We were delighted to welcome many of our partners, friends, and members of the community to last month’s Open House in our new office in downtown Decatur, GA. It was a wonderful evening filled with great conversations and celebration. We truly appreciate your continued support of NACDD, and we look forward to sharing our new headquarters with all of you.
Also in early February, we were thrilled to host our 8th Annual Public Health Programs Success Showcase. NACDD Members, partners, funders, and potential collaborators joined us as we showcased more than 65 projects and programs through engaging poster presentations that demonstrate NACDD’s commitment to innovation in chronic disease prevention, control, and health promotion.
This year’s Showcase also featured and insightful panel discussion with public health thought leaders Dr. Karen Hacker, Dr. Wanda Barfield, Dr. Bala Simon, Dr. Leslie L. McKnight, and moderated by Robyn Taylor, titled “From Silos to Partnerships: Collaborative Leadership for Health Equity & Social Justice.”
In addition, NACDD hosted a Chronic Disease Directors Leadership meeting, which convened about 20 directors from across the U.S. as well as CDC leadership to share state best practices and innovation, challenges and opportunities, and strategies, such as primary prevention, in the effort to prevent chronic disease. We left feeling energized, inspired, and grateful for the new connections made.
Much of NACDD’s work centers on strengthening public health infrastructure—a resilient workforce is essential to meet the public health needs of the population. I encourage you to commit to Dr. Bala Simon’s President’s Challenge, which urges action from Chronic Disease Directors and other State Health Department staff to support and sustain a thriving chronic disease workforce. The challenge builds upon the theory of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, including Job Satisfaction and Employee Engagement on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Microsoft 5Ps of Employee Fulfillment, focused on fulfilling the basic needs of an employee first, as integral to elevating the workforce.
- Sign up to commit to join the 2023-2024 President’s Challenge and support workforce assessment, access workforce tools, and/or support building the evidence
- Opportunities to Act on the President’s Challenge
- Watch the General Member Webinar about the President’s Challenge
I’d like to thank everyone who joined us for the Open House event and this year’s Showcase, especially our CDC partners, state and local representatives, and Members! Your attendance was an important part of commemorating our new home, and a momentous occasion in our Association’s 36 years in chronic disease prevention and health promotion. As we begin this next phase in NACDD’s history, we are grateful for our Members’ commitment to the mission, vision, and strategic goals of the organization.