2012 Champions of health awards

Thank you to our Diamond Sponsor: Sutter Health

Each year the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the health of the state.  CCPHA recognizes leaders at the local, state, and national level whose work helps achieve CCPHA’s vision of California communities in which physical, social and economic conditions support the health and well-being of all residents and reduce health inequities. This year we are pleased to present the following awards:


2012 David Kessler Award for Extraordinary Contribution to the Public’s Health — to a researcher or medical professional whose visionary work has had an extraordinary impact on public health, particularly in relation to obesity and/or diabetes – pushing the public health community to take action in new, more meaningful ways.

  • Antronette (Toni) Yancey, MD, MPH, Professor, University of California Los Angeles

2012 Social Justice Champion Award — to an individual whose work at the state or national level impacts health disparities and seeks to make systemic changes to the physical, social and economic conditions that contribute to health.

  • Laurie True, MPH, Executive Director, California WIC Association, Davis, CA

2012 Community Health Champion Award for Local Elected Officials — to local elected officials whose work has impacted health disparities and made systemic changes to the physical, social and economic conditions that contribute to poor health, particularly obesity and diabetes. The awardee will have also shown a commitment to engaging and empowering community residents in the pursuit of better health.

  • Andre Quintero, JD – Mayor, El Monte, CA
  • Jeffrey Ritterman, MD – City Council Member, Richmond, CA
  • Ken Yeager, PhD – Supervisor, Santa Clara County

2012 Guardians of Health Awards for Northern, Central and Southern California — to individuals in each of California’s three major regions: Northern California, Central California and Southern California. Awardees are stalwart advocates and passionate about engaging in the political process to achieve the goal of better health for all Californians and whose work has a special focus on impacting the health of children and adults who live in communities without easy access to healthy food or safe places to be physically active.

  • Cheryl Browne, MD, Physician,  Kaiser Permanente, South Bay, Harbor City, CA
  • Ofelia Dirige, DrPH, RD President & CEO, Kalusugan Community Services, National City, CA
  • Edie Jessup, Program Associate, Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program,
    Fresno, CA
  • Leonard McNeil, Former Vice Mayor, San Pablo, CA & Co-Chair, San Pablo Childhood Obesity Prevention Task Force

Emerging Health Leader Award for High School Students — to high school students who have shown interest, dedication, leadership in obesity-prevention efforts, with emphasis on changing the physical, social and economic conditions that contribute to health disparities.

  • Delilah Garcia, Baldwin Park High School, Baldwin Park, CA
  • Richard Le, Valley High School, Sacramento, CA

Emerging Health Leader Award for Beginning Professionals — to an undergraduate or graduate student or new professional (who has graduated since 2010) who has shown interest, dedication, and leadership in obesity-prevention efforts, with emphasis on changing the physical, social and economic conditions that contribute to health disparities.

  • Lori L. Miller, PhD, MS, MPH, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Davis Health System

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For more information on CCPHA’s 2012 Champions of Health Awards Program, please contact Amanda Bloom, MPH, Director of Development & Special Projects at (530) 297-6000 or ab@publichealthadvocacy.org

Also Thank You to our Gold Sponsors:

  • The California Wellness Foundation
  • The California Hospital Association