OPHA Association Awards

OPHA celebrates the contributions of public health champions throughout the state every year at the Annual Conference and Meeting. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a person who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to public health and to the improvement of health in Oregon. The Policy Champion of the Year Award is given to a person or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to advancing public health policy in Oregon. Emerging Leader is awarded to a person that has demonstrated leadership, innovation, and creativity in the beginning of his or her public health career. Alternatively, this award may also be given to an organization that has demonstrated leadership, innovation and creativity at the onset of their organizational development. The Champion for Healthy Environments Award is given to a person, team or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to creating healthy environments in their community. Outstanding Student Poster Awards are given to student poster presenters that demonstrate exceptional work in research and public health. 

See previous OPHA Association Award winners below: 

2023

Lifetime Achievement: Lydia "Mimi" Luther
Policy Champion: Tom Sincic
Emerging Leader AwardOralia Mendez & Alyson Pinkleman
Health Equity Champion - Dane Zahner
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Ivan Estrada, Courtney Jost, Mikala Kowal, Divya Reddy, Sunil Khanna, Taylor Peters

2022

Lifetime Achievement: Anne King, MBA
Policy Champion: Northwest PANDAS/PANS Network (NWPPN)
Emerging Leader AwardLeah Swanson, MPH
Health Equity Champion - The Gorge Native American Collaborative
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Esmeralda Julyan, Mandana Masoumirad

2021

Lifetime Achievement: Suzie Kuerschner, M.Ed.
Policy Champion: Oregon Recovers, Mike Marshall, Executive Director
Emerging Leader Award Sabrina Garcia, PWS
Champion for Healthy Environments Award:  Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon 
Health Equity Champion - Jonathan Garcia, PhD
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Mandana Masoumirad, MA and Satyasandipani Pradhan, MHA

2020

Lifetime Achievement: Katherine Bradley, PhD.
Policy ChampionThe Oregon State University Tobacco Policy Team, Marion Cerason.
Emerging Leader AwardAllison E. Myers, PhD, MPH.
Champion for Healthy Environments AwardMike McNickle, Clatsop County Health Department.
Outstanding Student Poster AwardsMaddie Dirren, Jenny Leon-Perez and Thomas Packebush

2019
Lifetime Achievement: Mitch Greenlick
Policy Champion: Kristen Beiers-Jones
Emerging Leader: Reproductive Health Coalition of Washington County
Champion for Healthy Environments (Individual): Jennifer Coleman
Champion for Healthy Environments (Coalition): PedPDX
Outstanding Student Posters: Oyinda Osibanjo, Priscilla Park & Austin Ngo

2018
Lifetime Achievement: Launa Rae Mathews
Emerging Leader: Sarah Andrea
Policy Champion: Lincoln County Public Health
Champion for Healthy Environments: Michael Heumann
Outstanding Student Posters: Eric S. Cerino & Tiantian Pang

2017
Lifetime Achievement: Marie Harvey
Emerging Leader: Rebecca Chavez
Policy Champion: Jangho Yoon
Outstanding Student Posters: Christie Jackson & Susannah Gibbs

2016

Lifetime Achievement: Betty Johnson
Emerging Leader: Melinda Davis
Policy Champion: Morgan Cowling

2015

Lifetime Achievement: Ken Rosenberg
Emerging Leader: Philip Mason
Policy Champion: Reps Fagan and Williamson 

2014
Lifetime Achievement: Dianna Pickett
Emerging Leader: LaKeesha Dumas
Policy Champion: Family Forward Oregon
Outstanding Student Poster Awards: Sandi Cleveland & Kathleen Conte 

2013
Lifetime: Kathleen O’Leary
Emerging Leader: Sara Gardner-Smith
Policy Champion: State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward

2012

Lifetime: Thomas D. Aschenbrener
Emerging Leader: Danielle Bailey
Policy Champion: Upstream Public Health 

2011
Lifetime: Tom Eversole
Emerging Leader: Tia Henderson
Policy Champion: Healthy Active Schools Team, Communities Putting Prevention to Work of Multnomah County:  David Hudson, Derrick Travers, Nell Tessman Ben Escalante 

2010
Lifetime: Lila Wickham
Emerging Leader: Raquel Bournhonesque

2009
Lifetime: Don Austin
Emerging Leader: Adrienne Mullock
Legislator of the Year: Chuck Riley 

2008
Lifetime: Carol Elliot
Emerging Leader: Mel Radar
Legislator of the Year: Diane Rosenbaum

 

For more past conference highlights, click here.