On the second day of the 2025 NACCHO360 conference, attendees gathered for the general session, “Superheroes, UNITE! Mobilizing the Public Health Workforce Amidst a Changing Federal Landscape.”

To lead off the session, a number of awardees were celebrated.

NACCHO’s Model and Promising Practice awards recognized 19 local health departments as Model Practices, and 23 have been recognized as Promising Practices. Their work represents innovation in action—real-world solutions with measurable impact.

Pima County Health Department in Arizona was awarded the 2025 Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for Excellence in Food Protection at the Local Level. This prestigious award is given annually to local environmental health jurisdictions that demonstrate unsurpassed achievement in providing outstanding food protection services to their communities.

The 2025 National Champion of Local Governmental Public Health Award was presented to Scott Lockard of the Kentucky River District Health Department. This award honors an individual, agency, or organization that has gone above and beyond to elevate the visibility and influence of local health departments or NACCHO on a national scale.

Lisa Sesterhenn of Black Hawk County Public Health in Waterloo, Iowa, was presented with the 2025 Advocate of the Year award. This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments related to advocacy and outreach to members of Congress to create better health policy outcomes. 

Elaine O’Keefe was awarded NACCHO’s highest honor, the Maurice “Mo” Mullet Lifetime of Service Award. This award honors local health officials for noteworthy service that reflects Mullet’s commitment, vigor, and leadership.

The Nancy Rawding Award was presented to Talei Moore in recognition of the exceptional contribution of a NACCHO employee to both the organization and to NACCHO’s service to local public health. 

Damōn Chaplin, Health Commissioner for the City of Minneapolis Health Department and NACCHO Board President, opened the day’s plenary discussion. He noted that “public health is not neutral, it is value-driven, and those values must include justice, equity, and the inherent dignity of every person.” Chaplin spoke of the need for public health to center its most valuable assets—its workforce. He shared his hope for attendees to leave the session with renewed clarity about what we can do to protect and strengthen the public health workforce for the challenges ahead.

Brian Castrucci, Chief Executive Officer at the de Beaumont Foundation, shared data from the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) and its implications for the public health workforce. He talked of an invisibility crisis in public health and noted that “visibility is not vanity, it is survival for us right now.”  Castrucci ended his remarks by offering a public health version of the serenity prayer: “Leave with the courage to support and center our workforce, the strength to stand against those who would harm public health, and the wisdom to prioritize appropriately.”

Aaron Alford, Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at NACCHO, spoke of the evidence-based nature of public health work, calling out that “our tools aren’t broken, the narrative is broken.” He reminded attendees of the value of data and the importance of contributing to that data by responding to surveys like NACCHO’s National Profile of Local Health Departments, calling out that data is more important than it has ever been.

Dr. Richard Pan, former State Senator and Assembly member for Sacramento, California, echoed the sentiment that public health’s infrastructure is its people—the workforce. He shared insights from his experience as both a pediatrician and legislator. Dr. Pan encouraged attendees to speak with conviction about the life-saving role of public health and how investments in health are also investments in our freedom.

Dr. Blayne Cutler, Chief Executive Officer at Heluna Health, spoke of the importance of sharing data in accessible and compelling ways. She encouraged attendees to invite legislators in to see their programs, not just when there’s a crisis, but through the year and when legislators change. 

The general session concluded with an update on the Vaccine Integrity Project from Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director at Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Osterholm shared the project’s work, grounded in science, to safeguard vaccine use in the United States. He spoke of the project’s progress to date and steps being taken to inform its work. Dr. Osterholm also discussed the novel and unprecedented effort underway and the ongoing need to be creative in facing the challenges ahead.

Additional Highlights from Day Two of NACCHO360

In addition to the keynote session, day two of NACCHO360 included over 80 learning sessions. Conference attendees also took advantage of the opportunity to learn from and interact with nearly 100 posters and their presenters. 

Over an extended lunch hour in the Exhibit Hall, participants had the opportunity to network with colleagues and connect with over 100 exhibitors showcasing services and products for public health organizations and professionals.

The Exhibit Hall also featured a Game Pavilion, chair massages, and the opportunity to unwind through pet therapy.

Click here to see photos from the day.