2008 Network for a Healthy California Annual Social Marketing Conference

Susan Foerster, Chief, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section, California Department of Public Health

Susan Foerster received her BS and MPH degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work began in Boston where she coordinated nutrition services in the Allston-Brighton neighborhoods. She joined the California Department of Health in 1973 with Licensing and Certification and was promoted to lead nutrition development for adult health in 1976. She worked in aging, hypertension, diabetes control, health promotion and cancer prevention. Her experience starting large initiatives began in 1988 with the California 5 a Day—for Better Health! Campaign. Adopted by the federal government and the nation’s fruit and vegetable industry in 1991, the National 5 A Day Program has been emulated by at least 25 countries. In 1996, she started the California Nutrition Network for Healthy, Active Families, now the largest state social marketing network of the USDA Food Stamp Program. She continued spinning off the Children’s 5 a Day—Power Play! Campaign, the Latino 5 a Day Campaign, the California African American Campaign, along with retail and worksite initiatives. Her team of over 100 highly skilled professionals is rebranding these initiatives as the Network for a Healthy California—Champions for Change.

The Network helps 7 million low-income parents and children eat more fruits and vegetables, get daily physical activity, and increase the availability of healthy, fresh food and safe daily physical activity to help reduce obesity. They work through USDA’s Food Stamp Program. From its beginnings of 4 local projects in 1996 to a regional infrastructure with 180 projects, the programs have resulted in fruit and vegetable consumption rising in low-income Californians, a departure from national trends.

After serving on the board of the American Cancer Society and with the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity, Foerster continues as the public member of the California Table Grape Commission and on the Executive Board of the California Dialog on Cancer. She was selected as a “Healthy School Hero” by the White House Conference on Healthy School Environments. She serves on the Action Board of the American Public Health Association and on the Partnership Steering Committee for the National Fruit and Vegetable Program.

David Ginsburg, Assistant Chief, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section, California Department of Public Health

In his position as Assistant Chief, he oversees the local programs, Communications, Training, and Regional Operations of the Network for a Healthy California. Mr. Ginsburg is also the Chair for the Association of State Nutrition Network Administrators (ASNNA).

Previously Mr. Ginsburg was the Chief of the Health Education Section of the Office of Family Planning in the Department. He coordinated the Partnership for Responsible Parenting – Pregnancy Prevention Media Campaign and the Male Involvement and Information and Education Community intervention projects. Prior to coming to the Office of Family Planning, Mr. Ginsburg was Chief of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCC) in the Department’s Cancer Detection Section. As Chief, Mr. Ginsburg oversaw the largest breast and cervical cancer screening program in the nation in terms of women served, numbers of procedures provided, and diversity of women served. While in this position, he served on a steering committee for the national director’s of the BCCCP, in addition to serving on other national committees for this project.

Through his 20 years in working with the Department in Chronic Disease Programs Mr. Ginsburg has provided leadership in the development and implementation of important public health initiatives. He has had an interest in women’s health issues, cancer control and education, and working to improve health care opportunities for the under-served populations. He received an international fellowship to study Hospices and terminal care institutions in Great Britain. His other professional activities include: Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, Tulare County; and Health Education Specialist, Migrant Education, Merced County. He received his Bachelors degree from Occidental College in psychology and biology and a Masters in Public Health from San Jose State University.

Dr. Mark Horton, Director, California Department of Public Health

[image] Mark Horton Dr. Mark Horton was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health, effective July 2007. As Director, Dr. Horton provides leadership for programs responsible for public health, disaster preparedness, and disease prevention for all Californians.

With more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Horton has a strong background in public health programs and clinical practice. From November 2005 through June 2007, Dr. Horton served as State Public Health Officer and Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Health Services. During that time he advised the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Director of the Department of Health Services on public health issues.

Dr. Horton previously served as the Deputy Agency Director and Health Officer for the County of Orange Health Care Agency from 1999 to 2005. Prior to that, he was Vice President for Community Programs, Director of the Center for Child Protection, and Director of the Center for Healthier Communities for Children at San Diego Children's Hospital and Health Center from 1997 to 1999. For the preceding six years, Horton served as Director of Public Health for the State of Nebraska.

Dr. Horton currently serves on the executive committee of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and is a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics.

Dr. Horton received his Medical Doctorate from St. Louis University and his Master of Science degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina.

S. Kimberly Belshe, Secretary, California Health and Human Services Agency

[image] Kim Belshe Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Kimberly Belshé secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency in November 2003. Ms. Belshé is a member of the governor’s Cabinet and serves as his chief advisor on health, social services and rehabilitative policies.

Ms. Belshé manages an agency that has almost 33,000 employees, with a total state budget of more than $74 billion. The agency oversees 11 state departments and one board that are responsible for providing Californians with health, developmental, mental, rehabilitative, social and other critical services. As secretary, Ms. Belshé is responsible for providing leadership and oversight of the agency’s departments in their individual and collective efforts to promote the health and well-being of the people of California.

Ms. Belshé served in a number of leadership positions in state government under the administration of Governor Pete Wilson, including deputy secretary of the then-Health and Welfare Agency and director of the Department of Health Services. As State Health Director, Ms. Belshé provided leadership in the state’s efforts to expand health insurance coverage for low-income children and pregnant women, reverse teenage and unintended pregnancies, combat tobacco use and advance a broad prevention agenda. As one of the founding commissioners of the California Children and Families Commission, Ms. Belshé served as vice chairperson and contributed to efforts to improve the oral health of young children.

Ms. Belshé received her MA degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University and her BA degree in government from Harvard. She is a resident of Sacramento.

George J. Gomes, Undersecretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Governor Schwarzenegger appointed George Gomes as Undersecretary to California Department of Food and Agriculture in March 2007. Prior to this appointment, he served as Administrator of the California Farm Bureau Federation, California’s largest farmer-based organization since September 1987. In February 1983, he served as the Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, having been appointed by Governor Deukmejian.

Born and raised in Gustine, California, George J. Gomes attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness Management (1966) and a master’s degree in Agriculture Education (1967).

George's professional career began as an Associate Professor at Cal Poly, where he taught Agricultural Management and served as ABM Club Advisor for four years. He later served as manager of Napa County Fair. He joined the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Fairs and Expositions in 1975 and became its assistant director in 1977 before becoming the Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

As a widely recognized leader within California's agriculture industry, George received the Agriculturist of the Year award from the California Exposition and State Fair in 2005. He has served as a member of the State Fair Advisory Committee; Chair of the Cal Poly—San Luis Obispo Agriculture Advisory Committee; was a member of the Boards of Directors of the California Fair Services and Keep California Beautiful.

Allen Ng, MBA, Regional Administrator, Western Regional Office of the Food and Nutrition Service, USDA

[image] Allen Ng Allen Ng has been Regional Administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Western Regional Office (WRO), based in San Francisco, since September 1997.

He served as the WRO Deputy Regional Administrator from 1990 to 1997. During that period he was also Acting Regional Administrator of FNS's Northeast Regional Office, based in Boston, from June to September 1995.

WRO administers federal nutrition assistance programs (such as the Food Stamp Program, National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, and WIC) in Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and the islands of the former Trust Territory of the Pacific. Additionally, WRO has a number of special agreements with individual Indian tribes, and groups of tribes, who administer their own federal nutrition assistance programs. Nationally, federal expenditures for nutrition assistance totaled $53.1 billion in fiscal year 2006; program expenditures in the Western Region were $8.9 billion.

Mr. Ng began his federal service with FNS in 1974 and has worked in both the Food Stamp and Child Nutrition programs. He served as director of the Food Stamp Program from 1984 to 1990.

Upon graduation from Harvard University in 1970, Mr. Ng entered the Peace Corps, serving in Nepal from 1970 to 1973 as an agricultural extension agent. While working full-time at FNS, he earned his MBA at the University of California at Berkeley in 1982.

He is a native of Brooklyn, New York

Andy Fourney, DrPH
Evaluation Specialist II, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section, California Department of Public Health

Andy Fourney is an Evaluation Specialist with the Public Health Institute.

He has over ten years of evaluation experience in the areas of nutrition, HIV/AIDS and violence prevention. Currently, he works in the Research and Evaluation Unit of the CDHS’ CPNS building capacity to implement nutrition education interventions and assess program impact. Dr. Fourney earned his doctorate in Public Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He has worked in Guatemala, Chile and Angola. When not at the office he teaches yoga, bikes, hikes and plays ultimate Frisbee.

Cadelba Lomelí-Loibl, Youth in Focus

Cadelba Lomelí-Loibl is a Bay Area project manager at Youth In Focus an organization that facilitates youth-led action research projects.

Cadelba develops, conducts, and and manages school and community-based youth- led projects and evaluation that focus primarily on elevating the voices of underrepresented young people including youth of color, low income youth and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer youth. Cadelba previously worked at the Women’s Resources and Research Center at UC Davis where she led workshops on social justice and gender education for staff and students and taught women's self-defense classes.

Charr Lee Metsker, California Department of Social Services

Charr Lee Metsker has worked for the CDSS for over 30 years and is currently the Deputy Director of the Welfare to Work Division, responsible for ongoing oversight of the CalWORKs, Food Stamp, and Program Integrity Programs, along with associated Automation Systems. She has over 15 years experience implementing and overseeing employment programs. She was involved in the implementation of the Greater Avenues for Independence Program in 1986 and participated in development of reforms created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 that created the CalWORKs Program. Ms. Metsker holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration.