There's a lot going on with Environmental Health in Oregon! Read about OEHA Board Members elected at the AEC, the new OEHA Logo, a reminder to complete the post AEC Survey, and more in this edition of the OEHA E-Blast. Please pass these helpful resources along to others in your agency and community who may benefit from this important public health information!

Oregon Environmental Health News and Resources

Welcome New OEHA Board Members! At the OEHA AEC in October, new board members were elected into office. Please welcome our new board members!

Adrianne Shives: New Eastern Regional Director!

Tia Lattanzio: New Secretary!

Chris Chiola: New NW Regional Director!

Lunch discussions just got way more interesting with the OEHA Book Club!

Looking for a community to explore new ideas, expand your mind, learn more about Environmental Health, and read some fascinating books? Drop in on OEHA's one-of-a-kind Book Club on the second Tuesday of every month at 12noon!We always have a ton of fun, as seen in the screenshot of our most recent virtual meeting above! If you're interested in joining the OEHA book club email list to learn what we're reading this month, contact us! Book Club | OEHA (oregoneha.org) Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 14th, 2024 and we will be discussing the first half of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. In February, we will finish and discuss the ending of the book.

OEHA Logo Contest Winner! At the OEHA AEC, attendees voted on options for a much needed refresh of the old OEHA logo. There were many wonderful submissions for the new logo, but one prevailed! And the winner is...

Speaking of the AEC... let us know your thoughts! Please fill out the survey below and tell us what you enjoyed or disliked about this year's AEC, and give us recommendations for next year's conference.

SURVEY LINK!

Invite your Trainees to OEHA's Trainee Study Group! Encourage your new REHS Trainees to join this engaging study group. Trainees may join any time during the session. We meet every Friday from 9 - 10 am. If you know of any REHS Trainees in your area, please point them our way! REHS Trainee Resources | OEHA (oregoneha.org) The OEHA Trainee Study Group is available at no cost to all Oregon REHS Trainees who are current OEHA Members. Register by contacting us here.

Upcoming Classes, Webinars and Conferences

Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) Inspector Boot Camps

Trainings are for both retail and manufactured food inspectors. Sessions cover soft and technical skills, followed by facilitated breakout discussions. Explore topics such as report writing, conflict de-escalation, preventive controls, food safety plans, food safety culture, and foodborne illness. These are free to register for and are offered virtually.

Basic Boot Camp: January 8, 15, and 22. Register here.

Advanced Boot Camp: January 9, 16, and 23. Register here.

2025 InFORM Regional Meeting

February 19 - 20, 2025 

San Francisco, CA 2025 InFORM Regional Meetings (neha.org)

2025 American Mosquito and Vector Control Association (AMCA)

March 3-7, 2025

San Juan, Puerto Rico 91st Annual Meeting (eventscribe.net)

2025 NACCHO Preparedness Summit

April 29 to May 2, 2025

San Antonio, Texas Home - 2025 Preparedness Summit (naccho.org)

2025 AFDO AEC

June 21-25, 2025

Dallas, Texas 129th AFDO Annual Educational Conference – Association of Food and Drug Officials

2025 NEHA AEC

July 14–17, 2025

Phoenix, Arizona Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition (neha.org)

Scholarships and Opportunities

National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEPHIP)

Looking for an intern to help with special projects next summer? NEHA's NEPHIP program is an excellent, and free(!), way for local environmental health agencies to host an intern and help build the next generation of EH throughout the country. It's free for agencies to apply, and the intern is paid up to $8,000 for a 400 hour internship. Your county may even receive a $1,500 to help cover costs of onboarding and any equipment for the student. Applications for environmental health agencies are open now! Learn more and apply to host an intern here.

ServSafe Certified Food Manager Course in Bend!

Do you have food operators in your district who would benefit from advanced food safety training? If they're interested in taking an in-person course in Bend, please encourage them to call 541-317-3114 to join our interest list. We will call them when we have our next class scheduled.

What: ServSafe Certified Food Manager course and exam, offered quarterly.

Be Recognized on NEHA's Retail Food Safety Standardization Map

If you lead retail food safety standardization in your jurisdiction, take 20 minutes to tell NEHA about your local program’s standardization practices. Your input will directly inform the specific, tailored assistance available to you, whether to maintain your existing program or support training and standardization.

Verification Auditor Resource Listing

AFDO connects jurisdictions with qualified auditors to support their efforts toward conforming with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. If you're an auditor, provide your qualifications to be listed as a resource.

Employment Opportunities

Looking for a job? Have a vacancy in your business or department? Check out the OEHA Job Opportunities page at Job Opportunities | OEHA (oregoneha.org) or send us a message for a free job posting!

Did you know NEHA has a Job Board? Members get one free post per year. Use code 23CAREERS. They also list NEHA job openings.

Visit the NACCHO Career Center, where job seekers can browse hundreds of vacant positions and employers can recruit new talent.

NACCHO also offers Fellowship Programs for students to gain experience in public health and Mentorship Programs which provide the chance to learn and share resources across local health departments.

Thanks for reading! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Please contact us with any information you would like to have included in the next OEHA E-Blast or if you have an article idea for the Newsletter.

Sincerely, your Oregon Environmental Health Association Board