The Health Project, Home of the C. Everett Koop National Health Award, Announces New Board Chair, Officers, and Members

BETHESDA, MD, UNITED STATES, January 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Health Project, home of the C. Everett Koop National Health Awards, today announced that Rebecca Kelly, PhD, MAE, RDN, FAND, has been elected to serve as Chairperson of the Board of Directors. Dr. Kelly will succeed former Chair K. Andrew Crighton, MD. Dr. Kelly is the first female Chair of The Health Project.

Rebecca Kelly is CEO and Founder of Element Health, Inc., a clinical nutrition, and corporate wellness firm based in Birmingham, AL. As an industry leader in sustaining healthy workforces, Kelly has over 30 years of hands-on experience in wellness program strategy, communication campaigns, innovative program design, and evaluation.

New to the board in 2024 are two directors, Janet Calhoun, MA and Victoria Maizes, MD.

Calhoun is a senior executive with 25 years of leadership experience working in healthcare and wellness organizations. In her current role as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH) and Full Plate Living, she leads staff and grant initiatives focused on health improvement through lifestyle change. Prior to her role at AIH, Calhoun spent much of her career working with healthcare and wellness companies to turn strategic objectives into actions to create growth and stability.

Maizes is Executive Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and Professor of Medicine, Family and Community Medicine, and Public Health at the University of Arizona. Maizes is internationally recognized as a leader in integrative medicine and serves on numerous boards and committees in advancing health initiatives.

Crighton will remain on the Board serving as Past Chair. Crighton is the former Vice President of Global Health and Medical and Chief Medical Officer of Prudential Financial. In that role, he was responsible for global health, safety, and medical business consultation. Crighton now runs Crighton Consulting Group and is Chief Medical Officer for WellRight.

Joining Kelly and Crighton on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors are David Ballard (Chair-Elect), John Harris (Treasurer), and Tre’ McCalister (Secretary). Other Board members who continue to serve in 2024 are Janis Davis-Street, Michael O’Donnell, Kenneth R. Pelletier, Seth Serxner, and Shelly Wolff.

David Ballard, PsyD, MBA, is an organizational consultant with more than 15 years of prior experience as a non-profit executive. His emphasis is on promoting employee well-being and organizational performance through the integration of psychology and business.

John Harris, MEd, is a retired entrepreneur and philanthropist, currently serving on multiple for-profit and not-for-profit boards. He is also immersed in public service projects in education, health care, wellness, and sport. John was previously a co-founder of Harris HealthTrends, Inc. and Performance pH, LLC.

Tre' McCalister, MS, EdD, is a Global Health and Wellbeing strategist and consultant with 25 + years’ experience leading successful worksite and community health initiatives.

Janis Davis-Street, MS, MA, EdD, is Manager, Global Public Health and Special Projects at Chevron.

Michael O’Donnell, PhD, MBA, MPH, is Founder of the American Journal of Health Promotion, Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference, and Health Promotion Advocates.

Kenneth R. Pelletier, PhD, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry, University of California School of Medicine - San Francisco. He is also the author of Change Your Genes, Change Your Life.

Seth Serxner, PhD, MPH, is Chief Health Officer of EdLogics.

Shelly Wolff, MS, MBA, is a global strategist, executive advisor and consultant with extensive experience advancing creative solutions to advance the health and wellbeing of organizations, individuals, and communities.

For more than a quarter-century, The Health Project has presented annual awards to organizations with documented evidence that their programs have improved workers’ health and wellbeing, while also achieving positive business results.

“We are excited to have Dr. Rebecca Kelly as our new Board Chair. Her many years of experience in the industry as an executive leader, consultant, educator, and business owner have prepared her well for her role in leading the nation’s preeminent organization overseeing the prestigious C. Everett Koop National Health Award,” said Ron Goetzel, PhD, President, and CEO of The Health Project. “In addition to owning her own successful consulting business, Rebecca served as Board Chair of the Council for Future Practice at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Her extensive experience as a small business owner, consultant, health promotion director, and faculty leader at University of Alabama, and having worked on the front lines as a wellness professional for an award-winning employer program, will provide insight and guide the future direction of The Health Project.”

The Health Project was established in 1994 with the late C. Everett Koop MD, the former Surgeon General of the United States, as its honorary chairperson. The mission of The Health Project is to define, promote and increase the adoption of organizational health and well-being practices that translate into measurable operational impact.

The C. Everett Koop National Health Awards are given each year to workplace programs that are well-integrated into the organization’s infrastructure and have yielded significant improvement in population health and noteworthy business results.

The Health Project is a tax-exempt not-for-profit corporation formed to identify and advance strategies that amplify the value of workforce and community health and well-being.

Ron Goetzel
The Health Project
+1 202-768-6236
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Twitter