For the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, 2017 will go down as a year of unprecedented growth and new opportunities.
 
I’m pleased to share that we’re stronger than ever before thanks to a collaborative, bipartisan approach. We have secured new partnerships, have grown our grant catalogue significantly, and have established new tools to help improve capacity for state and territory chronic disease prevention, control, and health promotion programs.
 
Here are just a few of our achievements this year:

• We participated as a MillionHearts® national partner.
• The Coordinated Chronic Disease and Chronic Disease Directors’ Forum directly served nearly all states and territories.
• 10 communities developed a Community Action Plan targeting inclusive, healthy community changes for people with disabilities, which has resulted in more than 100 impact outcomes so far.
• Our partnership with Joan Lunden and CBS Health Solutions deepened to include a second season of diabetes messages as well as new colorectal cancer PSAs.
• Bipartisan support of chronic disease prevention funding was strengthened through testimony before a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee and our leadership of multiple policy sign-on letters, representing nearly 200 organizations.
• Emerging professional development and capacity issues of our field were tackled through Dr. Mehul Dalal’s leadership podcasts, the publication of a Health Equity Toolkit and hiring of a Health Equity consultant, and the expansion of our health intelligence briefings with Leavitt Partners. 

Our strong position leading into 2018 is the result of years of work implementing our strategic Vision, pursuing multiple funding strategies, and investing in advocacy activities.
 
We are saddened that the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE), a long partner of NACDD, will dissolve on Dec. 31 due to lack of sustainable funding. We send our support to the DHPE staff as they move on to other opportunities.
 
NACDD commits to DHPE’s members and leaders, as well as to our own Membership, that we will continue our work of the past several years to strengthen public health education wherever possible and to promote health in concert with chronic disease prevention and control. 
 
As we mark our 30th anniversary in 2018, we believe the best way to celebrate is to renew our energy and our focus on continuing to evolve our work and the benefits and services that we offer you. We look forward to the New Year, and to the next 30 years, helping you to prevent disease and promote health.

Happy Holidays,

John W. Robitscher, MPH
CEO 
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

P.S. Please note that our Headquarters offices in Atlanta will be closed Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 allow our staff some well-deserved time with their families.