“I am honored to represent my public health colleagues nation-wide and look forward to ardently advocating for the needs of local health departments, especially in light of COVID-19 and the unprecedented challenges that health departments battled to protect Americans from death and disease,” said Ms. Jahn.
Washington, DC, October 13, 2021 — The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has elected Margaret (Margy) Jahn, MS, MPH President-elect of its 2021-2022 term of its Board of Directors. NACCHO represents the country’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. Ms. Jahn is Director of Freehold Area Health Department in Freehold, NJ. Her term began on July 1, 2021. Ms. Jahn will become NACCHO Board President on July 1, 2022.
“I am honored to represent my public health colleagues nation-wide and look forward to ardently advocating for the needs of local health departments, especially in light of COVID-19 and the unprecedented challenges that health departments battled to protect Americans from death and disease,” said Ms. Jahn.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and our local health departments, we are excited to welcome Margy as the President-Elect of NACCHO. Margy has been a strong volunteer and Board leader for the past few years and we look forward to her thoughtful and continuing leadership in the year ahead of her Presidency,” said NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman.
About Ms. Jahn
Margaret Jahn has worked in public health for more than 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, Ms. Jahn recognized 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 to acquire a second Master’s Degree in Public Health. In 2000, she became a licensed Health Officer for the State of New Jersey. Ms. Jahn was promoted to position of Director for the Freehold Area Health Department in 2001.
Ms. Jahn has been a member of the New Jersey State Association of County and City Health Officials for 13 years, and has served on the Executive Committee as an Officer for nine years, including a two-year term as President. As a leader in New Jersey, Ms. Jahn 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 a driving collaborator in establishing a Federally Qualified Health Center in a long over-looked community of need.
About NACCHO’s Board of Directors
NACCHO is governed by a 22-member board comprising local and tribal health officials who are elected by their peers, as well as three ex-officio members representing partner organizations.
As the governing body, NACCHO’s Board of Directors establishes the association’s strategic direction and initiatives, sets the annual legislative agenda, approves official policy statements, ensures that annual goals are met, and provides financial oversight. The Board is NACCHO’s public face, and represents members in matters of policy, public health practice, and collaboration with health partners in the public and private sectors.
NACCHO’s Board is led by four executive officers. In addition to Ms. Jahn, this includes:
- President Lisa Macon Harrison, MPH, Local Health Director, Granville Vance Public Health, Oxford, NC
- Vice President Pramod Dwivedi, DrPH, MS, MSW, MA, Health Director, Linn County Public Health Department, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Immediate Past President Jennifer C. Kertanis, MPH, Director of Health, Farmington Valley Health District, Canton, CT
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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.
