Healthy Schools Network

APPA Annual Conference
2026-07-16 - 2026-07-18 | Washington, DC

National School Nurse Day
2026-05-06 | Nationwide
Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses.
National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.
School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is May 6-12 each year.

National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-31 | Nationwide
Since 1984, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has designated May to be National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. It’s a time to focus on respiratory and immune health. The awareness month aims to educate the public about asthma and allergic diseases, risk factors, symptoms, and treatment.

Asthma Awareness Month
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-31 | Nationwide
May is Asthma Awareness Month – a time to educate friends, family, and patients about asthma and promote awareness about how this serious, sometimes life-threatening, chronic respiratory disease can be controlled. During Asthma Awareness Month, EPA provides ready-to-use tools and resources for use promoting asthma awareness in your community.

NSPMA Annual Conference & Expo
2026-04-26 - 2026-04-29 | Kansas City, MO

Society for Public Health Education Annual Conference
2026-04-22 - 2026-04-24 | Vancouver, BC

The Movement at 30: Reflections & the Road Ahead
2026-04-17 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Capstone event celebrating National Healthy Schools Day with a conversation reflecting on the evolution of the healthy schools movement and identifying priorities for the next decade. Featured panelists include Lynn Goldman, MD, MPH, MS, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health and Dean Emeritus, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, and former Assistant Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and William Datema, DrPH, MS, MCHES, Chief Executive Officer, Society for Public Health Education and President-Elect, National PTA. Moderated by Claire Barnett, MBA, founder and former Executive Director, Healthy Schools Network.

Featured Speakers:

Lynn Goldman, MD, MPH, MS, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health and Dean Emeritus, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, and former Assistant Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
William Datema, DrPH, MS, MCHES, Chief Executive Officer, Society for Public Health Education, and President-Elect, National PTA

Session Focus:

Key milestones and achievements of the healthy schools movement over the past 30 years
Emerging challenges for children’s environmental health in schools
Priorities for the next decade
Building momentum for the next phase of the healthy schools movement

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Lynn R. Goldman M.D, M.S., M.P.H. is Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University; served as the Michael and Lori Milken Dean of Public Health 2010-2025
Former Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Lynn R. Goldman, a pediatrician and an epidemiologist, is the Michael and Lori Milken Dean and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. She is a renowned expert in pediatric environmental health and chemicals policy. Dr. Goldman has contributed academic scholarship that has helped shape this field of study. She also has translated research to policy by writing policy analyses and congressional testimony in service of successful efforts by Congress to enact reforms to federal pesticide law (the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act) and federal chemicals law (the 2016 Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the 21st Century).
Previously, Dr. Goldman was Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University (1999–2010); Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she directed the Office of Chemical Safety and Prevention (1993–1998); and Chief of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control (as well as other positions) at the California Department of Public Health.
Dr. Goldman is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and received the NAM Walsh McDermott Award for service to the academy. She is a recipient of the Heinz Award for Global Environmental Change and the American Public Health Association Environment Section’s Homer M. Calver Award. She has received alumna awards from Hopkins (Woodrow Wilson Award for Excellence in Government and Society of Scholars); UC San Francisco (150th Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award); and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health (Alumna of the Year and its Influential Alumni Award). Dr. Goldman serves on the Environmental Defense Fund Board of Trustees; the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health Executive Committee; and Past Chair of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. She has served on advisory committees to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Council, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA.
Dr. Goldman earned her BS and MS from UC Berkeley, an MD from UC San Francisco; an MPH from Johns Hopkins University; and completed her pediatric residency training at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland

Dr. William Datema was elected as National PTA president-elect in June 2023. During his term, Dr. Datema is committed to developing leaders and strengthening national support for state and local units. Starting as a student member, Datema has been a PTA member for over 45 years. He has served as National PTA secretary-treasurer (2021-2023), two terms on the National PTA Board of Directors, one term on the National PTA Nominating and Leadership Recruitment Committee (NLRC) and various other terms on national, state and local committees.
Datema has served in education and public health for over 40 years, including service from local to international levels. He has held several national leadership positions including chief of the Program Development and Services Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health, director of partnerships for children’s health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and executive director of the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education in Washington, DC. Datema has also served as a board member for various levels of nonprofits and is the United States representative for the UNESCO Chair–Global Health and Education.
He holds a Doctor of Public Health from the University of Georgia and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Missouri State University. Datema has presented in 48 states and 12 other nations and has authored and contributed to several publications. He is a father of four children and grandfather of two.

Claire Barnett, MBA, Senior Adviser, is the founder and former Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Network. Under her leadership, Healthy Schools Network established its Information and Referral service for parents and others focused on protecting children’s environmental health and learning. Also established: the national Coalition for Healthier Schools; a collaboration on chemical policy reform in schools; NewsSlice, an online news service for the healthy schools community; National Healthy Schools Day, a day to encourage healthier facilities; and National Healthy Schools Hero Awards.
In 2017, she received the William K. Reilly Award from American University School of Public Affairs for Environmental Leadership, and the American Public Health Association’s David P. Rall Award for contributions to public health through science-based advocacy. The Network has received awards from US EPA for IAQ; a Green Apple Award from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools; a National Partner Award from Green Seal; and recognition from New Orleans’ Walter A Cohen Alumni Association for saving the historic African American high school from demolition post-Katrina. In 2025, Barnett received the Mount Holyoke College Alum Association Achievement Award for instituting sweeping policy changes in New York and nationally. She received her BA (psychology) from Mount Holyoke College and MBA (health systems) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She lives in upstate New York; her two sons and their families are in Colorado.

Game-Changing Federal Legislation for Healthy Schools
2026-04-17 11:30 - 12:30
Remarks by Congressman Paul Tonko (NY) focusing on the bipartisan Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act (H.R. 5123). Moderated by Tracy Washington Enger, MS, Healthy Schools Network, and EPA Indoor Air Division (retired).

Session Focus:

Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act (H.R. 5123)
Legislative outlook for 2026 and beyond

REGISTER

Congressman Paul D. Tonko is a ninth-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York’s 20th Congressional District in the Capital Region, including the cities of Albany, Amsterdam, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs.
He has dedicated his career in public service to bettering the lives of those in his district with meaningful legislation that creates good jobs, strengthens the middle class, and drives economic opportunity. Tonko is the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, in addition to serving on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations.
This 119th Congress, he was selected to serve on the House Committee on the Budget. He also serves as Democratic Deputy Whip for Policy that works on the coordination and planning of the House Democratic Caucus’s policy.
Along with his committee duties, Tonko co-chairs the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), and the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery (ATR) Caucus.
Prior to serving in Congress, he was the president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Before that, he served in the New York State Assembly for 25 years, serving for 15 years as Chairman of the Committee on Energy.
Tonko graduated from Clarkson University with a degree in mechanical and industrial engineering and is a former engineer for the New York State Public Service Commission.

Tracy Washington Enger, MSJ is an experienced senior leadership coach and change agent, with 35-years of federal service that includes experience designing, developing, and leading major environmental, health and community development programs and initiatives with Peace Corps and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
As a servant leader, Tracy coordinated and implemented numerous national public/private collaborations, partnerships, and communities of practice. Tracy has coached thousands of emerging local community leaders to transform their unique skills, commitment, and passion into dramatic, measurable results for their schools, communities and the country.
Tracy’s particular passion is for designing and facilitating dynamic, action-learning events that advance goals, surface new opportunities, and reshape the strategic landscape to build strong, resilient teams.
Tracy was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, Tracy earned a BS and MS in Journalism from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Tracy served in the Peace Corps where she taught English literature and language in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and is a graduate of the Newfield Network Coaching Program and the Georgetown Facilitation Certification Program.

Indoor Air Quality and Schools: State Policy Pathways and Implementation Strategies
2026-04-16 13:00 - 14:30
Some states are implementing programs or developing strategies to improve indoor air quality in schools—from legislation and infrastructure investment to inspection programs and voluntary building standards. This panel will explore alternative approaches and practical strategies for achieving healthier school environments at scale. Moderated by Kenneth Mendez, MBA, President and CEO, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Featured Speakers (Clockwise, top left):

Representative Megan Cotter, Rhode Island House of Representatives
Jason Hartke, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Global Advocacy, International WELL Building Institute
Rebecca Padilla, MS, Senior Manager, Nationwide Health Promotions, American Lung Association
Georgia Lagoudas, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Brown University School of Public Health

Session Focus:

State experiences and approaches to improving school indoor air quality (see Rhode Island bill: S2873)
The role of building standards and performance frameworks for school environments
Challenges states face in implementing large-scale IAQ improvements
Pathways for policymakers, school systems, and advocates seeking durable solutions

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Representative Megan Cotter, Rhode Island. was elected November 8, 2022, to represent District 39 in Exeter, Hopkinton, and Richmond. She is a member of both the House Education Committee, the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Small Business Committee.
Representative Cotter has been a strong advocate for forests, farms and conservation. In her first year in the House, she sponsored legislation that created a legislative commission to help the state determine the best action for improving forest management. In 2023 and 2024, she chaired that commission, which issued recommendations that included funding forest fire prevention programs and more forestry staff in the Department of Environmental Management, state and local collaboration to map accessible routes for firefighting in forested lands, and helping owners of forested lands to develop fire management plans. Her leadership and advocacy helped add funding in the 2025 state budget for additional forest rangers at DEM, and led to the addition of land conservation funding to the “green bond” proposal on the ballot in November 2024.
She continues to push for property tax relief, as well as for education, children and rural communities. A law she sponsored in 2025 puts structures in place in all school districts to effectively support students’ mental and behavioral health.
Representative Cotter grew up in the Elmhurst section of Providence, with working parents who divorced when she was young. Her father imparted upon her and her siblings the importance of hard work and kindness, involving the family in church and volunteering for those in need. She graduated from Classical High School in 2002, and went on to University of Rhode Island, where she triple majored in English, Comparative Literature and Classical Studies.
Shortly after college, she married her husband, Christopher. They soon had three children, Emily, Joseph, and Charles. Like many Rhode Islanders, they struggled under the weight of rent, utilities, health care, and student loans, but eventually managed to buy a home in Exeter. When that home was completely destroyed in a fire in 2017, their tragedy was transformed into a profound lesson on kindness and community, as neighbors and friends reached out with support from every direction. Rather than move, they did not hesitate to rebuild in the same spot. They and their children are active volunteers in the community that gave so much to them.

Jason Hartke, Ph.D., is the Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Global Advocacy at the International WELL Building Institute where he leads the organization’s strategic communications, PR and media relations as well as its advocacy efforts and outreach to policymakers around the world. Through dynamic advocacy initiatives and programs, Jason has worked to establish a robust government presence, shaping numerous healthy building policies across all levels of government. He has also launched groundbreaking partnerships and coalitions, including the Healthy Workplaces Coalition, which has grown to nearly 150 member organizations working to support sound health building policy.
Prior to IWBI, Jason was the President of the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), a nonprofit dedicated to achieving bipartisan policy solutions that advance energy efficiency. While not a registered lobbyist, Jason was recognized as one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyist in 2018 and 2019 for leading ASE’s strategic advocacy efforts to keep energy efficiency a top priority in Washington, helping protect critical R&D programs and significantly increasing federal funding to exceed $1 billion.
Before that Jason led the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to advance energy efficiency in commercial buildings, a sector that accounts for nearly 20 percent of the nation’s energy consumption. In the role, Jason managed a nearly $30-million program, working closely with national laboratories as well as industry partners to develop and deploy innovative energy efficiency solutions, strategies and technologies. While there, he helped lead the creation of the Better Communities Alliance and implemented strategic refinements in the technology demonstration pipeline to better catalyze market adoption of innovative energy efficiency solutions.
Jason also spent nearly a decade as a senior executive at the U.S. Green Building Council, leading mission-critical policy and advocacy efforts that helped result in the passage of historic federal investment in green building, new federal leadership programs in energy efficiency, and a fourfold increase in green building policies at the state and local level. While there, he led several signature national advocacy programs in sustainable and resilient communities, energy efficiency, green schools and green affordable housing.
Over his career, he has created numerous collaborative initiatives and partnerships with other organizations, including the C40 Cities, the World Green Building Council, the National League of Cities, the American Institute of Architects, the Real Estate Roundtable and the Natural Resources Defense Council. He has been featured in dozens of publications, including the USA Today, the LA Times, the NY Times, Costar, Governing Magazine, the Federal Times, Architectural Record and many more.
Jason also served in the Clinton Administration, working in the West Wing of the White House in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, a policy and outreach team that serves as the president’s liaison to state and local elected officials throughout the country. Early in his career, Jason was an award-winning journalist, working as a reporter with the Connection Newspapers covering state and local politics, real estate, land use and community affairs.
Jason received his Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason University and holds his master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jason lives outside Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children, and he is outside hiking or playing basketball with them every chance he gets.

Rebecca Padilla serves as Senior Manager, Nationwide Health Promotions at the American Lung Association. Rebecca specializes in evidence-based approaches to create healthier school and community environments and has experience designing and supporting large-scale initiatives that integrate indoor air quality, asthma management, and tobacco use prevention and treatment into organizational and school policies, clinical workflows, and community partnerships across the nation. Rebecca works closely with education agencies, health departments, and local partners to translate policy into practice, build capacity for sustainable implementation, and elevate lessons learned to inform strategies for a healthier future.

Dr. Georgia Lagoudas is a Senior Fellow and faculty at the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health, where she brings extensive expertise in biosecurity, pandemic response, and indoor air quality. She leads the Clean Indoor Air Initiative at Brown University, advancing policy and implementation projects to improve indoor air quality and reduce disease transmission. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Advisor for Biotechnology and Bioeconomy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She led the drafting and implementation of the Executive Order on Advancing the American Bioeconomy and launched a White House Initiative to improve indoor air quality, helping to position clean indoor air as a core component of national health and resilience strategy.
She previously worked at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Senate as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. In the Senate, she led the writing and introduction of a bill that became law through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, to advance biotechnology research. Georgia completed her PhD in Biological Engineering from MIT.

Moderator Kenneth Mendez became CEO and President of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) in early 2018. He came to AAFA from AdvaMed, the world’s largest medical technology association, where he served as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for 12 years.
Mendez’s career has bridged the corporate and non-profit sectors. Early in his career, he worked on Wall Street in investment banking and then in business development at The Walt Disney Company. His career focus evolved to the non-profit sector based on a connection to causes about which he is passionate. Mendez, an avid fly fisherman, left Walt Disney to become the Chief Operating Officer of the nonprofit, Trout Unlimited, America’s largest cold-water fisheries conservation organization. Based on his success at Trout Unlimited, he was recruited by AdvaMed to develop and launch new business initiatives, manage business operations and lead strategic planning. He has built his career in the senior leadership of nonprofits by growing the reach of these organizations, a track record he brings to AAFA.
Since joining AAFA, he has led the organization in establishing a new multi-year strategic plan that emphasizes dramatically reducing the impact of asthma and allergies on the underserved and tripling the size of AAFA’s online asthma community. The new strategic plan’s vision is for AAFA to be recognized as the most trusted ally serving the asthma and allergy community.
Mendez has quickly become a thought leader in the asthma and allergy community. He served as an External Reviewer for the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s (ICER) asthma assessment. In that role, he informed ICER on how to better represent the patient voice. In 2019, Mendez served as a patient advocacy expert for ICER’s review on emerging peanut allergy therapies.
Under Mendez’ guidance, several patient advocacy organizations have joined together to advocate on issues important to people with food allergies – including sesame allergy. He also leads communications with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on ongoing access barriers to epinephrine auto-injectors.
He is quoted in outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post and NBC Nightly News, among others. Mendez has an MBA in marketing from Columbia Business School and a B.A. in American History and American Art from Harvard College. Mendez also has a personal stake in AAFA’s mission as he and two of his children manage asthma and allergies.

Climate Resilience for Schools: Why Act Now?
2026-04-15 13:00 - 14:30
Featuring climate resilience experts Joel Smith, MPP, climate change impacts and adaptation researcher (retired) and Joel Scheraga, Ph.D., EPA senior executive (retired) and Senior Advisor, Healthy Schools Network. Introduction by John Reeder, Executive Director, Healthy Schools Network.

Featured speakers:

Joel Smith, MPP, climate change impacts and adaptation researcher (retired), and Deputy Director (former), EPA Climate Change Division
Joel Scheraga, Ph.D., EPA senior executive (retired) and Senior Advisor, Healthy Schools Network

Session Focus:

Climate stressors affecting school environments (e.g., heat, wildfire smoke, flooding)
Regional variation in climate-related disasters and threats
Vulnerability of schools to climate impacts
Resilience strategies and resources
Status of federal, state, and local policies and plans

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Joel B. Smith with Stratus Consulting, has been analyzing climate change impacts and adaptation issues for over 20 years. He was a coordinating lead author for the synthesis chapter on climate change impacts for the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and was a lead author for the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report. Mr. Smith was recently nominated to be on the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. He has provided technical advice, guidance, and training on assessing climate change impacts and adaptation to people around the world and for clients such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Country Studies Program, the World Bank, the United Nations, a number of states and municipalities in the U.S. (e.g., Florida, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix), the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Commission on Energy Policy, the Center for Climate Strategies, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Mr. Smith worked for the U.S. EPA from 1984 to 1992, where he was the deputy director of Climate Change Division. He is a coeditor of EPA’s Report to Congress: The Potential Effects of Global Climate Change on the United States, published in 1989; As Climate Changes: International Impacts and Implications, published by Cambridge University Press in 1995; and Adaptation to Climate Change: Assessments and Issues, published by Springer-Verlag in 1996, Climate Change, Adaptive Capacity, and Development, published in 2003 by Imperial College Press, and The Impact of Climate Change on Regional Systems: A Comprehensive Analysis of California published in 2006 by Edward Elgar. He joined Hagler Bailly in 1992 and Stratus Consulting in 1998. He has published more than thirty articles and chapters on climate change impacts and adaptation in peer-reviewed journals and books. Besides working on climate change issues at EPA, he also was a special assistant to the assistant administrator for the Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation. Mr. Smith was a presidential management intern in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1982 to 1984. He has also worked in the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Mr. Smith received a BA (magna cum laude) from Williams College in 1979, and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan in 1982.

Dr. Joel Scheraga is the Senior Advisor for School Resilience at the Healthy Schools Network. He joined the Network after serving as the Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation in the Office of Policy at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He led the efforts at EPA to integrate climate resilience into the agency’s programs. A central focus of this work was supporting states, tribes, territories, local governments, and businesses as they prepare for and increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, with a particular emphasis on advancing environmental justice. He led the development of EPA’s 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, was a co-author of the Biden Administration’s 2023 National Climate Resilience Framework, and was on the team that produced President Obama’s 2013 Climate Action Plan.
In December 2015, Dr. Scheraga was honored with a Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor given to career members of the federal Senior Executive Service. He also was a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Scheraga is strengthening the Healthy Schools Network’s mission to ensure that all students learn in safe, healthy, and resilient environments. His expertise is helping guide the Network’s growing focus on climate resilience in school infrastructure and environmental health policy.

Federal Research & Children’s Environmental Health Outlook
2026-04-14 11:00 - 13:00
Presentations by NIOSH Director John Howard, MD, and EPA Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions; Acting EPA Science Advisor Maureen Gwinn, Ph.D., DABT. Moderated by Christopher (Chris) Zarba, former Director of EPA’s Science Advisory Board Staff Office.

Featured speakers:

John Howard, MD, Director, NIOSH
Maureen Gwinn, Ph.D., DABT, Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions; Acting EPA Science Advisor

Session Focus:

Progress on children’s environmental health research and remaining knowledge gaps
Future directions for federal research
Indoor air quality, asthma, and chronic diseases in schools as “hybrid workplaces”: the intersection of occupational health and child environmental health
“Total Worker Health” and implications for children and youth
Moving from science to action—how the federal government can help
Interagency coordination opportunities

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John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM, MBA, serves as the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Howard oversees NIOSH’s research activities focused on the study of worker safety and health and moving that research into practice to help empower employers and workers to create safe and healthy workplaces.
He is also the Administrator of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, where he leads a federal health care program that provides high-quality, compassionate medical monitoring and treatment for WTC-related conditions to those directly affected by the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

Dr. Maureen Gwinn serves as the Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions; Acting EPA Science Advisor. Dr. Gwinn previously served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Research and Development (ORD) and Science Advisor at the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). In this role, she provided direction to ORD on overall program goals, objectives, policies, strategies, technical and scientific approaches, and program plans, based on a recognized scientific expertise. She also chaired the Agency Science Technology and Policy Council and oversaw the Agency’s scientific integrity program.
Dr. Gwinn held multiple leadership roles within ORD including Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Chief Scientist, National Program Director for ORD’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) National Research Program, Director of the Biomolecular and Computational Toxicology Division within ORD’s Center for Computational Toxicology Exposure, Senior Science Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science and Associate National Program Director for Community Public Health in SHC.
Dr. Gwinn joined the US EPA in ORD’s National Center for Environmental Assessment, where she worked on human health hazard assessments for the Integrated Risk Information System program.
Dr. Gwinn earned her BS degree in Biology at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and her MS and PhD in Oral Biology at the State University of New York in Buffalo, New York. She became a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology in 2007 and was nominated to the Academy of Toxicological Sciences in 2014.

Christopher (Chris) Zarba is an environmental scientist who spent 38 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he held numerous senior leadership roles across the agency’s science and policy programs. He most recently served as Director of EPA’s Science Advisory Board Staff Office, overseeing the independent peer review of EPA science and recruiting nationally recognized experts to evaluate the scientific basis for agency policies and regulations. Over his career he also served as Director and Deputy Director of the National Center for Environmental Research, Chief of Staff for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and Director of the Health and Ecological Criteria Division in the Office of Water.

Congressional Leadership & School Funding: Outlook for Federal Action
2026-04-13 14:00 - 15:00
A conversation with Congressman Bobby Scott (VA) on School Infrastructure and Funding, with audience Q&A. Moderated by Tracy Washington Enger, MS, Healthy Schools Network and EPA Indoor Air Division (retired).

Session Focus:

Rebuild America’s School Act of 2026
Legislative outlook for 2026 and beyond

REGISTER

Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott has represented Virginia’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. Prior to his service in Congress, he served 15 years in the Virginia General Assembly.
Congressman Scott serves as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce—his fifth term as the Committee’s Democratic leader. In this role, he spearheaded critical parts of Congress’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through several COVID-19 packages—including the American Rescue Plan Act—Congressman Scott saved the pensions of over one million workers and retirees; reduced the number of uninsured Americans to record lows; significantly reduced child hunger across the nation; and delivered the single largest investment to K-12 schools in U.S. history to help schools reopen safely and make up for lost learning time.
Congressman Scott has formerly served on Committee on the Budget and the Committee on the Judiciary and he remains a leading voice in Congress on fiscal policy, the Constitution and reforming our nation’s criminal justice system. He has successfully worked to pass bipartisan legislation to reduce mandatory minimum sentences, reform the juvenile justice system, and require reporting and federal data collection of deaths that occur in police custody, jails, and prisons.
Congressman Scott resides in Newport News, Virginia and is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston College Law School. He also served in the Massachusetts National Guard and the United States Army Reserve.

Tracy Washington Enger, MSJ is an experienced senior leadership coach and change agent, with 35-years of federal service that includes experience designing, developing, and leading major environmental, health and community development programs and initiatives with Peace Corps and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
As a servant leader, Tracy coordinated and implemented numerous national public/private collaborations, partnerships, and communities of practice. Tracy has coached thousands of emerging local community leaders to transform their unique skills, commitment, and passion into dramatic, measurable results for their schools, communities and the country.
Tracy’s particular passion is for designing and facilitating dynamic, action-learning events that advance goals, surface new opportunities, and reshape the strategic landscape to build strong, resilient teams.
Tracy was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, Tracy earned a BS and MS in Journalism from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Tracy served in the Peace Corps where she taught English literature and language in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and is a graduate of the Newfield Network Coaching Program and the Georgetown Facilitation Certification Program.

National Public Health Week
2026-04-06 - 2026-04-12 | Nationwide
Each April, APHA unites communities nationwide to celebrate NPHW, recognizing public health contributions and addressing key health issues. As the organizer for 30 years, APHA develops annual campaigns and resources to educate the public, policymakers, and practitioners on each year’s theme. These materials promote public health awareness year-round.

National Healthy Schools Day
2026-04-01 - 2026-04-30 | Nationwide
Since 2002, parents, teachers, school nurses, custodians, advocates, and agencies have promoted National Healthy Schools Day activities nationwide.

Webinar: Asthma Triggers and Flood Cleanup: Protecting Health After Major Storm Events
2026-03-31 08:00 - 17:00

National Poison Prevention Week
2026-03-15 - 2026-03-21 | Nationwide
National Poison Prevention Week is observed in the United States the third week of March. The goal of the week is to raise awareness of the risk of being poisoned by household products, medicines, pesticides, plants, bites and stings, food poisoning, and fumes. Awareness being duly raised, it is hoped that this will prevent poisoning.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Training
2025-11-19 | Richardson, TX
This course meets the requirements outlined by the Texas Structural Pest Control Services department within the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for training a school district’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) coordinator. Topics include regulatory requirements, administration of IPM in school pest control programs, principles of IPM, and pesticide safety practices.

Green California Schools & Higher Education Summit
2025-11-13 | Pasadena, CA
Join us at the Pasadena Conference Center and be part of the community that leads the way in making California’s schools and higher education sector’s amongst the leaders in driving the State’s Sustainability goals. It takes more than one group and one person to move the needle in California.

CT Association of School-Based Health Centers Annual Conference
2025-11-11 | Southbury, CT
On November 11, 2025, the Connecticut Association of School-Based Health Centers will hold its annual conference, Navigating a Shifting Healthcare Landscape: How School-Based Health Centers Can Adapt to Continue, at the Heritage Hotel and Conference Center in Southbury, CT.

Student Health Summit 2025
2025-11-07 | Washington State
Join us for the 2025 Student Health Summit, presented by Wellpoint, on November 7, 2025, dedicated to advancing the impact of school-based health centers (SBHCs) and supporting the health and well-being of youth across our communities. Our theme this year is Cultivating Community: strengthening collective power for student health and wellness.

New York State School Environmental Health Conference
2025-11-06 | Kingston, NY
Join us for a full day of learning and networking as we address indoor air quality topics and concerns for schools in New York State. Whether you are school facilities staff, a teacher, administrator, or health professional, this conference is perfect for anyone passionate about school environmental health.

Minnesota School Behavioral Health Conference
2025-11-05 - 2025-11-07 | Brainerd, MN
The Minnesota School Behavioral Health Conference is in its 8th year, bringing together collaborating partners and providers to build a school behavioral health framework of community, practice, and support. Attendees include schools, community mental health providers, advocates, consumers, policy makers, Tribal Nations, and county and state government.

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo
2025-11-04 - 2025-11-07 | Los Angeles, CA
Greenbuild is a vibrant community of global green building professionals. Together we use the latest technology, materials and ideas to improve sustainability, resilience, equity, health, and wellness. It’s the hub where leaders developing the next generation of sustainable standards gather to create a better future for everyone on the planet.

NJAAP 34th School Health Conference
2025-10-22 | Somerset, NJ
The School Health Conference is dedicated to keeping you abreast of the latest best practices in pediatrics. Whether you are looking to obtain continuing (CNE/CME) credits or dedicated to lifelong learning, this conference provides a large selection of educational opportunities.

41st Annual School Health Conference: Hands-On School Nursing Skills
2025-10-17 | Columbus, OH
Please join us for the 41st Annual School Health Conference: Featuring Hands-On School Nursing Skills hosted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a leading pediatric care facility and research institute. At Nationwide Children’s, we help kids everywhere and provide life-saving research and care.

Children’s Environmental Health Day
2025-10-09 | Nationwide
Children’s Environmental Health (CEH) Day takes place on the second Thursday of October each year. It’s based on the idea that, together, we can create a healthier, safer, more equitable world for all children—where fewer children suffer from preventable health issues.
