President, Rosemary Chaudry - Introductory Message

It is my honor and privilege to serve as OPHA president for the

2010-2011 year. I hope to continue the tradition of leadership and growth that has occurred under our recent past presidents, and I know that they will be willing to offer their counsel and advice when I need it!  The gains that OPHA has made in the last year under Past-President Jason Orcena's tenure have been remarkable, and he has set the bar high for Governing Council to meet and surpass this year. We are sorry to lose the strength of the out-going members of Governing Council, but we are most fortunate to have a new cadre of Governing Council members that are knowledgeable, committed, and strong advocates for public health.

Given these new members and the ongoing core of dedication and expertise on the Governing Council, I am confident that we will have a wonderful year.

As OPHA president, my goals for the coming year are two. First, I hope to continue and enhance OPHA's credibility and presence as an advocate for public health through our presence on the policy scene- whether that be through testimony, policy statements, representation of OPHA at health related institutes and meetings, or other opportunities that emerge for us in the coming year. As the organization in Ohio that speaks for the multiple disciplines and providers that make up public health, this is the essence of our purpose as an organization. Second, I hope that we can strengthen our base as a member organization. This means both increasing our service to members, which includes continuing to strengthen OPHA, but also increasing our membership at all levels and energizing all of our members to get engaged in OPHA activities and their pool advocacy efforts for public health.

These are ambitious goals, but these times demand a strong presence by our organization and our members to address the challenges that face us as a society. I am confident that with the talent and commitment that we as an organization have on the Governing Council and can tap into in our membership, we can meet these goals and keep OPHA at the forefront of advocacy for public health in our local, state, national, and international communities.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and our organization as president for the coming year. I pledge that I will do my very best to serve you and represent OPHA well as we continue to serve as a voice for public health.

Rosemary