Page 44 - ESG Monograph 34-1 (Final)_Neat

Founders and to recruit new professionals and advance Eta Any other comments/statements you wish to include?
Sigma Gamma and the Health Education profession.
I am honored to be named an ESG Fellow and thank ESG
Which one thing do you wish you had done differently? for this recognition.
One thing I wish I would have done earlier in my
career was to engage in more advocacy and local civic
engagement as a younger professional. Today, more than
ever, we need Gammans and health professionals who are
willing to run for political office, the city council, town
planning commission or local school board. Instead of
only determining which candidate to support, I think our
profession can help willing Gammans develop their skills
to effectively hold a public office and actually influence
change.

Whom were you most influenced by professionally?
How/Why?

Numerous individuals have influenced me at different
times in my career as I have been fortunate to work with so
many inspiring mentors, colleagues and
students. However, the one group of individuals that
rises to the top are the Health Education faculty members
at Southern Illinois University Carbondale from 1987-
1992. For this group of individuals, I will be forever
grateful. I could not have chosen better teachers, mentors
and eventual life-long friends.

What challenges do you think ESG as an organization
will face in the next decade?

I feel the most pressing organizational challenge for ESG
will be to continue to lobby for the unique role of the health
educator while simultaneously finding ways to collaborate
with other health professionals working to improve health
outcomes. This will be key to our continuation as a distinct
and full-fledged profession. To accomplish this,
individual Gammans must continue to become more
interdisciplinary in their focus, more media-
savvy, and adaptable and engaged in their local
communities.

What challenges do you think Gammans as health
education professionals will be dealing with in the next
decade?

Individual Gammans will need to become more
interdisciplinary in their focus, media-savvy, adaptable and
engaged with their local communities.

What five words best describe you?

Engaged, Reflective, Optimistic, Grateful, and Witty

34 THE HEALTH EDUCATION MONOGRAPH SERIES, Volume 34, Number 1, 2017