EHS Staff Recognitions

This page provides information about EHS staff recognitions and awards.

The 2011 NCEH/ATSDR Honor Awards Ceremony was held on December 14, 2011. Following were winners from EHSB:

• Excellence in Program Delivery: Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) Team, EHSB (Rob Blake, Carol Selman), Art Liang, and Don Sharp.
• Excellence in Policy: Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) Team, EHSB (Rob Blake, Charles Otto, Jasen Kunz, Maggie Byrne, Laina Breazeale, Teresa Sims), Michael Beach (NCEZID), and Julie Gilchrist (NCIPC).
• Excellence in Frontline Public Health Service, International: Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Team, EHSB (Rick Gelting, Brian Hubbard, Raquel Sabogal, Liz Medlin, Victoria Cuellar).
• Excellence in Emergency Response, International: The NCEH/ATSDR Fukushima Response Team (Max Zarate Bermudez [EHSB], Marilyn Radke [CWE], Vince Radke [EHSB], Sheila Stevens [on detail to OD].
• Excellence in Finance: Debbie Bankston (EHSB).

Federal Bed Bug Work Group Wins EPA Bronze Medal Award
Congratulations to Vince Radke and CAPT Mike Herring! On November 10, they received EPA’s Bronze Medal Award (the third highest formal Honor Award given by the Agency) for their outstanding accomplishments and participation in the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup. The award was presented by EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs “for forming the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup and collaborating to improve the consistency, quality, and efficiency of the federal response to the bed bug problem.” Work group members are from six federal agencies: CDC, EPA, HUD, NIH, OSD, and USDA.

Top of Page

On August 17, 2011, the Surgeon General of the United States awarded the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal to CAPT Hugh Mainzer, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVPM, for his outstanding contributions over the last 4 years as the PHS Veterinary Chief Professional Officer. The Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal is the fourth-highest PHS award and is awarded for exemplary contributions to Surgeon General initiatives.

At the 59th Annual CDC & ATSDR Honor Awards Ceremony, EHS Branch members Maggie K. Byrne received recognition for Excellence in Environmental Conservation and CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS (Retired) received the Commissioned Corps Distinguished Service Medal.

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS (Retired) received the 2011 CAPT Walter S. Mangold Award for outstanding contributions to the preservation of the environment on June 20, 2011, at the National Environmental Health Association annual educational conference in Columbus, Ohio.

CAPT Charles Otto, CAPT Mike Herring, CAPT Mark Miller, LT Jasen Kunz, Vince Radke, and Sharunda Buchanan (members of the Environmental Public Health Online Courses [EPHOC] Development Team) received recognition for Excellence in Information Technology at the 2010 NCEH/ATSDR Honor Awards. The team’s work was recognized for increasing access to high-quality, affordable workforce development resources for environmental public health practitioners through development of EPHOC.

Victoria M. Cuéllar, CAPT Richard Gelting, Brian Hubbard, Elizabeth Medlin, Raquel Sabogal, and Kari Sholtes (members of the Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Team) received recognition for Excellence in Partnering (International) at the 2010 NCEH/ATSDR Honor Awards. The team was recognized for pioneering work in implementing and evaluating community-level safe water activities and a commitment to ensuring sustainable clean water and basic sanitation globally.

Top of Page

CAPT Mike Herring received an Appreciation Award in 2010 from the Association for Environmental Health Academic Programs for his tireless efforts to support undergraduate and graduate environmental health students and the programs that train them.

CAPT Mike Herring received the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010 from the U.S. Public Health Service.

CAPT Mark Miller received the Outstanding Service Medal in 2010 from the U.S. Public Health Service.

LT Monica Leonard received a PHS Citation in 2010 from the U.S. Public Health Service.

Maggie K. Byrne received recognition for Excellence in Environmental Conservation at the 2010 NCEH/ATSDR Honor Awards. Maggie was recognized for her pioneering efforts in the greening of CDC.

Victoria Cuellar, CAPT Richard Gelting, Brian Hubbard, Elizabeth Medlin, and Raquel Sabogal (members of the Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Team) were awarded the Excellence in Program or Policy Evaluation at the 2010 CDC/ATSDR Honor Awards. Their work was recognized for ensuring clean water and basic sanitation globally and for pioneering work in implementing and evaluating community-level safe water activities.

Elaine H. Cramer, Curtis J. Blanton, Charles Otto, and the Vessel Sanitation Program Environmental Inspection Team: nominated for 2009 Charles C. Shepard Science Award in the Prevention and Control Category for the paper titled Shipshape: Sanitation Inspections on Cruise Ships, 1990–2005, Vessel Sanitation Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [PDF - 566 KB].

Kristin Delea, Vince Radke, and Carol Selman were awarded a 2008 Award of Excellence from CDC’s National Center on Zoonotic, Vectorborne, and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED) for their environmental health contributions to the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak investigation.

CAPT Rick Gelting received a "Leveraging Collaboration Award" in 2008 from FDA for outstanding collaboration with the California Food Emergency Response Team (CALFERT) during the investigation of the Taco John shredded lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak investigation (2008).

Joyce Tuttle (California lead for the CDC-funded EHS-Net Water program): 2008 Environmental Recognition Award in the Voluntarily Exceeding Environmental Regulatory Requirements category (Sacramento Environmental Commission) for the work of the EHS-Net Drinking Water Program. The focus of this program is to assure the safety of drinking water systems that are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act and to increase awareness of the danger of waterborne diseases.

Top of Page

Vince Radke recently achieved the recognition of being Certified in Public Health. The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) administered the inaugural Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam to nearly 700 professionals during August 11-30, 2008. This was the first time that the CPH exam was administered, and Vince was in this inaugural “Charter Class.” The NBPHE was launched to demonstrate that graduates from CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health have mastered required core and cross-cutting competencies and to address the need for greater recognition of public health as a health profession.

The 2008 Walter F. Snyder Award for Achievement in Advancing Environmental Health was presented to CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS, on June 22, 2008, at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) annual educational conference in Tucson.

On June 11, 2008, at the USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium, CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS was awarded the 2007 USPHS Responder of the Year for his exemplary service as the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Officer in Charge (OIC) during the United States Navy Ship (USNS) Comfort’s 4-month Training and Humanitarian Assistance Deployment (June 15–October 15, 2007). This award is presented for one-time impact on public health preparedness and response or career contributions to emergency preparedness and/or disaster response as well as the nominee’s role in deployments and the impact thereof.

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS, received a Hazardous Duty Award (PHS) in 2008 for his deployment on the USNS Comfort serving in Columbia and Haiti and using light aircraft transportation.

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS, received a Foreign Duty Award (PHS) in 2008 for his deployment for at least 30 days on the USNS Comfort, which sailed in international waters with stops in international ports.

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS, received a Special Assignment Award (PHS) in 2008 for his detail to federal agencies for a minimum of 30 consecutive days to a special program initiative of a federal or state agency.

CAPT Hugh Mainzer, MS, DVM, Dipl ACVPM, received a U.S. Army Corps Chief's medallion in May 2008. This award was presented by BGEN Michael Cates (Director of the Army's Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine and U.S. Army Chief Veterinary Officer) at the 54th international military veterinary medical symposium in Garmisch, Germany.

Vince Radke: 2008 certificate of appreciation in recognition of valuable contributions to the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council

Public Health Epidemiology and Laboratory Research Group [Vince Radke]: National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases 2008 Award of Excellence for technical expertise related to the Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak

Laura R. Green, Vincent Radke, Ryan Mason, Lisa Bushnell, David W. Reimann, James C. Mack, Michelle D. Motsinger, Tammi Stigger, and Carol Selman: nominated for 2008 Charles C. Shepard Science Award in the Prevention and Control Category for the paper titled Factors Related to Food Worker Hand Hygiene Practices [PDF - 75 KB]

CAPT Charles Otto, III: one of "the most powerful people in the aquatics industry" 2008 (Aquatics International annual Power 25 issue [PDF - 56 KB].

Profiles in Leadership, Part II: The 15 Faces of Environmental Health Leadership [PDF - 1.6 MB]: EHS staff were among those named as environmental health leaders from across the country in a 2007 Journal of Environmental Health cover article.

Environmental Health Services Branch: 2007 A. Harry Bliss Journal Editors’ Award in recognition of the services and contributions made to the Journal of Environmental Health

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS:

• 2007 Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy-USMC)
• 2007 Sea Service Deployment Ribbon issued by the US Navy
• 2007 Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal (PHS)
• 2007 USPHS Responder of the Year (PHS)

CDR Richard J. Gelting, PhD: USPHS Engineering Literary Award, USPHS Outstanding Unit Citation, and NCID Honor Award

Environmental Health Workforce Development Working Group, National Center for Environmental Health: 2004 CDC/ATSDR James Virgil Peavy Workforce Development Award for outstanding accomplishments in enhancing knowledge, skills, abilities, and diversity in the field of environmental health

Norovirus Sampling Analysis Team: 2004 CDC/ATSDR Honor Award for Excellence in Method Development

The John G. Todd Award [PDF - 510 KB] has been presented to several EHS officers at past National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) annual educational conferences:

• CAPT Craig A Shepherd: 2005
• CAPT John P. Sarisky: 2004
• CAPT Patrick Bohan: 2002
• CAPT Charles S. Otto, III: 2001

Chief Professional Officers for the PHS Commissioned Corps

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd, RS, MPH, DAAS: Environmental Health Officer Category

CAPT Hugh Mainzer, MS, DVM, Dipl ACVPM: Veterinary Officer Category

Top of Page