City. She guest lectures at Rutgers School of Public Health and presents at other academic institutions as well as advocacy, community, healthcare, legal, and social service organizations. She is a Governing Board member of the Rutgers School of Public Health Alumni Association and a member of the Policy Committee in the Law Section of the American Public Health Association.

Meghan Tizzano, MPH, CHES

Chair – Membership Committee

Meghan is currently the Program Coordinator at Jersey Cares for the Community Emergency Preparedness Corps, where she is engaging New Jersey residents in preparing for emergencies. She earned her BS and MPH from West Virginia University and recently became a Certified Health Education Specialist.

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