Thank you for participating in today's event. If you missed it, a recording will be available soon.
Day one will kick off the event with presentations and panel discussions that focus on climate change as it relates to the social determinants of health, health disparities and innovative, cross-sectoral policy solutions. Two breakout opportunities allow you to dive into these topics and set you up to further the discussion on day two.
Dr. Diana Hernández is a tenured Associate Professor of
Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
and the Founding Principal Investigator of the Energy Equity, Housing, and
Health Program. She serves as the co-Director of the Energy Opportunity Lab
overseeing Domestic Programs within the Center on Global Energy Policy at the
School of International and Public Affairs. A sociologist by training, Dr.
Hernández's research focuses on the social and environmental determinants of
health, with a particular emphasis on policy and place-based interventions for
socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Her foundational research on
energy insecurity- defined as the inability to adequately meet household energy
needs- has explored the multiple dimensions of this phenomenon identifying
sociodemographic disparities, adverse consequences and promising interventions
toward energy equity and justice.
Dustin Robertson is a Thriving
Communities Program Manager at Smart Growth America where he focuses on
Complete Streets and the intersections of mobility, health, and equity. His
work is based on best practices and research, and he helps build capacity at
state and local levels across the country.
E. Benjamin Money, MPH is the SVP
for Population Health at the National Association of Community Health Centers
serving as executive lead for value-based care, care transformation, social
drivers of health, and environmental health. Mr. Money's 40+ year career
includes serving as the President and CEO of the North Carolina Community
Health Center Association and an appointment as Deputy Secretary for Health
Services at the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Ben received
his MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a certificate
in Health and Climate Change from the Yale University School of Public Health.
Ella Greene-Moton brings an extensive background in public
health advocacy and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), to the
table, spanning over the past fifty years. In addition, and in her role as
Administrator of the Community Based Organization Partners (CBOP) Community
Ethics Review Board (CERB), she has led specific efforts in public health
Ethics, focused on providing an awareness at the community level, developing
and elevating the community voice and advocating for community inclusiveness at
the State, National, and International Levels.
CDR Heather Joseph is a Health Scientist at CDC’s Climate
and Health Program (National Center for Environmental Health). She leads
translation and evaluation activities by developing resources, providing
technical assistance, and overseeing performance measures for the Climate
Resilient States and Cities Initiative. Her work promotes evidence-based
approaches that are feasible, equitable, effective, and responsive to the
urgency demanded by the climate crisis.
John Balbus is the Director of the
HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) and the Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Climate Change and Health Equity. Prior to joining OCCHE,
Dr. Balbus served as Senior Advisor for Public Health to the Director of the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. He received his MPH degree
from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, his MD degree from
the University of Pennsylvania, and his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry
from Harvard University. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in
2021.
Katherine Catalano is the Deputy Director of the Center for
Climate, Health and Equity at the American Public Health Association. Katherine
is a communicator, strategic planner, and leader with almost a decade of
experience in climate policy, advocacy, and education across sectors and
audiences with a particular focus on centering justice, equity, diversity and
inclusion in every aspect of the climate movement. Katherine is passionate
about applying her skills and experience to affect change and bring
stakeholders together to advocate for climate justice and equitable health outcomes.
Meishka L. Mitchell, AICP, PP, is President & CEO of
Emerald Cities Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization working to
advance a sustainable environment while creating sustainable, just and
inclusive economies with opportunities for all. Meishka has over 18 years
of visionary leadership experience in climate justice and equitable and
inclusive neighborhood development. In her hometown of Camden, New
Jersey, Meishka cultivated a resident-driven approach to neighborhood planning
and development of parks and open spaces, historic preservation, and
placemaking. Meishka has established several national award-winning
sustainability collaborations that have become replicable models for collective
impact in underserved communities. She is also a known advocate and sought out
speaker for climate justice. Meishka has a Master of City Planning from the
University of Pennsylvania, is certified by the American Institute of Certified
Planners, and maintains a Professional Planners license with the State of New
Jersey, where she lives with her family.
Milagros is responsible for
providing strategic direction and advancing policy priorities at the NYC’s
Mayor’s Office of Food policy. She works with local, state, and regional
leaders, along with academics and advocates to develop sustainable and
equitable food initiatives.
Dr. Natasha DeJarnett (she/her) (pronounced DEE-jar-net) is
the Deputy Director for Environmental Justice Data and Evaluation at the White
House Council on Environmental Quality. Most recently, Dr. DeJarnett served as
an assistant professor in the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the
University of Louisville Division of Environmental Medicine researching the
health impacts of extreme heat exposure and environmental health disparities.
She also was a professorial lecturer at The George Washington University Milken
Institute School of Public Health. In addition, Dr. DeJarnett previously
provided leadership for climate change and health and environmental health
partnerships at the American Public Health Association and the National
Environmental Health Association. Collectively, her roles in academia and
national nonprofits have advanced research agendas for the environmental health
workforce, established successful national climate change and health
initiatives, and inspired the next generation of environmental health
professionals.