Past H.E.R.E. Newsletters   Past Mentors

November 2003

Martin Yanez
Norwest Communities Education Center

Born in Texas, Martin traveled with his family across the United States to do farm work.

"When I was a kid, nobody had any idea about pesticides. I remember times being engulfed with a white mist. We handled bags of pesticides with no gloves or protective clothing," he recalled about early exposures to toxins. He has vivid memories of the conditions his and other families experienced. "Sometimes we slept under bridges, in chicken coops, and in crowded labor camps on the floor. Sometimes we lived in a railroad car with three other families. The pay was miserable," he said.

Martin's mother insisted that her children enroll in school wherever the family traveled, even if it was only for a few weeks. Experiences with unfair and unsafe labor practices fueled his desire to get a college education, and he graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in English and Spanish. Following stints as a high school teacher, a grant writer, and director of a family center in Granger, he did graduate work at the University of Washington and followed his passion for community organizing and helping farmworkers get needed health and educational services. In 1971, Martin became executive director of Northwest Rural Opportunities, which later became the Washington State Migrant Council.

"In my view all social change is a continual challenge. It has no end. It includes all races for the brotherhood and sisterhood of all," he said. "There is still so much to be done to improve the lives of farmworkers-increasing numbers of immigrants are exposed to pesticides and contaminated drinking water, and they lack fair housing and medical care."

His varied career has also included working for the state Department of Labor and Industries to ensure fair treatment for farmworkers, and directing a program at Central Washington University to recruit youth from farmworker families to enroll in college. Among numerous civic activities, Martin was appointed by the Governor to the Washington State Health Planning Committee, he coordinated voter education for the United Farm Workers, and was a member of the first Washington State Mexican-American Commission. He also serves on the Hanford Advisory Board.

One of Martin's current projects is working to educate Hispanics about the risks of tobacco use. He's involved with the Department of Health's Cross Cultural Workgroup on Tobacco and is partnering with the American Lung Association in Yakima to provide tobacco prevention education through radio shows and cessation classes.

Martin advises people who are going into a public health career to "allow the community to participate in the decision-making process of determining and defining public health issues. I still find many barriers such as language, culture, institutional racism, and poverty. These barriers can be overcome, if we want to." He also advises people to keep a sense of humor. "You have to, otherwise you don't make it."

When asked about the future challenges for health educators and public health, Martin wrote, "The ever-increasing number of minority populations, especially in the number of Mexican-born immigrants, pose some very difficult challenges. Culture and language will be even bigger issues if we do not find ways to train bilingual professionals in public health. Public health institutions will need to find ways to connect and relate that are relevant and sensitive to communities." He also believes universal health insurance is a big need.

When Martin has spare time, he likes to garden and read. He can advise on community organizing, understanding Hispanic culture and Spanish language, strategies for using the media, the development of health education materials for Latino audiences, and grant writing. You can reach Martin either by phone at 509-854-2222 or by email myanez@kdna.org.

Pat Mail
University of Washington

You might not guess, talking to Pat Mail for the first time, that this calm and unassuming person is part of a select group of health education scholars and a nationally recognized leader in the field. She is more likely to talk about the importance of being connected to other health educators than mention her numerous accomplishments.

Pat received a BS in Health and Physical Education from the University of Arizona, an MS in Physical Education from Smith College, an MPH from Yale University, and a PhD in Community Health Education from the University of Maryland. She also has an MA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. She began her health education career working for the Indian Health Services (IHS) where she administered health education grants, was a trainer on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and became the chief of health education programs for Washington, Oregon and Idaho. “I loved the work, because I had the privilege of working with Native people at the grassroots for many years,” she said.

Another career highlight was working in the Office of the Surgeon General under C. Everett Koop. “Dr. Koop was an amazing man. What I liked best was his approach in asking ‘what does the science say?’ rather than getting caught up in politics.” Later, Pat worked for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at NIH, and served on the Public Health Service Disaster Medical Assistance Team for natural disaster interventions. Currently, she is a principal investigator for the Addictive Behaviors Research Center in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington where her research focuses on reducing health risks for urban Native American adolescents. “In all, I’ve had rich and varied career opportunities in human services and public policy,” she said.

Among the many things Pat enjoys about her work is helping empower people to take control of their own health. “I wish someone had told me early on to listen more closely, talk less and to never take myself too seriously,” she mused, then added, “I wish someone would remind me of this occasionally.”

Pat listed several future challenges for public health, among them countering the destructiveness of joblessness, bigotry, discrimination, racism, classism and homophobia. She sees challenges in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, in emergency preparedness, and in strengthening the public health infrastructure. She stressed, “It is imperative that we all communicate the importance of what public health is and does.”

Outside of work, Pat serves on the executive board of the American Public Health Association, and also finds time to “assist with several tasks” for the Washington Public Health Association. She reads science fiction in her spare time, and regularly comes to Olympia to check in on her 95-year-old mother.

While she notes that she didn’t have a mentor “until I was over 50 and engaged in my doctoral work,” she thinks mentoring should begin early. “I was always distressed that the seasoned professionals at national meetings seemed to ignore new and young ones. It’s always tempting to go off with old friends and catch up. I think that SOPHE and the health education section of APHA have been trying hard to make younger professionals feel more welcome, so there is hope.”

Pat feels her strength as a mentor comes from understanding cross-cultural work issues, working on behalf of minority populations, and valuing professional association affiliations and professional credentialing. She can be reached by phone at 253-838-2820.

Linda Jackson
Spokane Regional Health District

Linda Jackson is a program manager for Spokane Regional Health District's Health Promotion Division. She received a BSN in Nursing from Montana State University and MS in Health Education/Health Promotion from Whitworth College in Spokane. Currently Linda is responsible for programs related to Breast and Cervical Health, Tobacco Prevention and Control, and Intentional and Unintentional Injury Prevention. Linda says, “I work with 14 outstanding staff who serve as public health educators, nurses, and support staff who perform the daily operations for the programs.” Her public health work involves transitioning from traditional public health nursing roles to focus on health promotion. Linda says, “Nursing and health promotion often work in contrast and conflict with one another. Education and experiences have helped me bridge between the professional disciplines, understanding both and enhancing programs in both arenas. Often nurses are placed in health promotion positions, however, having a background in health education/promotion facilitates successful prevention efforts.”

Linda is a past President of the Washington State Public Health Association. She received the Association’s prestigious Tom Drummey Award for her efforts to further the Association's Strategic Plan and successfully chair the Joint Conference on Health. Linda feels passionate about the challenges and successes health educators have to improve the community's overall health. She says, “Public health has a tremendous capacity to really make a difference through the work we do. In health promotion, we should always focus on the outcomes we aspire to achieve, learn what needs to be accomplished to develop policy, and to plan activities that will reach the people.” She feels educators need to clearly see how everything they do, whether a major policy change or a community event, is a small step in achieving a specific outcome.

Linda recommends that health educators secure a strong foundation in program planning and implementation. She believes “An educator can learn topics or program areas, but they will be much more successful if they have fundamental planning skills to bring to the effort. An educator should get a variety of experiences, not just the one area they thought was interesting to them when they chose health education. Often educators become successful in areas they never dreamed about. If you're passionate about your work, you will be successful. Health education is not a job, it's almost a mission. My best educators are personally vested in their work, whether it's bicycle helmets or cancer prevention. They believe in their work and love coming to work each day. They have high expectations for themselves and their coworkers,” says Linda. She recommends that a beginning health educator join and become involved in professional organizations like SOPHE (Society for Public Health Education) and the Washington State Public Health Association. She further advises health educators to “take every opportunity to expand your educational development. Attend conferences, classes, and workshops. Strive to learn about your whole agency, not just your position. Then take it another step and learn about other organizations/agencies that support your program, such as the Department of Health and CDC.”

Linda believes that health educators need to sell their profession. “Not many know what health educators are and what they can do. CHES certification (Certified Health Education Specialist) has helped bring the profession to a new level, but we have a ways to go. Be proud of the profession, be knowledgeable in its unique capacity and support professional efforts to improve recognition and status among the public health world.”

Aside from work, Linda’s personal priorities are being a wife and mother. Linda has been happily married for 37 years and has two adult sons, a daughter-in-law and a “wonderful little granddaughter.” Her hobbies include gardening, playing in her yard, and being with friends and family. Linda enjoys traveling, walking and volunteering at community events with her husband. Linda has “years of experiences, both good and not so good” that have shaped her approach to health promotion. Linda is “adamant about program planning and grant development skills.” She will gladly offer advice on these topics and how they work together. Linda can be contacted by phone at 509-324-1538.

Kay Sparks
Chelan-Douglas
Health District

Kay Sparks is the Assessment Coordinator for Chelan-Douglas Health District. She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Michigan and her Masters and certification as Nurse Practitioner (Pediatrics) from Arizona State University. Kay began her career as an Army nurse in Vietnam. This was her first opportunity to see other cultures, especially when she observed medical outreach with the relocated Hmong population. One fond memory she has as a pediatric nurse practitioner was organizing and leading "Safari Tours" of the large clinic where she worked to children in kindergarten to 5th grade.

Kay’s first job in public health was with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Children with Special Health Care Needs and Pediatric Home Health programs. She was a clinical instructor for Gonzaga University in public health rotation at the Chelan-Douglas Health District when she first came in contact with public health in Wenatchee. Later, she became the Maternal-Child Health supervisor at Chelan-Douglas, then assumed then role of Assessment Coordinator during development of the Public Health Improvement Plan in the mid-90s. Currently, Kay coordinates the health district’s assessment activities and facilitates community input through local organizations like the United Way Community Assessment 2002, and the Collaborative Assessment of Youth Risk Factors 2003. She also shares assessment results with the community. She feels it is important for public health agencies to get accurate information out to the community in ways that people can understand, accept and act upon. “It is so important to really listen and hear community members when they express ideas, needs and solutions,” she said. She also advises, “You will learn as much, if not more, from what doesn't work as from what works.” Kay also coordinates the on-line community resource www.4people.org, which includes Chelan and Douglas counties as well as several neighboring counties. The immediate challenges Kay sees in public health are surviving budget cuts and being able to document and prove our worth to the powers that be.

Kay is available to consult on “working outside your comfort zone” (in terms of groups or agencies that are not your usual partners) and other aspects of community mobilization and change. On a personal note, she enjoys water aerobics and walking her dog (for physical health), quilting (for mental health), and studying scripture/spiritual wisdom (for spiritual health). Kay can be reached by phone at 509-886-6484 and by email at sparksk@health-chelan-douglas.wa.gov.

Trang Kuss
Washington State Department of Health

Trang Kuss is a nursing care consultant for the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) STD/TB Services. She received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree from the University of Washington, and two masters degrees in nursing and public health, also from UW. Trang began her career as a hospital-based nurse and OB-GYN clinic nurse. After learning more about public health nursing, she decided to change her career path. “I was taking care of very sick, hospitalized patients whose diseases were completely preventable. Health education and community mobilization seemed like such novel ideas. I wanted to be a part of efforts to prevent disease and promote health.” After receiving her masters’ degrees, she joined the state Department of Health in hepatitis prevention—about seven years ago.

“Patient education has always been a passion of mine, whether it be in an acute care setting or in a public health setting.” When resources are available, Trang feels one-on-one education is the best way to make sure people get their questions answered and understand how to prevent health problems. She also values population-based health education—reaching many people through a variety of avenues using multiple strategies. Another passion, Trang says, is her work promoting health in the Vietnamese community. “My family's flight from Vietnam in 1975 instilled in me a strong desire to improve quality of life for the Vietnamese people.”

Working with Asian communities on the Hepatitis B project taught her to pay attention at the beginning of a project to the needs of the audience. “Get to know your audience. Spend time with them. Work with community groups to gain their trust and assistance. Ways to achieve this trust include opportunities to eat together, or to be involved in play or exercise times. Talk with elderly community members, and attend informal gatherings that are important to the community.” Trang feels strongly that these activities play a crucial role when working with the Asian community in developing health education projects.

Facing dwindling funds, it is sometimes difficult in public health to develop educational strategies that are effective in minority communities, she said. “We need to work smarter, collaborate and share resources as much as possible. Health education is an essential service, and we have to be persistent advocates.”

Much of Trang’s free time is shared with her two young children, ages 4 and 2. They enjoy playing at the park and digging in the dirt on their 6-acre property. Her family recently built a new house and she and the children love gardening. She also cherishes a little time for her self to work on crafts and cross-stitch.

Trang is available to consult on developing educational materials, working with various Asian and Pacific Islander groups, achieving consensus with partner organizations, conducting process evaluation of campaign or educational materials, and collaborating with the media to get health education messages out in a variety of arenas. You can reach her by email Trang.Kuss@doh.wa.gov or phone 360-236-3465.

Debbie Ruggles
Washington State Department of Health

Debbie Ruggles is a Violence Prevention Specialist for the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Injury Prevention and Safety Program. She got her Bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Parks Management with an emphasis in Outdoor Education from the University of Oregon. Taking satellite and online classes from City University, she also received her MBA with an emphasis in Leadership and Organizational Development. Debbie says, “I majored in fun and games.”

Debbie’s interest in violence prevention began when she trained camp counselors on issues of child abuse. Her mother, a Child Protective Services social worker, was an early mentor. Debbie spent a few years working as the Crisis Volunteer Program Director at the Community Mental Health Center in Yakima. “The joys of that job were the people I got to work with and the community collaborations I got to facilitate or participate in,” she said. She also spent some time as Director of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. “I really enjoyed policy and program development, touring the state and seeing what local rape crisis centers do and how they work to meet their challenges.” Debbie’s current work with DOH focuses on youth violence and injury prevention.

“I feel passionate about being a good ally for those who may not be at the 'table of privilege.' We need to go to oppressed and marginalized communities and be guided by them in order for health education to be effective. I also feel passionately that we need to build bridges to other fields and organizations to get the most out of our resources and find innovative ways to reach those we want to see health changes in.” Debbie advises never to forget that health educators play a special role, such as bringing recognition and mobilization to emerging problems. “I never used to think of myself as a health educator because violence prevention has only recently been recognized as a public health problem. Addressing more and more health issues, and being moved from topic to topic depending on funding, continue to challenge our profession.” Debbie sees flexibility as a key skill. She also sees challenges in being forever creative, and in building capacity to get messages out to our communities.

Debbie loves to exercise, especially running and, more recently, road biking. She enjoys time with friends and her golden retriever Zack. She also finds time for travel, to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Ireland, England, and Denmark, not to mention Canada, Mexico and all around the U.S. Debbie is available to consult on violence prevention—sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, suicide, youth violence. Also talk to her about coalition building, training, grant writing, and program development and management. You can reach her by email debbie.ruggles@doh.wa.gov or phone 360-236-3675.