Rebecca Nevedale – Director at Large 1
I am originally from the Philadelphia area and have lived in Arizona for 13 years. The Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) has been my professional home since 2006 and I am currently the organization’s Associate Director. In that capacity, I serve as a liaison to community based organizations, Public Health departments, and community members who strive for child health considerations in all policies. I oversee several AzAAP Committees and Programs, including groups focused on Advocacy, Childhood Obesity, Healthcare Financing and Care Coordination/ Medical Home. In addition to volunteering with AzPHA, I serve on the Willo Neighborhood Association Board and am a member of Young Nonprofit Professional Network and Amnesty International.
As a non-traditional public health worker, I strive to connect community-based organizations with public health principles and systems. Over the past two years since being on the Board for AzPHA, I have grown in my understanding of how these connections take place and where we can leverage resources with partners to achieve similar goals. If re-elected to the Board, I hope to work with colleagues to strengthen AzPHA’s role in being the organization that provides a unified voice for both public health workers and community members interested in creating healthy communities. I believe AzPHA is the best-suited organization to give that voice and examine issues holistically. As the healthcare system changes and our culture continues to shift toward one that values prevention, there is a need for AzPHA to have a larger presence – and in order to have it we need improved organizational capacity. My focus will be on ensuring adequate infrastructure and financial stability so we can continue supporting our members in helping them change the public health landscape in Arizona. In addition to these governance matters, I look forward to continuing my participation on the AzPHA Legislative Committee and representing AzPHA on the Arizona Health Improvement Plan Steering Committee. In the next year, I hope to identify ways to engage AzPHA members more actively in the creation of our state health improvement plan.