Local Roots, Global Impact: Before You Go to the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference
Includes a Live Web Event on 03/24/2026 at 2:00 PM (EDT)
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Register
- Non-member - Free!
- Member - Free!
- Student Member - Free!
- Student Non-Member - Free!
We’ll break down the sessions are, the 2026 conference theme, and how SOPHE prepares you on how to stay engaged throughout the event. You'll also learn what materials and session topics will be provided, what networking opportunities are built into the event, and how to show up ready to make an impact.
Participants will leave with a full understanding of their role during the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference, the structure of the sessions, and how to navigate the educational and informational components of the event with clarity and confidence.
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the day-to-day structure and logistics of the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference.
- Identify how the theme "Local Roots, Global Impact" relates to the event
- Explain the purpose and format of the sessions, and networking opportunities available.
Competencies that will be covered include:
9.4.2 |Entry| Participate in professional associations, coalitions, and networks (e.g., serving on committees, attending conferences).
9.5.3 |Entry| Promote collaboration and networking.
Sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.0 total Category I contact education contact hours.
SOPHE is a provider of Certified in Public Health (CPH) Renewal Credits. A total of 1.0 CPH Renewal credits are provided on behalf of the National Board of Public Health Examiners.
La Verne Partlow, M.Ed.
Health Education Coordinator
Gaston County Public Health
La Verne D. Partlow, M.Ed., Health Education Coordinator at Gaston County Public Health. La Verne has over 27 years of experience in public health at the local and state levels. From 1997 to 2000, she worked at the Iredell County Health Department as the Health Education Specialist. During her tenure, she developed and implemented a lay health advisor program to address sexually transmitted infections in the African-American community. From 2000 to 2005, La Verne worked as a Program Consultant in infant morbidity and mortality in the African American community with the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Since 2005, she has been working in the field of chronic disease prevention.
Kendall Smith
Student
Kendall Smith is a fourth-year Public Health undergraduate student on the pre-medical track at the University of Alabama. She is earning her Masters in Business Administration through the STEM Path to the MBA program at Manderson School of Business. She currently serves as the Student Trustee for the SOPHE Board of Trustees. Her passion for health equity and experiences as a medical assistant in dermatology inspire her research on racial disparities in skin cancer education.
Ethan Greenblatt
MCHES, CPH
Saint Louis County Department of Public Health
Ethan Greenblatt, MCHES, CPH is a Health Education Supervisor at the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health in St. Louis, Missouri. Ethan oversaw the COVID-19 Response during the pandemic and continues to supervise a team of community health educators who prevent COVID-19, MPOX, and STIs in the community through outreach, education and engagement. Passionate about developing the next public health workforce, promoting health equity and enhancing community well-being, Ethan also contributes nationally as a member of NACCHO’s Leadership & Workforce Development Workgroup, NNPHI’s Public Health Leads Steering Committee and SOPHE Midwest, his local SOPHE Chapter. Ethan is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion & Policy at the University of Missouri-Columbia and is expected to graduate in Fall 2027.
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