President’s Corner

NACCHO Board of Directors’ President Margaret (Margy) Jahn

Margaret Jahn (Margy) has worked in public health for over 30 years. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.S. in biology and began her career as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist in 1988.

Within a short time, Margy recognized that there was a need to improve the public health system in New Jersey and soon sought opportunities to develop her leadership skills. She returned to school and graduated with a.m.’s. degree in Environmental Science (1992) and continued on to acquire a second Master's Degree in Public Health. In 2000, she became a licensed Health Officer for the State of New Jersey and was promoted to the position of Director for the Freehold Area Health Department in 2001.

Margy has been a member of the NJ SACCHO for at least 13 years and has served on the Executive Committee as an Officer for 9 years, including a two-year term as President. As a leader in New Jersey, Margy has sought to promote responsible change in governmental public health and has worked hard to give local health departments a voice in response to political forces engulfed in an environment of consolidation and severe budget restraints. Career accomplishments include orchestrating a contentious merger of the County Health Officer Association with the New Jersey Health Officers Association (city and municipal officials), hosting the New Jersey Statewide H1N1 Summit and being the driving collaborator in establishing an FQHC in a long over-looked community of need. Margaret Jahn (Margy) has worked in public health for over 30 years. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.S. in biology and began her career as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist in 1988. Within a short time, Margy recognized that there was a need to improve the public health system in New Jersey and soon sought opportunities to develop her leadership skills. She returned to school and graduated with an M.S. degree in Environmental Science (1992) and continued on to acquire a second Master's Degree in Public Health.

In 2000, she became a licensed Health Officer for the State of New Jersey and was promoted to the position of Director for the Freehold Area Health Department in 2001. Margy has been a member of the NJ SACCHO for at least 13 years and has served on the Executive Committee as an Officer for 9 years, including a two-year term as President. As a leader in New Jersey, Margy has sought to promote responsible change in governmental public health and has worked hard to give local health departments a voice in response to political forces engulfed in an environment of consolidation and severe budget restraints. Career accomplishments include orchestrating a contentious merger of the County Health Officer Association with the New Jersey Health Officers Association (city and municipal officials), hosting the New Jersey Statewide H1N1 Summit and being the driving collaboration in establishing an FQHC in a long over-looked community of need.