President, Dalen Duitsman
Community Colleges/University Representative
Missouri State University
Ozarks Public Health Institute

Dalen Duitsman is the Director of the Ozarks Public Health Institute (OPHI) and a Professor of Public Health at Missouri State University. Dr. Duitsman came to Missouri State University in the fall of 1996. In 1998 he was charged with developing and implementing the MPH degree, which has grown to become a thriving academic program. Graduates of the program hold public health positions throughout the country. A number of students have gone on to pursue PhD, DrPH or MD degrees. In February of 2001 Dr. Duitsman was selected to be the Director of the OPHI. The OPHI provides education, training, and research support to community partners throughout the state. Through this role, Dr. Duitsman has been active in attracting contracts and grants to Missouri State University, and serves on an extensive number of local and state committees and coalitions that focus on public health issues. The majority of Dr. Duitsman’s scholarly publications and presentations have been in the areas of substance abuse and cardiac recuperation. However, more recently his research has broadened to include a variety of public health issues such as diabetes, obesity, emergency response and rural health. Prior to coming to Missouri State University, Dr. Duitsman was a faculty member at Iowa State University. He received his doctoral degree from the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University in Health Education and Public Health. He also earned a Master of Science degree from Indiana University, after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Education at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

Vice-President,Melanie DeWitt has served as director of the Mississippi County Health Department since 1992.  Ms. DeWitt has written several grants to fund projects such as a full service branch office located in the southern end of the county, a rural health primary care clinic and a diabetes management center.  These clinics fall under the umbrella of the health department.Ms. DeWitt attended Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia receiving her Bachelors degree in Psychology. Ms. DeWitt serves on many local and state organization boards.   Mississippi County Health Department was featured in the national Turning Point publication titled “State of Change.”  The health department represented Missouri and discussed the voluntary accreditation model.  After the article was featured, the health department began the accreditation process and was granted primary status in November 2004.  The Mississippi County Health Department was the first primary accredited health department in the state of Missouri.

Secretary/Treasurer, Dennis Diehl
President of the Board, Jefferson County Community Partnership; Board member, East Central Missouri Area Health Education Center

Dennis Diehl worked from1978 to 1996 for the St. Louis City Department of Health and Hospitals as a Health Services Manager. Since 1996, Dennis has worked for the Jefferson County Health Department as Director.  Mr. Diehl received a Master of Public Policy Administration from University of Missouri St. Louis in 1985.  Dennis was born and raised in St. Louis, but has lived in Jefferson County for twelve years.  He has enjoyed the beautiful environment and friendliness of people in the community. He has been married for 33 years. His wife, Linda, is a kindergarten teacher. Their daughter, Jocelyn, is a graduate of Truman State University and their son, Tim, is a graduate of Iowa State University.  Dennis is currently the Treasurer of Missouri Public Health Association and is involved in numerous organizations including the Missouri Institute for Community Health, Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies, the Jefferson County Community Partnership, East Central Missouri Area Health Education Center, Great Mines Health Center and Supporters of the Jefferson County Drug Court.

Ross Brownson
Saint Louis University School of Public Health

Ross C. Brownson, Ph.D. is professor of epidemiology and director of the Prevention Research Center at Saint Louis University School of Public Health in Missouri. Dr. Brownson is a chronic disease epidemiologist. In this capacity, he is involved in numerous community-based interventions designed to reduce modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity and tobacco use. In particular, he is interested in the impacts of environmental and policy interventions on health behaviors. Dr. Brownson also conducts research on dissemination of evidence-based interventions. His research is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Brownson is the author of six books, over 200 peer-reviewed articles, and is on numerous editorial boards. His books include Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Control, Applied Epidemiology, and Evidence-Based Public Health. Dr. Brownson has led in the development of the internationally recognized training course for public health practitioners on evidence-based public health. He is the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Prevention Research and Research Translation in Chronic Disease (2000, from CDC) and the Abraham Lilienfeld Award for outstanding contributions in teaching and mentoring (2003, from APHA). Prior to joining SLU-SPH, Dr. Brownson was a division director (a cabinet-approved appointment) with the Missouri Department of Health. In this capacity he wrote or co-wrote bills on tobacco access to minors, state clean indoor air, and private insurance coverage of screening mammography/Pap testing.

Dr. Brownson holds a Ph.D. degree in environmental health and epidemiology and a bachelors degree in cell biology.

Angela Herman joined the Missouri Primary Care Association in August of 2004. She provides leadership and facilitates technical assistance and training on quality improvement, patient-centered health care homes, chronic disease prevention/management, health promotion, and partnership development to the health centers and partners. In addition, Ms. Herman provides leadership and facilitation for the Association's integration efforts for behavioral health and primary care between community health centers and community mental health centers to improve access to integrated services in Missouri.

Ms. Herman received both of her educational degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs.  Ms. Herman participated in the Johnson and Johnson Health Care Executive Program at the University of California-Los Angeles in summer 2008.

Prior to working for the Association, Ms. Herman was a Health Educator with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services', Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program.

Judy Alexiou has worked in the field of public health for over 30 years, at the local, district, and state level. A registered nurse, Judy has served in a number of leadership positions: as a county public health nurse, local health administrator, district and maternal health nurse consultant, program manager, bureau chief, and program coordinator.

For four years Judy was a member of the Performance Management Collaborative, a RWJ funded group of representatives from eight states who developed a Performance Management Model for State and Local Health Departments. She also facilitated the development of the original Accreditation Standards for Local Public Health Departments in Missouri.

She is a member of the American Nurses Association where she served as a delegate from Missouri to the ANA Convention for six years; Missouri Nurses Association where she was a reviewer for continuing education; as President of the Missouri Public Health Association, and as a member of the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association for several years. She has served as a mentor for student nurses through the Missouri League of Nursing.

At the community level, Judy served twenty years as President of the Dental, Eye, and Shoe Program, a United Way Agency that provides care to children who do not have Medicaid or other health insurance, and currently serves as Vice President. She served on the Board of Directors of St. Marys Health Center for eight years and serves in leadership positions of several other local organizations.

Judy has a Master’s in Public Health from St. Louis University School of Public Health and a Bachelor in Nursing from Drury College. Judy is also a Fellow from the Missouri Public Health Leadership Certification Program.

Ross Marine, DHL, MHA is President of the Murino Group Ltd. Kansas City Missouri, a healthcare management and consulting company with over 37 years in the health care, public health care and Long Term Care field and Ross has served in senior health care management positions in the Midwest Region of the US and at the International level. He has been involved with the Missouri Institute for Community Health since its inception in 2002 in various committee positions and was one of the first certified MICH accreditation on-site reviewers. He has been involved in a number of MICH surveys. He has been actively involved in a number of regional, state and national health care organizations and has served as the Chairman of the Missouri Hosptital Association and as President of the Missouri Public Health Association, Board of Directors.

Bert Malone has over 32 years of public health experience and service at the federal, state and local level of government. From 1974-1989 he was employed as a Public Health Advisor with the US Centers for Disease Control. In that time, he provided service in a number of assignments to state and local health departments around the nation, including Saginaw, MI, Miami, FL, Baltimore, MD and to the state of Missouri. In 1989, he left the federal service to continue his work with the Missouri Department of Health in Jefferson City, MO where he served in a variety of roles, including the Director of the state’s Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and on an interim basis, as the Department’s Deputy Director. In 2003, he left the state service to accept a position in Kansas City, MO as the Director of the Division of Environmental Health Services at the local health department. In September 2005, he was asked to assume the duties as of the Deputy Director, a position he holds to this date on an interim basis. Mr. Malone is co-author on a number of public health publications and has served in a variety of voluntary positions in public health organizations. Chief among these is his role with the Missouri Public Health Association where he has served on the Board of Directors for over 15 years. He currently serves as President of that organization. He has received numerous acknowledgements and honors in his career, including the Administrator of the Year in 2001 by the MO Institute of Public Administrators and the Mentor of the Year, 2005 from the MO Association of Local Public Health Agencies. He has served as an Accreditation Site Reviewer for the MO Institute of Community Health since 2005.

Donna Brashear, BSN, RN.  Is a graduate of Central Methodist University, with a major in Nursing Science.  She is currently enrolled in the Clinical Nurse Leadership program at Central Methodist University and will be graduating in August 2009 with a MSN.

Mrs. Brashear began her career with the Pulaski County Health Department as the School Health Program Manager, being responsible for the3 school health services in four local school districts.  She was instrumental in the development of the School Health Manuals, the School Health Index, and the Worksite Wellness program in each school district.  Her responsibilities included the development of student health care plans, the continuing education of teachers with special health care needs students, the scheduling and implementation of school screenings, and the planning and implementation of school health fairs. In 1999 Mrs Brashear was promoted the Nursing Supervisor position at the Pulaski County Health Department and health that position until January 2007.  As the Nursing Supervisor Mrs Brashear had the opportunity to develop and implement a “New Employee Orientation” program, submitted application and received funding to support health department services as well as create a “Fired Up and Getting Fit” program in Pulaski County. Since January 2007 Mrs Brashear has be the Administrator of the Pulaski County Health Department.  She oversees the work of 32 professionals who implement and sustain several public health programs such as WIC, Maternal Child Health, Health & Active Communities, Home Health, and Public Health Environmental Services; and manage the budgets for each of these programs. Recently Donna and her staff have applied for and received Primary Accreditation from the Missouri Institute of Community Health, has written and received approval for a county-wide Onsite Wastewater Treatment System ordinance and has developed an agency wide Administrative Policy and Procedure Manual.

Mahree Skala, after training as a social scientist at the University of Missouri (B.A. 1972, M.A. 1981), she came to public health after a brief career as a social worker.  Mahree’s public health career began in a Missouri Department of Health district office, as an Immunization Program representative and communicable disease epidemiologist.  She worked in the Division of Environmental Health and Epidemiology from 1980 to 2000, assuming the role of Bureau Chief, Communicable Disease Control, from 1988 through 1994, and of Deputy Director of the Division from 1995-2000.  In July 2000 she became the Director of the Center for Local Public Health Services.  Since retiring from DHSS in 2004, Mahree has served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies, as well as teaching, consulting and editing work.

Jo Anderson, BS, Ag is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.  She began her career in healthcare at Capital Region Medical Center (formerly Memorial Community Hospital) in 1985, and gained experience in hospital program management and administration, serving in various capacities as Director of Senior Services, Director of Corporate Health and Community Health, and Director of Clinic Operations.   In 1995, Jo became the Executive Director of the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority, and was responsible for oversight of the financing of various agricultural and rural economic development projects. From 2000-2006, Jo served as the Manager of the Missouri Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. She was recognized with the Governor’s Shining Star Award for her efforts in convening stakeholders to develop Missouri consensus guidelines for screening for diabetes.  Currently, she is the Deputy Director for the Center for Local Public Health Services at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.  In this role, she is responsible for planning workforce development opportunities for local public health agencies and assists the director with the core public health functions contract, infrastructure survey, and other Center products that support local public health agencies.  She is married, has one son and lives in Jefferson City, MO.

Colleen Beckwith joined the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) in November of 2010.  In her role as Health Policy Coordinator she coordinates MFH support to state agencies and organizations in preparing plans and applications required for implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  Previously Colleen worked for the St. Louis County Department of Health for seven years; for three of those years she held the position of Public Health Coordinator.  As the Public Health Coordinator she was responsible for maintaining the Department of Health’s accreditation.  In 2008 under her guidance the Department was reaccredited with 100% compliance.  The organization of the Department’s files for review with descriptions was recognized by MICH as a best practice.  Colleen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Missouri – Columbia and a Master of Public Health degree in Environmental and Occupational Health from the Saint Louis University School of Public Health.  

Lynelle Phillips

Lynelle received her MPH in 1992 and has worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in areas including environmental health, immunization and tuberculosis control. She also worked at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as a nurse consultant and CDC field assignee to the tuberculosis program. She has also served as a consultant for the Heartland National TB Center for several years. She is currently serving as Faculty and Field Placement Coordinator for the Sinclair School of Nursing community health undergraduate course and the MU masters of public health program.