healthedunification@gmail.com We will be periodically updating the ...

May 29, 2013Dear (FIRST NAME):This is a time of dramatic change in health and health education. The Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act has created an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, provided funding forschool-based health clinics, and initiated an oral healthcare prevention education campaign. Recently,the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) successfully petitioned the American DiabetesAssociation and the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators to include health educationspecialists in their guidelines, opening the door for third-party reimbursement. In 2011, the ASCD(formerly Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) published The Healthy SchoolCommunities Model: Aligning Health and Education in the School Setting. The author, Dr. Robert Valoisproposed that “health and education should be required to work in tandem . . . . to combine, align andmerge these structures so that the systems work in unison.”Simultaneously, professional associations, which formerly were identified as serving subgroups of healtheducation specialists, have also changed. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,Recreation and Dance recently dissolved its multiple professional associations to form a singleassociation focusing on physical education, physical activity and health. The American Association forHealth Education (AAHE) has been formally disbanded as part of this alliance modification.Given such changes in the landscape, we are convinced that the health education profession, now morethan ever, needs a strong, dynamic independent voice to advance the public’s health. For more than 4years, in cooperation with former AAHE leaders, the 63-year-old Society for Public Health Education(SOPHE) has been expanding and sharpening its services to school health educators, providing anincreasing menu of resources, tools, and evidenced-based program ideas to faculty, teachers,administrators, parents and communities (see http://www.sophe.org/SchoolHealth/index.cfm).We believe that SOPHE is now the “go to” professional organization that will best serve all healtheducation specialists into the future, including school health educators. Uniting our voices under SOPHEwill realize the dream of our profession’s leaders more than 40 years ago for a stronger champion andadvocate for health education. We invite you to join us in publicly affirming your confidence in SOPHEas the premier independent health education professional association.Please sign on in pledging your support for SOPHE by sending an email to:healthedunification@gmail.comWe will be periodically updating the list of signatories over the coming weeks. If you have anyquestions, please feel free to contact Tom Davis at thomas.davis@uni.edu.Thank you in advance for helping us pave the way for a stronger, unified voice for the health educationprofession that will improve health education in all settings.1. Collins O. Airhihenbuwa, PhD, Head of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University; formerAAHE Board member2. Diane A. Allensworth, PhD, Emeritus, Kent State University; former AAHE Board member

3. Martin Ayim, Ph.D., MPH, MCHES, Endowed Professor of Health Education & Health Promotion,Grambling State University4. Danny Ballard, Professor Emerita, Texas A&M University, Past President AAHPERD, FAAHE,FASHA5. Adam Barry, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education and Behavior, Universityof Florida6. David Birch, PhD, MCHES, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; AAHE Past President; formerAAHPERD Board of Governors7. Jay M. Bernhardt, PhD, MPH, Professor and Chair of Health Education and Behavior, College ofHealth and Human Performance, University of Florida8. Kelly Bishop MA, MCHES, FASHA, Public Health Advisor, Centers for Disease Control andPrevention9. Kelli McCormack Brown, PhD, CHES, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, GeorgiaCollege; AAHE 2011 Scholar10. Stephen L. Brown, PhD, Associate Professor, Graduate Director, Department of Health Educationand Recreation, Southern Illinois University11. Lydia Burak, PhD, CHES, Professor, Health Education/Health Promotion, Bridgewater StateUniversity12. Lynn Carson, Ph.D., MCHES, Professor - Community Health, MPH Program Director, Departmentof Health, West Chester University13. Beth H. Chaney, PhD, MCHES, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education & Behavior,University of Florida; former AAHE Board Member14. Don Chaney, PhD, MCHES, Assistant Dean of Distance Education and Assistant Professor,University of Florida; AAHE Fellow; Past AAHE Horizon Award Recipient15. W. William Chen, PhD, CHES, Professor, University of Florida16. Joanne Chopak-Foss, PhD, Associate Professor, Georgia Southern University; AAHE member 25years17. Sara L. Cole, Ph.D., MCHES, Associate Professor of Community/Public Health University ofCentral Oklahoma18. Kimberly M. Coleman, PhD, MPH, MCHES, Assistant Professor of Public Health Education, NorthCarolina Central University; former AAHE Board member19. Mary Connolly, BS, MEd, CAGS, Program Chair, Health and Family & Consumer Sciences,Cambridge College20. Karen L. Cottrell, MEd, Retired School Health Educator; former AAHE Board Member21. Randall C. Cottrell, DEd, MCHES, Department Chair, University of Wilmington; AAHE PastPresident22. Joan Cowdery, PhD, Associate Professor , Health Education Program, Eastern MichiganUniversity23. Gus T. Dalis, Ed D., CHES, Director Center for Health Education (Retired), Los Angeles CountyOffice of Education, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Past AAHE President, AAHE Scholar199324. Thomas Davis, HSD, MCHES, Professor of Health Promotion, University of Northern Iowa; AAHEPast President25. Dixie L. Dennis, PhD, MCHES, FAAHE, Associate Provost, Grants and Sponsored Programs, Dean,College of Graduate Studies, Austin Peay State University; Editor, Health Education TeachingTechniques Journal26. Lori Dewald, EdD, ATC, MCHES, F-AAHE, Assistant Professor, AT Still University

27. R. Daniel Duquette, PhD, CHES, Chair, Department of Health Education and Health Promotion,University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse28. Susan Dobie, Division of Health Promotion and Education, University of Northern Iowa29. Judy Drolet, Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, National Board ofDirectors for both AAHE and ASHA30. James Eddy, DEd, Interim Dean of the Division of Continual Learning and Professor of PublicHealth Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; 2005 AAHE Scholar31. Michael Fagen, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director, MidAmerica Center for Public Health Practice/Fellow,Institute for Health Research and Policy/Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Public HealthUniversity of Illinois at Chicago32. Carl I. Fertman, PhD, MCHES, Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh33. Debra L. Fetherman, PhD, CHES, ACSM-HFS, Program Director of Community Health Education,University of Scranton34. Deborah Fortune, PhD, MCHES, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education at NorthCarolina Central University; former Director of the National HIV & CSHE Project for AAHE35. Jeanne Freeman, PhD, CHES, Associate Professor of Community Health, Western WashingtonUniversity36. Steve Furney, PhD, MPH, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Health & HumanPerformance, Texas State University San Marcos37. Stephen F. Gambescia, PhD, MEd, MBA, MHum, MCHES, Assistant Dean for Academic & StudentAffairs, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University38. Jolynn Gardner, Ph.D, CHES, Assistant Professor, Health & Human Performance, University of St.Thomas39. Robert S. Gold, PhD, DrPH, Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University ofMaryland School of Public Health, College Park; 1987 AAHE Scholar40. Brian C. Gordon, Ph.D., MCHES, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Distance Education,Department of Health Science, The University of Alabama41. Lawrence Green, DrPH, DSc(Hon), Professor, Dept of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School ofMedicine, University of California at San Francisco42. Melissa Haithcox-Dennis, PhD, CHES, Assistant Professor, Health Education and Promotion, EastCaroline University43. Bart Hammig, Ph.D.,MPH, Associate Professor and Chair, University of Arkansas44. Carl L. Hanson, Ph.D., MCHES, Director MPH Program and Associate Professor, Department ofHealth Science, Brigham Young University45. Bonni Hodges, PhD, Professor and Department Chair, SUNY Cortland46. Ping Johnson, PhD, Professor, Health Education, Kennesaw State University; former AAHE Boardmember47. Amar Kanekar, PhD, MPH, MB,BS, MCHES, CPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Health,Human Performance and Sport Management, University of Arkansas at Little Rock48. R. Mark Kelley, PhD, Dean, College of Education, Health, and Behavioral Sciences, The Universityof Tennessee at Martin49. Dianne L. Kerr, PhD, MCHES, Associate Professor, Health Education & Promotion, Kent StateUniversity50. Mark J. Kittleson, PhD, FAAHB, FAAHE, Professor and Department Head of Public HealthSciences, New Mexico State University; owner and founder of The HEDIR; 2008 AAHE Scholar51. Karl L. Larson, PhD, Associate Professor, Gustavus Adolphus College

52. Billie J. Lindsey, EdD, CHES, Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, Community Health,Western Washington University53. Michael J. Ludwig, Associate Professor, School of Education, Hofstra University54. David K. Lohrmann, PhD, MCHES, Professor and Chair, Department of Applied Health Science,Indiana University School of Public Health—Bloomington; 2010 AAHE Scholar55. Adrian R. Lyde, PhD, MCHES, FASHA, Assistant Professor of Health Education, School HealthTeacher Education Coordinator, Department of Health Sciences, Illinois State University; 2003AAHE Horizon Award Winner56. Beverly Saxton Mahoney, RN, PhD, MCHES, Professor & Associate Dean, School of HealthSciences, Liberty University; AAHE former Board and Executive Committee Member57. Robert J. Marshall, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, Health Services, Policy and Practice, Schoolof Public Health, Brown University; Former Assistant Director of Health, RI Department of Health58. Mary Martinasek, PhD, CHES, CPH, Assistant Professor, University of Tampa59. James F. McKenzie, PhD, MPH, MCHES, FAAHE, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Physiology & HealthScience, Ball State University60. Julie Williams Merten, MSH, MCHES, Instructor, Department of Public Health, University ofNorth Florida, former AJHE Board of Associate Editors61. Beth Miller, PhD, RD, LD , Visiting Assistant Professor, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio62. Kathleen Miner, PhD, MPH, Associate Dean, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University63. Susan Muller, Ph.D., MCHES, FAAHE, Dean, College of Health Sciences & Human Services,Murray State University64. Kathy Newton, PhD, CHES, ASCP, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences, Weber State University65. Brandye D. Nobiling, PhD, CHES, Assistant Professor and Program Director of Health Education,Department of Health and Sport Sciences, Salisbury University66. Roberta Ogletree, HSD, MCHES Professor, Department of Health Education and RecreationSouthern Illinois University67. Nancy Parsons, PhD, MPH, CHES, Interim Associate Provost and Director of Graduate Studies,Western Illinois University68. Miguel A. Perez, PhD, MCHES, Professor, Chair, Department of Public Health, Fresno State69. Carl J. Peter, MPH, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Western Illinois University70. Sheila M. Patterson, PhD, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Health andHuman Performance, Cleveland State University71. Kandice Johnson, Porter, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Health Promotion andPhysical Education, Kennesaw State University72. James H. Price, MS, PhD, MPH, Professor Emeritus, University of Toledo; 2007 AAHE Scholar73. Buzz Pruitt, EdD, Professor of Health Education, Texas A&M University; former AAHPERDExecutive Director; 2006 AAHE Scholar74. Kandice Johnson Porter, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Health Promotion andPhysical Education, Kennesaw State University75. Kerry J. Redican, MPH, PhD, CHES, Professor, Co-Director Master of Public Health Program,Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Maryland Regional College of VeterinaryMedicine, Virginia Tech76. Patricia Rhynders, PhD, MPH, MCHES, Faculty Lead, Health Education, Director, Bachelor ofScience - Health Sciences (BSHS) Degree Program, Trident University77. Liliana Rojas-Guyler, PhD, CHES Associate Professor, Health Promotion and Education,University of Cincinnati78. Gabriel Rudow, MS, BS, Graduate Health Educator, Boise State University

79. Laurie Schott, MPH, CPH, CHES, Infection Preventionist, Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL80. Denise Seabert, PhD, MCHES, Chairperson and Associate Professor, School Health ProgramCoordinator and Advisor, Dept. of Physiology and Health Science, Ball State University81. John R. Seffrin, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, American Cancer Society, Inc.82. Alan Sofalvi, PhD, CHES, Assistant Professor, SUNY Cortland83. Annie Sondag, PhD, CHES, Professor, Community Health, Department of Health & HumanPerformance, The University of Montana84. Caile Spear, PhD, MCHES, FAAHE, Professor, Boise State University; AAHE Immediate PastPresident85. Michael Stellefson, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Florida; past AAHE Horizon AwardRecipient86. Marlene K. Tappe, PhD, MCHES, Professor and Department Chair, Minnesota State University –Mankato; former AAHE Board member87. Susan K. Telljohann, HSD, CHES, Professor, Health Education, The University of Toledo; AAHE2012 Scholar88. Mark Temple, Health Education - Associate Professor, Department of Health Sciences, IllinoisState University89. Amy Thompson, PhD, CHES, Professor, The University of Toledo90. Anna Torrens Armstrong, PhD, MPH, MCHES, CPH, Hurlburt Field Health Promotion Flight HealthEducator; Adjunct Instructor, Johns Hopkins University, Advanced Academic Programs; AAHEAward Recipient91. Robert F. Valois, MS, PhD, MPH, Professor, Health Promotion, Education & Behavior, ArnoldSchool of Public Health, University of South Carolina; 2002 AAHE Scholar92. Amy L. Versnik Nowak, PhD, Associate Professor Dept. of Health, Physical Education andRecreation, University of Minnesota Duluth93. Donna M. Videto, PhD, CHES, Professor, SUNY Cortland; former AAHE Board member94. Harvey A. Wallace, PhD, Interim Dean, College of Professional Studies, Northern MichiganUniversity95. Jennifer Walters, MPH, External Funds Development Specialist, Black Hawk County HealthDepartment; former student representative to the AAHE Board96. Tyler A. Watson, DA, MPH, MCHES, Professor , Health, Recreation and Human Performance,Brigham Young University-Idaho97. Deitra Wengert, PhD, MCHES, FAAHE, FASHA, FNAS, Professor, School Health Coordinator,Department of Health Science, Towson University98. Terry Wessel, EdD, CHES, Professor and Director of Public Health Education, James MadisonUniversity99. Jeanie White, EdM, SIG Grant Coordinator, Early College & Roberts High School, Salem-KeizerPublic Schools, Former Secondary Health Educator and Former AAHE Committee Member/Chair(Awards and Nominations)100. Mark G. Wilson, HSD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor, Department of HealthPromotion and Behavior, College of Public Health, University of Georgia101. Kay Woodiel, Professor & Graduate Coordinator Health Education, SHPHP, Eastern MichiganUniversity102. Debra Vinci, DrPH, RD, LD/N, Association Chair and Associate Professor, Community HealthEducation, Department of Health, Leisure, & Exercise Science, University of West Florida103. Keith J. Zullig, M.S.P.H., Ph.D., Associate Professor & Interim Chair/Director, Department ofSocial & Behavioral Sciences, Director, Interdisciplinary PhD in Public Health Sciences, School ofPublic Health, West Virginia University