Climate for Health Ambassadors Training

Eryn Greaney is the programs and policy manager at The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE).?She works on a 5-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, as well as contributes to advancing SOPHE?s advocacy initiatives Prior to SOPHE, Eryn worked in HIV/AIDS policy and advocacy. Eryn started her career in public health serving as a Peace Corps health extension volunteer in Ghana where she developed a health curriculum for employees of fair-trade organization, worked on the Let Girls Learn Initiative, and implemented community health programs. Eryn is a Paul D Coverdell fellow at American University where she is getting a master?s degree in public administration. Eryn earned her bachelor?s degree from The College of Wooster.

Rebecca is the Director of ecoAmerica?s Climate for Health Program, a national initiative led by a diverse network of health leaders from across the sector. She also serves on the American Geophysical Union GeoHealth Section leadership team and is a Governing Council for the American Public Health Association?s Environment Section. Rebecca was previously the Public Policy & Advocacy manager for a small environmental health nonprofit in Maryland, and she completed a 2-year fellowship in the Office of Children?s Health Protection at the US EPA after finishing her MPH.?

Meighen is ecoAmerica?s Executive Director, and has helped the organization achieve its mission since 2008. Before joining ecoAmerica, Meighen was the brand director for (RED). She was integral to the conception, launch, and continued growth of the (RED) brand to help fund the fight to end AIDS. It was this immersion in health work that led Meighen to climate impacts and her dedication to climate advocacy to improve health equity. ?

Samantha Mundt is a 4+1 Public Health student at the University of Indianapolis. She will complete her undergraduate degree in August of 2021 and her Master's in Public Health the following year. In her time at UIndy, Samantha has served as president of the Epsilon Psi Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, held internships with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition & the Hoosier Environmental Council, and served as the University of Indianapolis’ Collegiate Champion for SOPHE. Most recently, she has become the Student Representative for InSOPHE. Samantha’s interests are in health education, health administration, health policy & advocacy, and non-profit writing & editing.

M. Elaine Auld, MPH, MCHES, is the chief executive officer, emerita, for the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). As SOPHE’s chief executive officer from 1995 to 2021 she oversaw the organization’s portfolio in professional preparation, professional development, research, publications, and advocacy. Over her more than 40-year career, Ms. Auld has published some 50 journal articles and book chapters on the profession’s role in community and school health education, health equity, national and international workforce development, and public policy. With regard to the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, Ms. Auld was principal investigator on several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cooperative agreements that provided training and materials development for professionals, promoted the model as part of the National Task Force on the Future of School Health Education, and helped establish SOPHE’s School Health Teacher Education Standards used in credentialing.

Dr. Sabrina T. Cherry’s professional experience includes two decades of working and volunteering in the field of Public Health, including serving as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa, and as the spring 2019 Resident Faculty Director in Wales, United Kingdom. As an Assistant Professor at UNC Wilmington, Dr. Cherry has published over a dozen journal articles, book reviews, and commentaries and presented at nearly three dozen local, national, and international conferences. Her research focuses on the intersection of religion and health; qualitative research; and health equity. She has won multiple awards, including the 2018 National Economic Development Award, the Distinguished Scholarly Engagement, and Public Service Award, and the 2020 Franklin H. Williams Award. Dr. Cherry earned a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Emory University, and a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the University of Georgia.

Heidi Hancher-Rauch, PhD, MCHES®, is a professor of health sciences at Butler University with over 20 years of experience in academia and nearly 25 years in the public health field. Her professional background includes work in community disease prevention and worksite health, with expertise in health policy and advocacy, program evaluation, and evidence-based health promotion. A dedicated health advocate, the majority of her publications and presentations focus on this area. Dr. Hancher-Rauch currently serves as President of the SOPHE Board of Trustees. She has held multiple leadership roles, including Board Trustee for Advocacy & Resolutions, a long-time member of the Advocacy Committee, and delegate to the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations. She has also previously directed advocacy efforts for Indiana SOPHE and serves on the steering committee for the Top 10 Coalition in Indianapolis.