Elects Board Members at Annual Meeting

Current Board Members Brett Mayfield, Alice Ely (Executive Director), Rudy Fedrizzi, Jen Barkley, Julius Turner, Roberta Berner, and Suellen Griffin at Annual Meeting (Photo credit – Alex Driehaus)

On November 17, the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley (PHC) Board of Directors held their annual meeting at Harvest Hill’s Dwinnell Room with about 35 community members and public health advocates in attendance.

During the business portion of the meeting, departing board members Roberta Berner (West Lebanon), Nicole Coleman (Lebanon), Dan Fraser (White River Junction), and Katie Kobe Kent (Quechee) were recognized for their many contributions. W. Brett Mayfield, Hartford Town Health Officer, among other roles, was elected to his second term as PHC Board Chair.

The Board also welcomed new Directors Mark Bradley, Amanda Jordan Smith, Shaun Mulholland, Alisha Robinson, Andrea Smith, and Kym Williams. Mark Bradley serves as the Executive Director of the White River Council on Aging (aka Bugbee Senior Center). Amanda Jordan Smith is the Program Lead for Volunteers in Action (ViA) at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center and is a DEIB Consultant. Shaun Mulholland has been Lebanon’s City Manager since 2018. Alisha Robinson serves Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital as the HR Business Partner and Coordinator for the hospital’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program. Andrea Smith supports substance misuse prevention through her role at Dartmouth-Health’s Population Health Department. Kym Williams is a public health strategy consultant specializing in community-engaged research, program design, and evaluation.

Alice Ely, Executive Director of the PHC, spoke about the organization’s work over the past 18 months managing the Upper Valley Community Health Equity Partnership, a program funded through the Vermont Public Health Institute by the State of Vermont’s CDC Health Disparities Grant. Ten community-based organizations received mini-grants to address the root causes of isolation, mental illness, and substance misuse among the Upper Valley’s BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ residents.

PHC is our region’s trusted leader in public health, supporting the people, professionals, and organizations who, together, make our communities healthier places to live, work, and play. Our mission is to improve the health of all Upper Valley residents.

The next meeting of the Public Health Council is Friday, January 19, 2024, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. The meeting will be virtual. The agenda and login information can be found on the PHC website at www.uvpublichealth.org. All meetings are open to the public.