In 2012, our President of UNC Rex Healthcare approached me and asked if I would like to serve on the NC Prevention Partners Board. I will never forget what he said to me after this ask – "they perhaps have done as much to improve the lives of the people of North Carolina and the nation as anyone; you will not believe how much they accomplish with so little." This request then lead me to an incredible honor of serving on the Board and Executive team with colleagues and professionals whose primary goal was to improve our well-being and communities through living healthier. The Leaders, Board members, staff, and interns who served this group are all proof that dedication, a shared vision, and evidence based practice can make and will continue to make meaningful impact on many, many lives for years to come. Thank you Prevention Partners for allowing me to work with you; but also for teaching me what is possible when a dedicated group come together with a shared vision of choosing healthy behaviors.

Prevention Partners has humbly changed the face of public health and advocacy, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable - not only in NC but across the entire country. Starting with the courageous idea and passion for protecting people from first and secondhand smoke, Prevention Partners did so with hospitals, right in the heart of tobacco country! This, on the heels of guiding state legislators to pass the NC Tobacco-Free Bars and Restaurants bill, is a feat to rival the largest of public health achievements to date. I personally grew a conviction and commitment to improve public health during my terms as intern, staff member and board member of Prevention Partners. My growth as a leader is anchored in the spirit of Prevention Partners and all of the fearless leaders that have fueled the organization over the years. Our state and all the people that call it home should be proud of Prevention Partners as each of our lives and the physical spaces we occupy are all better off because of their work. I marvel at the thought of knowing that the work lives on, and look forward to doing my part in carrying the torch.

Between 2006-2009, all North Carolina hospitals passed a tobacco-free campus-wide policy through our partnership with Prevention Partners. We are still the only state where this has occurred. Prevention Partners went on to drive clear models of healthy food and active environments and patient quit tobacco systems among our hospitals. Prevention Partners leadership was instrumental in shaping a culture of wellness and prevention in NC hospitals and communities, a legacy from which we will all continue to benefit.

Prevention Partners and Meg always represented prevention in action for me. I remember learning about them when I was at Active Living By Design (RWJF National Program) and they went beyond their reputation as leaders in prevention. After spending over a decade in public health, I often saw that logic models and jargon would stand in the way of action. Prevention Partners did the work and research to make logic models sing. Their efforts across North Carolina (with the Prevention Report Card, Healthy Hospitals among many others) were models for many other states. Each Prevention Partner staffer was passionate about making the community healthier and Meg and company grew many leaders from their intern program. I was honored to serve on Prevention Partners’ board for several years. Their work on creating healthier organizations (through the private sector, counties and schools) is visionary and powerful. You cannot move the needle on health unless you have all of the players at the table. Prevention Partners set the table for better health to occur.

I can still recall when Prevention Partners first contacted my firm, Data AnyWare, back in 2008 to create a web-based wellness policy assessment tool. Little did I realize at the time just how far they would leverage web technology to extend their reach and amplify their impact during the years that followed. As I worked with them throughout that journey I remained impressed with not only their enthusiasm and intensity in moving forward, but also with the results they achieved. I'm pleased to see that their impact will live on through the ongoing work of all those involved with Prevention Partners over the years.

Many thanks to remarkable team of staff and interns that advanced the mission, walked the talk, and will continue to do so

Power Award Winners

Interns gained tremendous experiences and contributed much to Prevention Partners