Welcome to the Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee's (EHOPAC) website!

EHOPAC Vision Statement

To be a trusted source of high-quality resources and services that successfully empower EH professionals to be the best PHS Officers they can be. 

EHOPAC Leadership Welcome Message

Greetings and Welcome to the 2023 Operational Year!

CAPT Erin Evans, EHOPAC Chair

The Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee (EHOPAC) welcomes you to our website and the 2023 Operational Year! As the 2023 EHOPAC Chair, it is my privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and talented group of EHOPAC Voting Members and Volunteers in service to our category. Together we are committed to navigating these challenging times. I am constantly inspired by the dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to excellence that is shown, by the Voting Members and volunteers of the EHOPAC and also by our category’s officers stationed across the country. This year, let us come together to create an environment where we all can thrive and succeed no matter what challenges come our way. Together we will lead in the face of uncertainty, and think boldly about our future in the Corps. Most importantly let us support each other, and create a culture of collaboration and excellence as we strive to achieve our mission to be a trusted source of high-quality resources and services that successfully empower environmental health professionals to be the best PHS officers they can be. We look forward to working with you all this year.                                          

Your 2023 EHOPAC Executive Committee:

• CAPT Erin Evans, EHOPAC Chair
• CDR Steve Galvez, EHOPAC Chair Elect
• CAPT Jessica Havranek, EHOPAC Immediate Past Chair
• LT Braden Hickey, EHOPAC Secretary
• CDR Katie Bante, EHOPAC Executive Committee Liaison
• LCDR Kathryn McNamara, EHOPAC Special Assistant to the Chair

Your 2023 EHOPAC Voting Members and Subcommittee Chairs:

• Awards and Recognition – CDR Beth Wittry
• Communications – CDR Michelle Dittrich and LCDR Sandra Carpio
• History – CDR Martin Smith and CDR Bill Bird
• Information Technology – LCDR Mark Otto
• Mentoring and Career Development – CDR Candis Hunter and LCDR Laura Annetta
• Readiness – CDR David Bales and CDR Charlie Darr
• Recruitment and Orientation – CDR Corey Butler and LCDR Doug Erling
• Training and Events – LCDR Sam Frank and LCDR Krista Ferry        

Below are the number of ways to keep tabs on our activities and to plug-in throughout the year. We look forward to hearing from you!

• We hope that you will mark your calendars to participate in our quarterly open EHOPAC meetings this year from 1300 - 1500 ET
  • Spring Meeting: 14MAR
  • Summer Meeting: 13JUN
  • Fall Meeting: 12SEP
  • Winter Meeting: 12DEC 
  • Details regarding call-in and webinar information will be sent by LT Hickey over the EHOPAC Listserv prior to each meeting.

• Sign up for the EHOPAC Listserv and/or the EHOPAC Training Listserv.
• Keep an eye on the EHOPAC website
• Check out the quarterly EHO Assessments (shared via the EHOPAC Listserv and the website)
• Review monthly EHOPAC meeting minutes
• Submit comments and/or questions to the EHOPAC through the anonymous feedback survey. We will do our best to address questions during the quarterly EHOPAC meetings, and we work to incorporate the answers to your questions into our bi-monthly newsletters. We value your feedback!
• Follow the U.S. Public Health Service--Environmental Health Officers Facebook page.
• Self-nominate for a 2024 Voting Member position! Open positions will be announced in June 2023.

EHOPAC News

EHOPAC Award Winners

The awards were presented at the USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium in May 2023. Please continue reading for this year's award winners!

   – John G. Todd Award –
  CAPT Aimee Treffiletti

The John G. Todd Award is the highest honor given by the EHOPAC. The award recognized an exemplary senior-level environmental health professional for significant career contributions in achieving the PHS mission of improving the Nation's health through the practice of environmental health.

CAPT Aimee Treffiletti served an exemplary 20-year career as a Trusted Mentor, Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Counselor, and a Leader over multiple assignments and duty stations with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She began her career in the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) volunteering for additional responsibilities and progressing through the ranks to reach Program Chief. During CDC's COVID-19 pandemic response CAPT Treffiletti added CDC's Global Migration Task Force Maritime Unit (GMTF MU) Lead to her responsibilities, becoming CDC's voice to its maritime stakeholders within CDC, HHS, U.S. government inter-agencies, Congressional delegation, the White House, state and local public health departments, the cruise industry, international public health agencies, the media, and general public. CAPT Treffiletti supervised 25-30 GMTF MU deployers on four teams supporting COVID-19 response operations for the maritime travel sector in the U.S. and abroad while simultaneously supervising her VSP staff and overseeing the successful resumption of passenger cruise ship operations. Meanwhile, each year CAPT Treffiletti provided career and promotion mentoring to junior EHOs. Officers across CDC and USPHS career categories view CAPT Treffiletti as a leader and expert navigating USPHS policies and new directives issued by Commissioned Corps Headquarters. For her unwavering dedication and commitment to the USPHS Commissioned Corps, CDC, and those who serve, congratulations to CAPT Aimee Treffiletti, the first female officer awarded the John G. Todd Award.

– Edward (Ted) Moran Award –
CDR Beth Wittry

The Edward (Ted) Moran Award recognized an outstanding mid-level environmental health professional who consistently achieves high standards in the practive of environmental health, occupational health and safety, industrial hygiene, or radiological health.

CDR Beth Wittry currently serves as a national food safety and COVID-19 subject matter expert (SME) at CDC where she has led as an environmental health (EH) SME to develop and implement sustainable, impactful national food safety and COVID-19 prevention initiatives. She provides technical assistance to state, tribal, territorial, and local public health agencies and advises 10 federal workgroups. CDR Wittry led the modernization of national foodborne outbreak (FBO) investigation guidance, development of trainings to enhance the EH workforce, and advanced EH policies by implementing surveillance data collected from the revamped National Environmental Assessment Reporting System. CDR Wittry directed national health and safety initiatives through six field missions during the COVID-19 pandemic including the Los Angeles Quarantine Station and three Native American reservations in Arizona and Montana. As the lead EH and food safety SME, she spearheaded the development of national community guidance in the CDC Emergency Operations Center. Her extensive experience and passion have solidified her as a leader and national expert in the EH field. CDR Wittry has demonstrated superior dedication to duty by leading national EH initiatives to protect the Nation. Her leadership on national priorities contributed significantly to the advancement of the EH practice and science. It is because of her expertise and achievements in her field that CDR Beth Wittry is awarded the EHOPAC Edward (Ted) Moran Award.   

  – John C. Eason Award –
   LT Sarah Hughes

The John C. Eason Award was established to recognize the accomplishments of talented newcomers to the field of environmental health and moreover, to recognize the promise these individuals hold for the future of the Public Health Service.

LT Sarah Hughes  achieved extraordinary contributions toward the advancement of environmental health to benefit broad and vastly underserved populations across two agencies and two geographic locations over the course of three years in the USPHS. LT Hughes has published more than 14 publications while also serving in four deployments. She continues to be requested by CDC for multiple projects and collaborations based on her recognized expertise in environmental health issues specific to the corrections environment. She has served in leadership roles combating COVID-19 and Mpox. LT Hughes made notable impacts to public health for incarcerated persons, including critical contributions to the assessment of mpox transmission in a correctional setting. LT Hughes’s outstanding accomplishments will continue as NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard recently appointed her as the NIOSH representative and point of contact for the newly proposed CDC-wide Justice System and Public Health Working Group. In 2021, LT Hughes was selected and appointed to a National Occupational Research Agenda Program Portfolio leadership role as the Co-Coordinator of the NIOSH Services Sector Program, encompassing 76 million workers in the U.S. She was selected for this role due to her extensive scientific expertise and ability to make significant impacts at a national level. Under her leadership, the NIOSH Services Sector Program published a best practices guidance document for host employers to protect more than 3 million temporary workers in the U.S. LT Hughes is recognized as a distinguished EHO and is acknowledged for impact beyond her current rank and position. For these reasons, LT Sarah Hughes is awarded the John C. Eason Award.

 – Thomas E. Crow Mentor Award –
 CDR Joseph Laco

The Thomas E. Crow Mentor Award recognizes significant contributions by an individual who has enhanced professional growth and career development of environmental health professionals working in the U.S. Public Health Service by serving in a mentoring capacity.

CDR Joseph Laco has demonstrated himself to be a model officer and trusted leader. Demonstrated by the testaments of officers spanning multiple categories and ranks, CDR Laco has repeatedly exhibited a steadfast commitment to not only completing the mission of USPHS but supporting his fellow officers. His valuable support and encouragement have resulted in officers' promotions, prestigious awards, and leadership opportunities within their agencies, Professional Advisory Committees, and chartered organizations.

CDR Laco has imparted readiness guidance to various officers in preparation for deployments and instructed hundreds of officers through emergency recovery and response presentations and training exercises.

CDR Laco has demonstrated a commitment to developing junior officers as the future of USPHS. He has shown a willingness unmatched by many to invest his valuable time to foster professional development and inspire espirit-de-corps. CDR Laco has been a living example of humility and service before self. In honor of his mentorship and influence on the EHOPAC, CDR Joseph Laco is awarded the Thomas E. Crow Mentor Award.

- 2022 EHO Responder of the Year Award –
CDR Leslie Jackanicz

The purpose of the EHO Responder of the Year Award is to recognize excellence by individuals in achieving the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) mission of improving the Nation’s health through the practice of environmental health during emergency preparedness, disaster response, and contributions to national or international public health threats.

CDR Leslie Jackanicz is awarded the Responder of the Year award for exceptional environmental health expertise and leadership in support of Ft. Bliss Emergency Intake site for unaccompanied migrant children. Over the course of the mission, on behalf of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, CDR Jackanicz served as Deputy Site Lead and Officer in Charge at the largest Emergency Intake Site in the country for unaccompanied migrant children. CDR Jackanicz supported the Site Lead in overseeing all aspects of site operations to ensure the health, safety, wellbeing, and successful reunification of children on site. Among many of her accomplishments, she facilitated congressional site visits, developed and insitituted a framework for establishing records management program, and implemented enhancements to the identification, requisition, and training of key personnel resulting in the filling of over 90% of the assigned billets for federal staff. She utilzed her environmental health expertise to oversee field safety activites, such as: leading risk assessments; verifying proper PPE fit, use, and availability procedures; and implementing COVID-19 mitigation measures. These activities protected organizational health and ensured mission accomplishment targets were met. 

CDR Jackanicz's work exemplifies the highest traditions of the Environmental Health category and demonstrates the USPHS Commissioned Corps mission to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation. 

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