The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) team welcomed more than 80 members serving with Public Health AmeriCorps on full scholarships to our annual conference, NACCHO360, this year in Detroit, Michigan. Over the four days, NACCHO360 hosted a record-breaking group of attendees with over 3,500 individuals participating in Detroit and virtually. The conference theme, “Heard it Through the Grapevine: Public Health Partnerships, Innovation, and Collaboration,” offered the opportunity to learn, network, and share experiences and best practices across local health departments. This conference experience contributed to AmeriCorps members’ development as the next generation of public health professionals, expanding their networks and exposing them to a range of public health topics.

Day 1 for Public Health AmeriCorps scholarship recipients started with a Kick-Off Orientation, where they connected for the first time in-person, hailing from 20 different states and territories, as far as Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. The members broke the ice, shared professional development goals, and prepared to network. Featured guest speakers included Ethan Johnson (Health Officer at the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County), Donovan Newton (Senior Public Health Advisor, Public Health Infrastructure Center, CDC), and special guest, Dr. Mandy Cohen (Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

This first day proved crucial in setting the stage for AmeriCorps members. Lavoris Lennon is a member serving in Chicago, IL as a Mental Health and Substance Misuse Disorder Peer Recovery Specialist through RecoveryCorps at Family Guidance Center, INC, for his second service term (1700+ hours).

About the Kick-Off Orientation, he wrote,

“The PHA-provided ‘How to Effectively Network’ class [was one of the highlights of the conference]. This workshop equipped me with valuable skills that proved invaluable in building meaningful connections. The supportive atmosphere throughout the workshops and events fostered a sense of belonging and self-discovery. I was inspired to tap into a new, career-driven part of myself that I hadn’t fully explored. The connections I made with fellow attendees and service members have opened up exciting opportunities for collaboration and future projects.”

On July 24, 2024, eight members serving at local health departments shared their experiences during the session, “Innovative Workforce Solutions – Lessons learned from Public Health AmeriCorps on recruiting, nurturing, and training the next generation of public health leaders.”

Clinton shared that after graduating with his bachelors, his plans didn’t pan out, and he didn’t know what direction to take. He said, “Public Health AmeriCorps, introducing me to public health, opened my eyes to what public health is, and I realized this is where I’ve been trying to get the whole time. I realized I’ve been working on and off in housing since I was 19, and I have lived experience in housing instability.” Clinton joined AmeriCorps at Ingham County Health Department, and after service, he was hired by Ingham County as a community health worker focusing on housing.

Speaking about her experience with Public Health AmeriCorps, Sam said, “We’re able to go in there and alleviate the pressure and the overwhelming workload that the actual department had. A big thing is the trust we’re able to build with the community. So, we have a whole bunch of classes like meditation and art, I personally started and teach a tea tasting and meditation class, and what we’ve noticed across all of our classes is that we’re getting a lot of community members who come in and they’re consistent and regulars. And with that, they’re actually listening to the extension of the education we have now. So maybe they’re coming for art class and they’re actually interested in our class about colorectal cancer. They’re coming in for a car seat safety workshop. So I think they see us who are actually from the community, we’re actually able to relate to them on a personal level that the department sometimes struggles with because it’s a little more from a program standpoint and very from research or very factual. We’re able to build that trust with people in the community and really get that message across to them.”

During the second day of the conference, NACCHO staff organized a Networking Lunch for AmeriCorps members and attending supervisors, providing a space for them to further their connections, speak with Local Health Officials, practice elevator pitches, and share their stories with the Public Health AmeriCorps team, including Director AJ Pearlman and Program Manager Katie Byerly.

One such story is that of Rosemary Callahan, who served in Billings, Montana from September 2023 to July 2024. As a member serving with Public Health AmeriCorps at the American Red Cross, they worked with communities in Eastern Montana to build capacity for disaster preparedness and response. They organized outreach and engagement to recruit new volunteers to the American Red Cross, focusing on connecting with community members who are most impacted by devastating disasters like wildland fires and floods.

During their service, Rose had the opportunity to deploy to the Red Cross disaster relief operation for Hurricane Beryl. After touching down in Houston, Texas the day before Beryl made landfall, Rose was assigned to manage the reception area at a joint Red Cross Shelter / FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Splendora, TX. Following the storm, hundreds of people came to the center each day, and Rose welcomed each person with a smile. This became the highlight of their term, and Rose determined that she would dedicate herself to this work even after her term was finished.

As one of the Public Health AmeriCorps scholarship recipients, Rosemary shared her experience attending the conference:

“Attending the NACCHO360 Conference with Public Health AmeriCorps was an incredibly rewarding experience. The most impactful part of the conference for me was the opportunity to build community with other public health professionals, which has always been one of the main reasons I was drawn to serving as a Public Health AmeriCorps Member. During the conference, I met dozens of fellow AmeriCorps Members and Alumni, who told me about their perspectives on service and how it has impacted them. I also met so many career professionals who offered me insights into their work and inspired me on my public health path. As we have kept in touch after the conference, I feel so grateful to be known in this community of people who want to serve others through health-centered work.”

Lavoris also agrees: “My experience at the NACCHO Conference was both rewarding and eye-opening, particularly regarding the challenges faced by public healthcare workers. It’s been life-changing to witness the dedication and resilience of NACCHO, PHA, the CDC, and countless health departments across the country. This experience has shifted my career path toward public health. One of the most common challenges these organizations face is a severe shortage of qualified staff, especially those with lived experience. This shortage limits their ability to provide essential services to communities. This has fueled my passion for a career change in public health. Additionally, I have a personal connection to mental health and substance misuse as a person with lived experience. Furthermore, my family has a background that includes serving these communities.”

In October 2024, Lavoris began his third term as a Project Coordinator at Health Alternative Systems (H.A.S.) and leaves a note of gratitude: “I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributes to the vital work in the public health field. A career in public health is truly a career that keeps on giving back!”

Rose has now been hired as the Regional Direct Services Manager at the American Red Cross of Idaho, Montana, and East Oregon, where they will continue to organize programs to serve communities affected by disasters. Since attending NACCHO360, she has renewed her dedication to her work:

“During my service term, I have been developing my professional skills and interests in health communications. I faced some challenges establishing a larger network that could support me in my communications development, as I served in a rural area and did not have many connections in this realm to begin with. However, attending NACCHO360 opened up so many doors in this interest of mine. I attended several fascinating sessions on health communications campaigns, combating misinformation, and cultural competency in communications. Without NACCHO360, I never would have known about these development opportunities that exist in one of my major fields of interest. I would encourage any and all Public Health AmeriCorps Members to attend!”

Registration is now open for NACCHO360 2025, which will be held in Anaheim, California from July 14 – 18. More information can be found here. The application for currently serving Public Health AmeriCorps members to attend NACCHO360 in 2025 will open in early 2025.