2024 OPHA Public Health Awards

*The deadline for nominations has been extended to Thursday, September 5.

Recognizing Champions of Public Health

Every year, thousands of public health professionals engage, innovate, and make an impact on the communities they serve. The dedication and commitment to protecting and promoting the health of Oregon’s communities makes an immeasurable impact. At OPHA, we are committed to acknowledging and celebrating the enduring influence that these individuals have in Oregon.

OPHA members may nominate themselves, another member, or an organization for one of the four categories:

• Lifetime Achievement – For a person demonstrating a lifetime commitment to public health and to the improvement of health in Oregon.
• Policy Champion of the Year – For a person or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to advancing public health policy in Oregon.
• Emerging Leader – For a person starting a career in public health who demonstrates leadership, innovation, and creativity. Alternatively, this award may also be given to an organization that has demonstrated leadership, innovation and creativity at the onset of their organizational development.
• Health Equity Champion – For a person or organization realizing health equity through addressing historical and contemporary injustices, centering social justice and the social determinants of health, and/or working to eliminate preventable health disparities.

The awards will be given this October, at our 80th Annual Conference and Meeting, during our Awards Ceremony. Nominations are due September 5, 2024!

Detailed award criteria

Nominate a Public Health Champion

Please contact Awards Committee Chair, Maritza Kritz, [email protected] with questions.

Public Health Awards Recipients

2023

2022

Lifetime Achievement: Anne King, MBA
Policy Champion: Northwest PANDAS/PANS Network (NWPPN)
Emerging Leader Award: Leah Swanson, MPH
Health Equity Champion - The Gorge Native American Collaborative
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Esmeralda Julyan, Mandana Masoumirad

2021

Lifetime Achievement: Suzie Kuerschner, M.Ed.
Policy Champion: Oregon Recovers, Mike Marshall, Executive Director
Emerging Leader Award:  Sabrina Garcia, PWS
Champion for Healthy Environments Award:  Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon 
Health Equity Champion - Jonathan Garcia, PhD
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Mandana Masoumirad, MA and Satyasandipani Pradhan, MHA

2020

Lifetime Achievement: Katherine Bradley, PhD.
Policy Champion: The Oregon State University Tobacco Policy Team, Marion Cerason.
Emerging Leader Award: Allison E. Myers, PhD, MPH.
Champion for Healthy Environments Award: Mike McNickle, Clatsop County Health Department.
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Maddie Dirren, Jenny Leon-Perez and Thomas Packebush

2019
Lifetime Achievement: Mitch Greenlick
Policy Champion: Kristen Beiers-Jones
Emerging Leader: Reproductive Health Coalition of Washington County
Champion for Healthy Environments (Individual): Jennifer Coleman
Champion for Healthy Environments (Coalition): PedPDX
Outstanding Student Posters: Oyinda Osibanjo, Priscilla Park & Austin Ngo

2018
Lifetime Achievement: Launa Rae Mathews
Emerging Leader: Sarah Andrea
Policy Champion: Lincoln County Public Health
Champion for Healthy Environments: Michael Heumann
Outstanding Student Posters: Eric S. Cerino & Tiantian Pang

2017
Lifetime Achievement: Marie Harvey
Emerging Leader: Rebecca Chavez
Policy Champion: Jangho Yoon
Outstanding Student Posters: Christie Jackson & Susannah Gibbs

Lifetime Achievement: Betty Johnson
Emerging Leader: Melinda Davis
Policy Champion: Morgan Cowling

Lifetime Achievement: Ken Rosenberg
Emerging Leader: Philip Mason
Policy Champion: Reps Fagan and Williamson 

2014
Lifetime Achievement: Dianna Pickett
Emerging Leader: LaKeesha Dumas
Policy Champion: Family Forward Oregon
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Sandi Cleveland & Kathleen Conte 

2013
Lifetime: Kathleen O’Leary
Emerging Leader: Sara Gardner-Smith
Policy Champion: State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward

Lifetime: Thomas D. Aschenbrener
Emerging Leader: Danielle Bailey
Policy Champion: Upstream Public Health 

2011
Lifetime: Tom Eversole
Emerging Leader: Tia Henderson
Policy Champion: Healthy Active Schools Team, Communities Putting Prevention to Work of Multnomah County:  David Hudson, Derrick Travers, Nell Tessman Ben Escalante 

2010
Lifetime: Lila Wickham
Emerging Leader: Raquel Bournhonesque

2009
Lifetime: Don Austin
Emerging Leader: Adrienne Mullock
Legislator of the Year: Chuck Riley 

2008
Lifetime: Carol Elliot
Emerging Leader: Mel Radar
Legislator of the Year: Diane Rosenbaum

For more past conference highlights, click here.