Washington, DC, August 24, 2023 — Today, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) announced that Sarah Ravenhall, MHA, CHES, Executive Director of the New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO), has been elected as Chair of the State Associations of County and City Health Officials (SACCHO) Council, where she will lead state-level efforts to support and enhance the nation’s public health infrastructure. The SACCHO Council is an arm of NACCHO, which represents the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments.
SACCHOs are organizations that represent local health departments or officials at the state level, working to inform state policy and funding decisions to better support local public health. The SACCHO Council brings together these organizations to improve the nation’s collective public health preparedness and response capabilities, increase visibility for the work local health departments provide, and influence state and national public health-positive policies.
Ravenhall was one of three officers elected to one-year SACCHO Council leadership positions. She is joined by Linda Brown, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials, who was elected Vice-Chair, and Kari Oldfield-Tabbert, Director of the Local Public Health Association of Minnesota, who was named Immediate Past Chair. All three leaders began their terms on July 1, 2023.
Prior SACCHO Council Chairs include Ruth Maiorana, Executive Director, Maryland Association of County Health Officers; Susan Bockrath, MPH, CHES, Executive Director, Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors; Beth Bickford, Executive Director, Association of Ohio Health Commissioners; and Lynette Tolson, North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors.
“The role of state associations representing local health departments has never been more vital. The breadth of expertise and experience among the SACCHO leaders across the nation is a wellspring of knowledge that can bolster our collective ability to protect our communities from the innumerable public health threats that face us today, and those that undoubtedly will arise in the future,” said NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman.
Ravenhall said: “It’s an honor for me to be in this role where I can help facilitate the sharing of local public health expertise nationally and help lead our efforts to advocate for funding to support local public health activities. SACCHOs play a powerful role in fighting to ensure that local health departments nationwide are adequately funded, valued, and supported.”
About SACCHOs
The Council of SACCHOs consists of the 30+ organizations nationwide that represent local health departments or health officials at the state level. Some SACCHOs are nonprofit statewide associations, and others are informal organizations run by volunteers. Most work to influence state-level policy decisions and some serve as financial mechanisms to facilitate grants and technical assistance for local health departments in their state.
NACCHO collaborates with SACCHOs on many projects, including joint meetings, membership initiatives, education and training, and national advocacy for local public health. SACCHOs also work with state departments of health, associations of counties, academic partners, and other state and national public health organizations.
SACCHO membership complements NACCHO membership and provides a vital link between local and national public health. Joining a SACCHO enables public health leadership to speak as one voice for local public health and to benefit from mentorship, training and learning opportunities.
To learn more about the benefits of SACCHOs or connect with your state, visit: https://www.naccho.org/membership/saccho
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About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
