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Selected Bibliography Many times, we want more information on preparation of board members in the advocacy area. Listed below is a selected advocacy bibliography each of you can refer to for basic and advanced information in this area. Advocacy from A to Z Robert R. Blackburn, Barbara R. Blackburn, Ronald Williamson Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, New York and London 1st edition, 2018 American Public Health Association, APHA Advocates Handbook: A Guide for Effective Public Health Advocacy, American Public Health Association, Washington, 1999 Daly, John. Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others. Yale University Press, New Haven, 2011. Eyerman, Ron and Andrew Jamison, Music and Social Movements: Mobilizing Traditions in the Twentieth Century, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998 Franklin,Holly, Advocating for the Public¹s Health: A Training Manual, Association of North Carolina Boards of Health and NCPH, 2001 Guilfoyle, Kimberly. Making the Case: How to be Your Own Best Advocate. HarperCollins, 2015 Gladwell, Malcolm, The Tipping Point How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2000, Abacus (Paperback) 2002 Kush, Christopher, The One-Hour Activist: The 15 Most Powerful Actions You Can Take to Fight for the Issues and Candidates You Care About, Jossey-Bass, New York, 2004 Kush, Christopher, Cybercitizen: How to Use Your Computer to Fight for All the Issues You Care About, St. Martin¹s Griffin, New York 2000 Kush, Christopher, Grassroots Games: Preparing Your Advocates for the Political Arena, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Washington, 2004 Lencioni, Patrick. Silos, Politics and Turf Wars. Jossey-Bass, New York, 2006. Loue, Sana, Linda Lloyd and Donald O' Shea, Community Health Advocacy, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, 2003 Rosen, Emanuel, The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word-of-Mouth Marketing, Doubleday & Company, New York, 2000 Stobbe, Mike. Surgeon General’s Warning. University of California Press , 2014. Wallack, Lawrence, Lori Dorfman, David Jernigan, and Makani Themba, Media Advocacy and Public Health, Sage Publication, New York, 1993 North Carolina Legislative Library: The Legislative Library supports the research and information needs of the Legislature, its committees and staff. The Library also offers services to other state agencies and provides limited reference services to the general public. - Submitted by Robert Blackburn, February 2007

National Advocacy Sites American Public Health Association www.apha.org Library of Congress www.loc.gov Research America www.researchamerica.org United States House of Representatives www.house.gov United States Senate www.senate.gov

Recognition ANCBH Board Members advocating for Public Health Watson S. Rankin Legacy Award 2022-2023 Barbara Ann Hughes, PhD, MPH, RDN, LDN, FADA, FAND was awarded the Rankin Legacy Award at the honors luncheon at the NCPHA Annual Conference in Wilmington. The Rankin Legacy Award is given to a NCPHA member in recognition of their outstanding contributions to public health in NC over the member's lifetime. Her many leadership roles in public health and nutrition organizations include being Past-President, National Association of Local Boards of Health and Past-House of Delegates, Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Ham Stevens, MD Award 2022 Merle Green, MPH, MBA was presented with the Ham Stephens award, given to individuals who exemplify the qualities of a former health director and friend of public health, Ham Stevens, M.D. Dr. Stevens was largely responsible for bringing administrative health directors and medical health directors together to form the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD). Merle was recognized for her many achievements in community-based health centers, health promotion, consensus building, volunteer service on community Boards, and leadership in public health. NCALHD also recognized Merle for her mentorship of young health professionals, faculty appointments at several colleges and universities in NC, and for her advocacy for population-based health services. National Association of Local Boards of Health ANCBH is providing leadership at the national level. At the Annual Business Meeting, held on August 2nd 2022 in conjunction with the NALBOH Annual Conference, Benjamin W. Tillett, RPh, PharmD serves as President of NALBOH. Dr. Tillett has provided outstanding leadership to the ANCBH Board as its President and is well qualified to lead NALBOH as they support local Boards of Health in their current and emerging public health challenges. Mary C. Egan Award 2022 Barbara Ann Hughes, PhD, MPH, RDN, LDN, FADA, FAND has received the 2022 Mary C. Egan Award from the APHA (American Public Health Association) Food and Nutrition Section. This national award recognizes the professional contributions and outstanding services of public health nutritionists. The services may include developing new approaches to public health nutrition, mentoring, nutrition education, and addressing special nutrition needs.

Lists the meeting schedule for ANCBH and other key state and national Public Health organizations Calendar of Events ANCBH Board of Directors Meetings 2026 (all meetings begin at 0900 and are via Zoom unless otherwise noted) January 21, 2026 March 25, 2026 (rescheduled from March 18) May 20, 2026 July 15, 2026 September 17, 2026 ANNUAL IN-PERSON MEETING* November 18, 2026 *A virtual option may be available and will be announced on this website pending a review of available technology Upcoming meetings ANCBH Governance Network Webinars - See the Governance Network tab for dates and topics National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) See the events calendar for upcoming NACCHO programs National Recreation and Parks Association Annual Conference (NRPA) See the events calendar for upcoming NRPA programs National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) See the events calendar for upcoming NALBOH programs North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) See the events tab for upcoming NCPHA programs North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD) See the events calendar for upcoming NCALHD programs Past meetings ANCBH Board of Health Governance Network Webinars View this tab for a list of all past meetings. ANCBH's 3rd Annual Public Health Nursing Conference: "The Power of YOU" Great Wolf Lodge Conference Center, Concord NC May 2, 2025 View Program Information and Agenda (conference concluded) ANCBH Annual Meeting November 14, 2024; check-in 0930, meeting 10-2 1020 US Hwy 70 W, Hillsborough, NC Bonnie B. Davis Environmental and Agricultural Center Program information North Carolina Lung Cancer Screening Stakeholders: NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control November 15, 2024 Program Information and Registration UNC William B. Aycock Family Medicine Building 590 Manning Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27559 North Carolina HPV Vaccination Stakeholder Meeting Program information and Registration September 12, 2024; Thursday 8:30 AM to 03:30 PM EDT Chapel Hill, NC 27559 ANCBH's 2nd Annual Public Health Nursing Conference: "Investing in the Public Health Nurse Workforce" McKimmon Conference and Training Center, NC State Campus May 31, 2024 @ 9am-330pm Program Information

History of ANCBH A newsletter article is presented below. Read a draft outline of the history of ANCBH here. “… Board of health members are the bedrock of local public health, a foundation for our future, and a strength on which we can build.” — Carl Durham, ANCBH Founding Member and First President The following is a small article as it appeared in the September, 2002 ANCBH newsletter. It provides a thumbnail sketch of ANCBH’s return to the status of an all-volunteer association. The author is Barbara Ann Hughes, PhD, a past president of ANCBH. “In 1993, as a way to invest in the education of new Board of Health members across the state, the General Assembly started a $100,000 grant in aid to ANCBH. This arrangement worked fine until the state budget crisis caused the cancellation of this grant in 2001. Fortunately, the Division of Public Health of the University of North Carolina, believed in the value of training, applied for, and was granted $70,000 from the state to continue training. A UNC Board of Health Proposed Training Plan was written on September 24, 2001. An agreement was made between the Division of Public Health and ANCBH to allow for the continued training of local Board of Health members. The agreement, signed on January 14, 2002, provided for employees to be appointed for a period of either 3 or 5 years to carry out this training from within the Institute of Public Health of the Division of Public Health of UNC. Carmine Rocco became a staff member of the Institute for Public Health, and continued to conduct training of local board members. He tendered his resignation to become the Local Health Director for Warren County, North Carolina. The Board of Directors meets quarterly and is committed to offering more and valuable services to its membership.” Historical Outline of the ANCBH This historical outline provides highlights from the Association’s past and it is presented to provide some background information to those who have little information about the Association. 1985 The seed for the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health was sown when a Steering Committee was appointed after a seminar on “The Future of Public Health for Local Boards of Health” held in Chapel Hill, NC. 1986 First Annual Meeting of ANCBH is held in September in Greensboro, NC. Articles of Incorporation were signed in November. 1987 Staff was hired including Vaughan Mamlin Upshaw, a founding member of the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH). Second Annual Meeting of ANCBH was held in Fayetteville, NC. 1988 Established independent office in Pittsboro, NC. Received IRS tax exempt status. Pilot Board of Health Orientation Program occurred in Charlotte, NC. Third Annual Meeting of ANCBH in Winston-Salem, NC. 1989 ANCBH Board of Directors approved hiring a part-time assistant. Receive $5,000 grant from W. K. Kellogg for research and development of board health manual. Fourth Annual Meeting of ANCBH in Charlotte, NC. W. K. Kellogg approved a grant for $310,311. 1990 Grant Review Committee appointed. 1993 General Assembly allocated a $100,000 grant in aid to ANCBH to invest in the education of new Board of Health members across the state. General Assembly ratified Senate Bill 1505 which included the continuation of a $100,000 grant-in-aid through DHHS to ANCBH to invest in the education of new Board of Health members across the state. 1994 General Assembly grant-in aid continued. 1995 General Assembly grant-in aid continued. First Emeriti Reception was held. 1996 General Assembly grant-in aid continued. 1997 General Assembly grant-in aid continued. Carmine Rocco joins ANCBH as Executive Director in September. 1998 General Assembly grant-in aid continued. 1999 General Assembly grant-in aid continued. David Phillips, teenage son of ANCBH Board member Charles Phillips of Cabarrus County, volunteers to develop and establish the first ANCBH website. 2000 General Assembly grant-in aid continued but funding is in jeopardy. 2001 General Assembly cuts the $100,000 grant in aid to ANCBH. ANCBH entered into a short-term contract with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health to assist with the downsizing. Contract terminated on June 30, 2002. ANCBH receives the North Carolina Public Health Association's Partners in Public Health Distinguished Group Award. 2002 ANCBH Executive Director resigned. NCIPH wins a grant to provide orientation training to local board of health members. ANCBH files are relocated to NCIPH. 2003 ANCBH Board of Directors began to reassess its organization and role with an all-volunteer structure. 2004 ANCBH continued to assess its organization and role, looked back to re-connect with its history, and then began planning for the future. 2005 Bylaws were amended to add an Emeriti membership category. Membership survey was conducted. Affiliation agreement was signed with the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH). Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health. Website was evaluated for necessary changes. 2006 The January 2006 annual meeting presented an educational session on accreditation, the most frequently requested topic in the membership survey. The website receives major changes.

ANCBH is a non-governmental, non-profit association representing Boards of Health in North Carolina ICYMI...... ANCBH Annual meeting September 17, 2026 Bonnie B. Davis Environmental and Agricultural Center located at 1020 US-70 W Bus, Hillsborough, NC* * A virtual attendance option maybe available pending technology review. If so, an announcement will be made here. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS It has been the tradition of ANCBH to present 3 awards annually to fellow North Carolinians who have distinguished themselves in their service to public health in our state. We would like your help in nominating individuals or entire boards of health to receive these awards. View more about the awards and download the nomination form here. Help build a repository of real world experiences A project to ensure that training materials accurately reflect the realities of serving as a BOH member Seeking BOH members, health directors, or others involved in local public health governance in North Carolina (e.g., county managers, county commissioners) to participate in a statewide project to supplement and improve the materials used to train Board of Health members. The project is conducted by Dr. Karl Johnson, current ANCBH President and Faculty at the UNC School of Public Health. View the flyer for more details and sign-up information. View the ANCBH June newsletter . Topics include National HIV Testing day, Hantavirus risk in NC, NC ROOTS Hub to Strengthen Rural Health Care, ANCBH recruiting for Board of Directors, and more! Congratulations to Ms Edna Hensey, ANCBH Board of Director who was profiled in the May 2026 newsletter of the NC Citizens for Public Health. Ms Hensey served as the first president of the NC Citizens Committee in 1976, which went on to establish the NC Citizens for Public Health (NCCPH). Read more about her 60+ year commitment to Public Health. National Public Health Week: Ready. Set. Action! View and download ANCBH's proclamation highlighting the public health actions occurring through scientific discoveries, legislation, and community initiatives. All Health Directors received a copy to share with their Boards. View the April ANCBH Newsletter with articles about alcohol awareness month, national public health service week, a virtual training workshop on Finding and Reading the Law, the 2026 Public Health Preparedness and Response Symposium, and much more... Important calendar change! The ANCBH Board of Directors meeting originally scheduled for March 18 is now scheduled for March 25 at 9am . View the February ANCBH Newsletter with articles about Measles updates, Rural Health Transformation Funding, North Carolina HPV Stakeholder Meeting (Free), and more. Dr. Jerry McKee, ANCBH Board Member, was recently honored with the 2026 Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award for achieving a level of professional distinction and demonstrating a continuing dedication to the practice of psychiatric pharmacy. Among other projects, he is the project manager for the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists–Alliance Health (NC Medicaid Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plan) Community Pharmacy Transformation Grant. Read more about the Award and Dr. McKee . Dr. Karl Johnson began serving his term as President of ANCBH at the January 2026 meeting of the Board. Karl is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Leadership and Practice at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. View the 2026 schedule for ANCBH Board of Directors meeting on the calendar page. View the December ANCBH Newsletter highlighting the 2025–2030 North Carolina Cancer Plan, QuitlineNC – the state’s free, confidential quit-tobacco service, Radon action month, and rising Medicare costs. Merle Green, Executive Director of ANCBH presented International Public Health Agencies “Protecting the Health of People Across all Nations” A Discussion with Duke University Medical Science Students October 2025 View the presentation slides "Find your change-making team: How to build trust and partnerships with community for the public’s health" The October 13, 2025 Governance Network webinar was presented by Christina R. Welter, DrPH, MPH, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, DrPH in Leadership at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, Health Policy and Administration Division. Visit the Governance Network page to access the download links. View the ANCBH Newsletter October 2025 and Click here to subscribe to future editions. View the 2024 and 2025 Award Winners presented by ANCBH to individuals and organizations displaying exemplary contributions to public health. View the ANCBH By-laws updated September 11, 2025 with the addition of a Financial Audit Committee View the August 2025 ANCBH Newsletter highlighting impact of federal legislation on NC, food recalls, hurricane season and more.... Consolidated Human Services Boards - Practical strategies for Integration - the August 11, 2025 Governance Network Zoom was presented by Denise Price, Deputy County Manager, Director of HHS, Forsyth County Natalie Craver, Deputy Director, HHS, Guilford County Kari Sanders, Assistant County Manager, Consolidated Human Services Director, Onslow County Visit the Governance Network page to access the download links. ANCBH welcomes Jerry McKee , BS, PharmD, MS, BCPP to the Board of Directors. Dr McKee is a pharmacist member on the Burke County Board of Health specializing in Psychopharmacology ANCBH Exhibited at the NC Association of Pharmacists Annual Convention in Asheville, NC on June 23. The Convention theme was Prioritizing Public Health and we enjoyed talking with the pharmacists involved with their Boards of Health and other Public Health Agencies "AI in Public Health: Peril and Promises " - The June 9th Governance Network Zoom program, presented by Kristi Nickodem, JD from the UNC School of Government. A fascinating look at the intersection of AI, patient care, and policies that affect Boards and Health Departments. Visit the Governance Network page to access the download link. Food Insecurity in NC: A Public Health Priority ANCBH will begin to highlight the organizations that are helping to meet this need. We will do this by 1) by providing an index of links to local programs on our Resource page and 2) profiling programs with demonstrated excellence. Get to know Chatham County's CORA , the first program in our Profiles in Excellence series. Dr. Rhonda Stephens presented the 5th ANCBH BOH Governance Network Zoom on February 10, 2025: Dental Public Health in NC - A State of Affairs View the slides and audio recording . 2025 Meeting dates for the ANCBH Board of Directors and the Governance Network Zoom webinars have been posted on the Calendar. ANCBH's 3rd Annual Public Health Nursing Conference: "The Power of Public Health Nurses" Program Information and Agenda (concluded) Great Wolf Lodge Conference Center, Concord NC May 2, 2025 Ask the Experts View the new Q&A about whether a county BOH member may decline to received a stipend. Tobacco 21: A resolution to protect children from vaping and nicotine addiction View the resolution adopted by ANCBH (View other resolutions and endorsements ) Ask the Experts View the new Q&A about whether a county commissioner who is preparing to fill the county commissioner seat on a board of health should take an oath of office. Ask the Experts View the new Q&A about the use of virtual platforms such as Zoom and Teams to conduct official BOH meetings and business, including NC regulations and special conditions such as a declared state of emergency. ANCBH Awards Recipients for 2024 Individuals and organizations displaying outstanding performance in Public Health were announced at the November BOH Annual Meeting in Hillsborough, NC. View the awardees. Mr. Raul Gomez presented the 4th ANCBH BOH Governance Network Zoom on: Public Health Preparedness & Response Framework View the slides and Zoom video. New ANCBH Board Member Janet O. Clayton, MPH, REHS Person County Health Department Director was recently appointed to serve as Liaison to NCALHD. View all ANCBH Board members NC Lung Cancer Screening Stakeholders meeting This meeting will focus on lung cancer screening and its connection to prevention and treatment. November 15, 2024 View the October 2024 ANCBH newsletter highlighting immunizations, Zyn(TM)-oral nicotine pouch, and animal rabies cases Ask the Experts - View the new Q&A about the voting role of a County Commissioner on a Board of Health ANCBH Annual Members Meeting November 14, 2024 Bonnie B. Davis Environmental and Agricultural Center Hillsborough, NC 0930-2pm View Program HPV Vaccination Stakeholder Meeting Join this inaugural meeting in September to improve HPV vaccination coverage. Share successes and challenges, generate ideas, and promote action to improve HPV vaccination in North Carolina by identifying strategies for collective impact. View the August 2024 ANCBH Newsletter highlighting selected topics that are a current focus of the NC Division of Public Health. ANCBH Awards View information about the 3 awards and download the nomination form to recognize individuals or local Boards for their public health service excellence. The Boards of Health Governance Network convened via Zoom on July 22nd to hear a fantastic presentation by Elizabeth Tilson, MD State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer, NC DHHS. View materials from that presentation here . Whew! It's hot out there. View CDC's Infographic on Extreme Heat and useful links to resources on preventing heat-related deaths in cars . Are ALL of your higher risk adults immunized against RSV? View the new ACIP/CDC recommendations that significantly change the landscape. View the June 2024 ANCBH newsletter highlighting forever chemicals and cancer surveillance resources in NC. ANCBH launched the Boards of Health Governance Network at the inaugural virtual meeting on May 28, 2024. View information about this exciting new network. ANCBH congratulates attendees at the 2nd Annual Public Health Nursing Conference "Investing in the Public Health Nursing Workforce" held on May 31, 2024 in Raleigh. View the highlights . ANCBH is pleased to announce a new feature called Ask the Experts Access information, opinions, and resources to help those working in Public Health from the menu bar above. A new resource guide focusing on RSV in adults was posted April 16, 2024 to the Infectious Diseases: New Therapeutics section . ANCBH recommends reading the December 4, 2023 article by Will Atwater in NC Health News: Rose Hoban, Founder and Editor Environmental Health: From creeks to clouds: The invisible invasion of microplastics. January was proclaimed as Radon Action Month in NC. Learn more about radon risks and testing. ANCBH February 2024 Newsletter was posted to the Resources tab above. View the ANCBH Board of Directors Meeting Calendar for 2024 ANCBH Nov ember 2023 Newsletter was posted to the Resources tab above. Calvert Jeffers, DVM and Ms. Eva Brown, MPA have been designated as Director Emeritus Board Members effective November 2023 Two advocacy letters were added to the Resolutions tab: Access to Covid-19 antivirals in Underserved Populations and Violence to Public Health Workers Orientation slides for ne w ANCBH Board of D irectors Members have been added to the website. ANCBH revised and approved the Association's By-Laws at the September 20, 2023 Annual Meeting. ANCBH announces 2023 Recipients of 3 Distinguished Public Health Awards: Surry County Health and Nutrition Center and the Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery Surry County Board of Health Stanly County Consolidated Health and Human Services Board View the Press R elease Don't kiss your bac kyard poultry and small turtles ! CDC warns of Salmonella risk to humans. Also see CDC Newsroom Tab above. NC DHHS issues updated COVID-19 key treatment messages, information about product accessibility and an overview of treatment options to healthcare providers for outpatient treatment of COVID-19 (rev. September 6 2023). ANCBH Board of Directors Benjamin Tillett, PharmD (Person) serves as President of NALBOH and Marielena Moreno-Garcia , BSN, RN, CCM, NE-BC (Alamance) serves on the NALBOH Board of Directors in addition to her liaison role to the NCLHD Accreditation Board Interactive Maps – Organization and Governance of NC Human Services Agencies was added to the Resources Tab above Vaccine Confidence: A link to tools for Boards of Health and frontline providers was posted to the Resources Tab above ANCBH thanks the 200+ public health nurses and 17+ speakers who attended the Celebration in Greensboro, NC May 5, 2023 View more about the Conference Welcome to ANCBH, where our goal is clear: to pursue excellence in public health in North Carolina by providing leadership and support for local Boards of Health in their efforts to protect and promote the public's health. About ANCBH BOH Accreditation and Training

ANCBH Public Health Nursing Conference "Our Nurses, Our Future, You Make a Difference" May 5 2023 Greensboro, NC View program and speakers 1/2 1/2

Health Related Websites State Level North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors www.ncalhd.org North Carolina Division of Public Health www.ncpublichealth.com North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation https://nclhdaccreditation.unc.edu North Carolina Institute for Public Health www.sph.unc.edu/nciph North Carolina Association of County Boards of Social Services http://ncacbss.org North Carolina Association of County Commissioners http://www.ncacc.org/ Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research (UNC) www.schsr.unc.edu North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services www.ncdhhs.gov North Carolina General Assembly www.ncleg.net North Carolina School of Government (formerly the Institute of Government) www.sog.unc.edu North Carolina Institute of Medicine www.nciom.org North Carolina Public Health Association www.ncpha.com North Carolina Citizens for Public Health, Inc. www.nccph.com National Level National Association of Local Boards of Health www.nalboh.org American Public Health Association www.apha.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov Library of Congress www.loc.gov Research America www.researchamerica.org Trust for America’s Health www.tfah.org United States House of Representatives www.house.gov United States Senate www.senate.gov

ANCBH Public Health Nursing Conference May 31, 2024 Raleigh, NC 1/1 Photos courtesy of Hannah Rodgers, MPH, ANCBH Board Member and Alecia Smith, Ph.D., Communications and Public Relations Manager Durham County Health Department

Officers, Directors, Liaisons, and Directors Emeriti doing the work of ANCBH Orientation and Training Materials for New Board Members ANCBH New Board of Director Training Slides - July 2025

ANCBH: Projects and Research Community-based blood pressure screening, education, and referral program The American Heart Association and the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health (ANCBH) established in September 2022 a community-based blood pressure screening, education, and referral program in collaboration with local health departments in Guilford and Forsyth counties (Triad) to provide cardiovascular self-management options due to the lack of community education and wellness centers in communities. This effort addresses access to health promotion and cardiovascular disease prevention. Read more about this successful project that deployed trained Lay Health Advisors and site leaders utilizing evidence-based practices and programs to assist with educating participants on health and wellness for improving health. Nurse conference Public Health Nurses Conference - Our Nurses, Our Future: You Make a Difference ANCBH saw the clear need to celebrate and acknowledge the work of Public Health Nurses in NC. Nurses from all public health departments in North Carolina were invited for a day of teaching, training, celebration, fun, and fellowship. More than 200 public health nurses attended the conference on May 5, 2023 in Greensboro. Public Health nurses throughout NC have been heavy-lifters during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly from 2020 through 2022, yet continuing even now. Many nurses have experienced long work hours, new duties, challenging responsibilities, family interruptions, stress, threats, and even burnout. We determined that one way of showing nurses that we are aware and empathetic to their recent plight is to sponsor this one-day “get away” motivational event addressing career mental and emotional health. The key message of resilience and growth was addressed by multiple speakers, interactive exercises, and role-play in break-out sessions over the course of the day. One highlight of the conference was “Stories from the Field: How I Survived the Pandemic as a Public Health Nurse” presented by a panel of 4 nurses. View the program agenda , photos, and sponsors o f this conference. This program was offered through a collaboration between the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health, the North Carolina Association of Public Health Nurse Administrators, the North Carolina Public Health Association, and the Office of the Chief Public Health Nurse/Public Health Nurse Institute for Continuing Excellence.