Chairs

Measie James, program manager at Head Start, and Jeanne Thomas, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at EMU, were elected Chair and Vice-Chair of the CHC at the January 10 meeting. They will begin serving their 2 year terms at the March 14th CHC meeting.

Measie James, the new Community Health Committee Chair, has worked in the Human Services field for 21 years, most recently as a Program Services Manager specializing in Health at Head Start.  Measie also participates in other variety of coalitions in the county.   Recently, James accepted a position with the Washtenaw Health Plan.

James hopes to use her position as chair to support efforts to increase access to health care in Washtenaw County. She explains, Having access to healthcare is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and this is an area that I would like to advocate for as chair. In addition, she will continue to advocate for the health of women and children. My past involvement focused on advocating for children and families and their healthcare needs and childhood obesity.   As chair I will have a voice for the people who lack appropriate healthcare access in Washtenaw County.

James discussed the role of the Health Improvement Plan in the activities of the CHC this year. Now that the 2005 survey has been completed, the data results will help the community at-large address the health concerns from the survey and establish goals and objectives for the next 10 years. James underscored the importance of the HIP data in securing funding for community efforts. HIP and the survey results will help community organizations to obtain funding to create and implement programs for the community that will address the health concerns that are preventable.

As incoming Vice-Chair of the CHC, Jeanne Thomas brings a wealth of knowledge from her years of professional experience in the field of health and human development. Thomas has a PhD in lifespan development from West Virginia University and has published multiple works in the area of gerontology.

Thomas was appointed Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at EMU in August, 2004. As Dean, she oversees numerous programs related to health and wellness. She explains, Our college includes several programs that are integrally related to public health issues, including health education, physical education, nursing, health administration, dietetics, and social work. Thomas encourages her staff and students to become more involved in community and public health issues. One of my general but high priority goals for the college and for me personally is to enrich the quality and quantity of community engagement focused on public health issues on the part of our students, faculty, and staff. 

Thomas views her CHC position as a way to increase the partnership between EMU and CHC. She states, I am deeply impressed with the work of the group and I believe that this leadership role would provide valuable networking opportunities for me and the CHC. In addition, Thomas hopes that her participation will foster increased community involvement and resource exchange between EMU and the communities of Washtenaw County. I believe that taking on a leadership role with the CHC would put me in an ideal position to learn about ways in which our college and the community can support one another.

Congratulations again to Measie James and Jeanne Thomas, newly elected chair and vice chair of the Community Health Committee. Please welcome them as they begin leading the CHC in its efforts to promote health in Washtenaw County.