NCHEC Coming of Age

NCHEC turns 21 in May. CHES will be 20 this year. For those skeptical that possessing the CHES credential has a positive impact, check out issues of The CHES Bulletin at www.nchec.or/news/news.htm. In the Winter 2009 issue, we learn of CHES Advancing the Profession in the United Nations and that the states of Arkansas and New Jersey require the CHES credential to work as a public health educator for the state health departments.

On behalf of Helen Cleary (retired from Task Force Chair role in 1987), and Pete Cortese (Task Force Chair, who died this past year), Alyson Taub, Becky Smith, Bill Carlyon (deceased this past year), Wanda Jubb, Bryan Cooke, Elaine Vitello and myself (the latter ones were members of the Task Force on Preparation and Practice of Health Educators in 1988), I say we can be pleased with what we did in May 1988.  Also, we owe much gratitude to the able leaders who followed us in guiding the evolution of NCHEC and CHES over the past 17 to 20 years (based on rotation off the Board of Commissioners by Interim Board Members).  The current accomplishments of those guiding NCHEC and CHES are on the optimal end of the spectrum of our dreams for what they would be by now.