The NEHA 2016 AEC and HUD Healthy Homes Conference in San Antonio to address environmental health and safety concerns in housing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) today announced they are co-hosting an annual educational conference from June 13-16, 2016 in San Antonio to address today’s pressing environmental health issues.The State of Big Ideas: Moving Environmental Health Outside the Box will include sessions on emerging issues such as Zika virus, preserving affordable housing through healthy home repairs, marijuana, climate change, the Flint, Michigan water crisis and more.
The NEHA 2016 AEC and HUD Healthy Homes Conference, presented by Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, will bring together 1,200 environmental health and healthy housing professionals for an in-depth look at some of the most important issues facing the nation such as water quality, vector control, healthy housing and communities, asthma, emergency preparedness and response, food safety and protection and more. There are more than 175 educational sessions in approximately two dozen different topic tracks covering the full gamut of environmental health subjects.
For the opening session, moderator Eric Pooley will lead the conversation with national policy makers including HUD Secretary Julián Castro (invited), Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (invited), Centers for Disease Control, Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Administration, Janet McCabe, National Center for Environmental Health Director Patrick Breysse and local Texas experts to explore the crossroads of environmental health professionals as agents of change. In today’s complex landscape, environmental health professionals are increasingly called upon as leaders to manage and address defining moments in environmental health and are being recognized for contributions to overall community health and wellbeing.
Pooley is the senior vice president for strategy and communications with the Environmental Defense Fund, and author of “The Climate War: True Believers, Power Brokers, and the Fight to Save the Earth.” He has written about climate politics for “Time,” “Slate,” “Bloomberg News” and numerous other publications and was a featured commentator in “Heat,” the 2008 PBS “Frontline” global warming documentary, as well as a guest on many other national programs.
The closing session, “From Sandy to San Bernardino: Risk, Response, & Resiliency,” will focus on the important yet often neglected subject of mental health care for environmental health professionals from a panel of leading experts in the field of mental health and crisis response. Recognizing the emotional toll the noble work of environmental health can take on individuals, families, and organizations, a nationally-recognized behavioral health expert will moderate and explore with the panel the range of impacts and challenges people and organizations experience in the aftermath of a disaster or other emergency, opportunities to enhance planning/preparedness, response, and recovery efforts following disasters/emergencies, and offer information on supportive services and interventions before, during, and after these events.
Additional educational sessions include:
- “Flint Water Crisis: A Firsthand Account of the Principles by the Principals”
- “Navigating the Unchartered Territory of Pot and Pesticides”
- “Government Accountability Office Speaks on Climate Change”
- “One Health and EH: Perfect Partners in Securing Global Health”
A full schedule of sessions can be found at neha.org/aec/sessions.
The conference will also feature an exhibition and a variety of networking events such as a community volunteer event, annual UL event at Pearl Stables, breakfast and town hall assembly, and a Texas social at La Villita Historic Arts Village.
The NEHA 2016 Annual Educational Conference & HUD Healthy Homes Conference serves to provide education to environmental health and protection professionals to enhance their proficiency in wide range of environmental health subjects and provide specialized training in specific interest areas. A full conference schedule and details are available at neha.org/aec.
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.
You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Castro on
Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s Email List.
The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) is a professional organization with more than 4,500 members in the public and private sectors as well as in universities and uniformed services. It publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Health (JEH) ten times per year providing a valuable resource for the complete spectrum of environmental health topics. NEHA’s mission, “to advance the environmental health and protection professional for the purpose of providing a healthful environment for all” is fulfilled in the products and services offered by NEHA through credentialing, training, education, networking, professional development, and policy involvement. Learn more about NEHA at www.neha.org.
Shantae Goodloe, HUD, (202) 708-0685
Clare Sinacori, NEHA, (303) 756-9090 x319
