Shannon Bates began serving on the NCHC Board in November 2021, becoming an Officer in March when she accepted the position of Secretary! A Certified Recovery Support Worker (CRSW) at White Horse Recovery's The Shed at Serenity Center, Shannon is also the Assistant Regional Manager of White Mountain Recovery Homes. Shannon said:

My desire to join the NCHC Board of Directors was fueled by a strong belief in the work that the Consortium has done thus far and intends to do in the future. I believe in the missions and visions of the various programs and believe it is an honor to be of service to a local agency who is dedicated to advocating for and educating our communities for the betterment of the health and wellness of our local population.

Heidi Barker joined the NCHC Board in September 2021. As the Extension Field Specialist, Health & Well-Being & County Office Administrator at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension, Heidi and UNH Extension have partnered with NCHC in various health improvement capacities throughout the years, including a recent COVID-19 vaccine education initiative. Heidi also serves as the Co-backbone Facilitator of Androscoggin Valley Farm to School Coalition and is the Tri-Coordinator for Project Homebound. Heidi said her motivation for joining the BOD was:

Partnership with community health work throughout the region with health care partners; the opportunity to increase, engage and build on social determinants of health initiatives.

Mark Bonta has served on the NCHC Board since November 2021. He joins business sector with Recovery Champion as the Plant Manager of Genfoot America (Kamik Outdoor Footwear), a State-Designated Recovery-Friendly-Workplace (RFW) for which he sits on the RFW State Advisory Council. Secretary of the Kamik 5K charitable organization, Mark's recent community work focuses on affordable workforce housing, while he often continues assisting the Littleton Chamber of Commerce where he sat on the BOD for two years, on projects that are within his field of expertise. Mark said:

My community roles are primarily in the recovery area. I've been working very closely with NCHC since the 2018 advent of the RFW [Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative], and when I was asked to join the BOD, I felt it was a great fit for me.

As a native of Stratford and current Lisbon resident, Tiffany nods at her North Country roots and dedication to her community:

Jamie D'Alessandro joined the NCHC Board in November 2021. A force and commited advocate in the recovery community, Jamie is a Certified Recovery Support Worker (CRSW)/Family Support Coordinator for White Horse Recovery's The Shed at Serenity Center as well as the Center & Regional Manager for White Mountains Recovery Homes. Jamie said:

NCHC advocates for and promotes the role of community health workers (CHWs) within the community, health care settings, and public health spaces. Through its flagship 9-week CHW training and leadership provided to the NH CHW Coalition, NCHC not only offers CHW services to the community through Ways2Wellness CONNECT, but contributes to the development of the CHW role and workforce, both in the region and statewide. With the CHW initiative expanding, we are hiring 2 new Program Coordinators! Find out more and join our team!

NCHC's Oral Health Program has been working over several years on the Oral Health Education & Connection Project. The project focuses on the infant to 5 year-old age group by providing education to pre-school teachers, staff and parents about important oral health topics such as toothbrushing, feeding and eating practices, the importance of fluoride, how to locate and establish a dental home, and how to utilize dental insurance such as Medicaid. By using a train-the-trainer approach facilitated by NCHC's Public Health Program Manager who is a Certified Public Health Dental Hygienist, NCHC aims to create sustainable change in the way oral health is viewed and addressed, and get kids off to a better, healthier start. Check out our review to date of the Oral Health & Education Project in numbers:

The Spring 2022 Up Granite Youth Conference convened on April 21st! This was the third live streamed UP in a row since the inception of the youth facilitated event focused on empowering young people in the North Country to advocate for their mental health and that of their peers. A past presenter at the last in-person UP Conference, renowned youth motivational speaker, Jeff Yalden, returned to speak to students at UP's 3rd virtual event. Student leader and 2022 White Mountains Regional High School senior, Grace Frink followed Yalden's address to host the mental health-focused dialogue with the young adult group: