Andie Newman
Table 18
New York State Department of Health
State Public Health Veterinarian
Alexandra (Andie) Newman, DVM, MPH, works for the New York State Department of Health where they are the State Public Health Veterinarian and directs the Regional Epidemiology and Investigations Program. Andie started their journey in public health after working full-time as a small animal veterinarian for 11 years. They completed their Master of Public Health in 2004 and then worked as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2004-2006. As an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, they were stationed with the Wisconsin Division of Public Health. Andie has worked in the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at the New York State Department of Health since 2006. In addition to being the zoonotic disease subject matter expert, Andie is part of a team that performs surveillance for and investigates a long list of reportable diseases.

Trang Nguyen
Table 14
New York State Department of Health, Office of Public Health
Director, Public Health Information Group
Trang Nguyen, MD, DrPH, MPH, is the Director of the Public Health Information Group, Office of Science, Office of Public Health, New York State Department of Health. She has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare and public health. Dr. Nguyen has an extensive background in medicine, healthcare, statistics, epidemiology, public health surveillance, research, program evaluation and quality improvement. She leads the Public Health Information Group staff to analyze large datasets, develop and expand various public health data reports and dashboards to support community health needs assessment, identify high-risk populations, plan interventions, and monitor progress. Dr. Nguyen has also authored many articles in peer-reviewed journals to contribute to public health literature.

Keshana Owens-Cody
Table 32
Health Research Inc.
Workforce Director
Keshana Owens-Cody is the Workforce Director for the Office of Public Health. Keshana manages the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) for the Office of Public Health that invests in recruitment, retention, training and development, improves organizational systems and processes for the public health workforce (incl. Local Health Departments) and modernizes the Departments data infrastructure. Prior to this role, Keshana was the Director, Bureau of Health Equity and Community Engagement in the Division of Family Health and managed the CDC COVID-19 Health Disparities grant. This grant created funding opportunities that deployed COVID-19 Health Literacy through community based organizations that are trusted by their communities. Through her leadership, the Bureau created an equitable request for proposal and award process that got funding to organizations that could reach populations facing insurmountable disparities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Keshana has been with the Department since 2022 and has 10+ years subcontractor experience through previous employers engaged in NYS Department of Health Initiatives.

Amanda Roome
Table 36
Northeast Center fo Occupational Health and Safety
Research Scientist
Amanda is a biomedical anthropologist at the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, working with farmers, loggers and fishermen.

Robyn Scherer
Table 9
NYSTEC
Senior Principal Consultant
Robyn Scherer, MPH, CHES, (she/her/hers) has worked in the field of public health for over 15 years and currently works as a Senior Principal Consultant with NYSTEC’s Population Health Strategy Planning & Design Practice, managing project teams that provide consultative services for New York State Department of Health and other agencies in program implementation, strategic planning, and portfolio management focused projects. NYSTEC’s project teams work with the New York State Department of Health and other state agencies to provide program planning, project management, technical support, data analysis, organizational change management, digital training support, and more. Prior to NYSTEC, Robyn had several roles at Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan as a Health Promotion Specialist providing health education and wellness services to large employer groups, as a Population Health Specialist working on quality improvement initiatives across different populations, and as the Manager of State Programs Outreach overseeing a community outreach team that helped individuals obtain and retain their health insurance. Previous roles have included working as a Project Coordinator in a community health worker-focused program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and working as a Public Health Educator in the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Robyn holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Health Behavior and Health Education and a Certified Health Education Specialist credential through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Erin Sinisgalli
Table 12
New York State Public Health Association
Executive Director, New York State Public Health Association
Erin Sinisgalli, MPH, MCHES, (she/her/hers) is the Director of Community Health Programs at St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany, NY. She oversees programs that promote healthy eating, improved physical fitness, breastfeeding, and tobacco cessation. Erin's work includes media relations for her department, lawmaker education, and grant writing. Erin also serves as the Executive Director for the New York State Public Health Association and teaches for New York Medical College as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Health and the University at Albany, as a lecturer of Topics in Public Health. Erin received a bachelor’s of Community Health Education from Ithaca College and her Master of Public Health from the University at Albany’s School of Public Health. Erin is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist and has been a long-time volunteer for Delmar-Bethlehem EMS both as an Emergency Medical Technician and CPR instructor.

Suzanne Swan
Table 8
New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Child Health
Director, Bureau of Child Health
Suzanne M. Swan, MPH

Sue Swan joined the New York State Department of Health as the Director of the Bureau of Child Health in 2019. She also serves as the Health Resources and Services Administration Title V Director of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) for New York State. Much of the Bureau’s portfolio focuses on systems of care including CYSHCN-serving programs and children’s oral health, primary care and mental health through the School-Based Health Center Program. Sue is also a member of the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and serves on the Council’s Individuals and Families Committee. Sue enjoys working exclusively on children’s health as she has two children of her own, ages 11 and 8.

Gianna Woodard
Virtual PH Professional
New York State Department of Health, Office of Public Health Practice
Fellowship Placement Coordinator, Long Island
Gianna Woodard (she/her/hers/ella) is a distinguished leader in Public Health with 9 years at the New York State Department of Health, culminating in her current role as Fellowship Placement Coordinator at the NYS Public Health Corps for Long Island. Gianna excels in program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership, always striving to enhance the quality of healthcare in New York communities. She is bilingual in Spanish, creating strong connections across diverse audiences. Her extensive 11-year background in customer service and administration across various sectors enriches her capability to drive success and innovation in public health. Gianna’s passion, dedication, and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset to the New York State Public Health Corps, ensuring it thrives and positively impacts public health.

Nicole Blanchard
Table 15
Schoharie County Department of Health
Director
Nicole Blanchard, DrPH, MPH, (she/her/hers) is the Director of the Schoharie County Department of Health and has a Doctor of Public Health and a Master of Public Health. With over 18 years of experience in Public Health, Dr. Blanchard specializes in population health and health equity. As a US Air Force Veteran, Nicole started her public health career providing emergency relief and infectious disease surveillance to Hurricane Katrina victims; from there, she served internationally, performing infectious disease surveillance and general public health duties in Europe. After the military, Nicole has served in private institutions, for non-profit entities, and at the local health level to promote health equity in rural communities while developing analytic tools for population health surveillance.

Sarah Lister
Table 29
SUNY Potsdam
Internship Coordinator
Sarah Lourdes Lister (she/ her) is the SUNY Potsdam Internship Coordinator. Previously, she specifically served the university as the Public Health Internship Coordinator. Before working in higher education, Sarah worked in sexual health education and healthcare access in the Southern Tier. Sarah is on the board of directors for the St. Lawrence County Community Development Program and the Health Initiative. A current community project she is working on will increase access to cross-country skiing for north country kids. Sarah lives in Potsdam with her husband and two kids and loves gardening, hiking, and riding bikes.

Jennifer Manganello
Table 26
UAlbany
Professor
Jennifer Manganello, PhD, (she/her/hers) is a professor at the University at Albany School of Public Health and her primary area of expertise is health communication. Her work has primarily focused on health literacy along with the effects of media and/or technology use on health attitudes, knowledge, and behavior; health information seeking among youth and parents; and identifying best practices for the dissemination of health information to the general public.

Alberto Guzman
Table 33
New York State Department of Health
Regional Fellowship Placement Coordinator