2023 Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee 

Membership in this committee is designated by Article IX, Section 2 of the ACHA Bylaws.

If you would like to learn more about this group or have a question related to this topic, contact the chairperson listed below. Please search by last name in the Membership Directory to locate an email address or contact them through the online member forum ACHA Connect [login required].

View all committee and task force charges here.

Charges

Work in conjunction with the ACHA staff to plan a high quality 2021 Annual Meeting. in New Orleans, LA, with the theme of "Building Thriving and Inclusive Communities". Work with ACHA staff to train and ensure all incoming program planners provide submissions that:

  • Meet the needs identified as practice gaps or educational needs as expressed by section members 
  • Are in compliance with the criteria of our accrediting bodies 
  • Meet the deadlines established by the ACHA National Office.
  • Work with the President and Chief Program Officer to identify major speakers for the meeting.
  • Encourage Section Program Planners to select educational sessions that reflects the meeting theme "Building Thriving and Inclusive Communities" theme. Encourage section planners to collaborate with relevant coalition leadership related to coalitions’ guaranteed programs to address a specific topic or identified need.
  • Encourage planners to make maximum use of section needs assessments and gap assessment information as they review programs for selection. 
  • Continue with the strategy of having section planners reserve up to two program slots to ensure “gaps” are identified and addressed during the annual Program Planning meeting in November.
  • Ensure that diversity is included as an essential aspect of the annual meeting program planning process. Consult with the Ethnic Diversity Coalition and LGBTQ+ Health Coalition for recommendations on key issues and speaker recommendations. Please ensure that the annual meeting program is reflective of the Association’s value of diversity within the field of college health. 
  • Continue with the new track-based program that began with the 2019 conference 
  • Continue implementation of the new program to encourage onsite interviews and report back on program implementation 
  • Explore opportunities for collaborative presentations with speakers from multiple disciplines. 
  • Participate in the Annual Meeting de-brief meeting that occurs at the end of the meeting to identify what worked well, what could be improved in the future, and potential new additions or ideas.

Committee Roster

Program Planning Committee Chair

Ryan Patel, DO, FAPA
The Ohio State University

Program Planning Committee Chair-elect and Poster Chair

Katrin Wesner-Harts, EdD, FACHA
University of North Carolina Wilmington

Volunteer LeaderOrganizationPositionAlpha by Last Name
R. Ryan S. Patel, DO, FAPAOhio State UniversityChairPATEL, R. RYAN
Monica C. Webb, PhD, MPH, CHESUniversity of Florida - GainesvilleBoard LiaisonWEBB, MONICA
Susan Ainsworth, BAAmerican College Health AssociationStaff LiaisonAINSWORTH, SUSAN

Section Program Planners

Administration

Robin Prososki
Oregon State University

Advanced Practice Clinicians

Emily Lenz, APRN, FNP-BC
School Of The Art Institute of Chicago

Clinical Medicine

Hunter Spotts, MD
Duke University

Health Promotion

Andrea Kimura, CHES
University of Missouri - Columbia

Mental Health

Alejandro Martinez, PhD
Stanford University

Nurse Administrators

April Lehrling, MS, RN-C
Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Nursing

Brenda Masiga-Crowell, DNP, MBA, RN, CNL
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Pharmacy

Tabby Ragland, PharmD
Middle Tennessee State University

Students/Consumers

TBD

ACHA Executive Committee

ACHA President/Advisor on Student Issues

Jessica Higgs, MD
Bradley University

ACHA Vice President/Leadership Development Advisor

Darren Aaron, MHA
Wake Forest University

Continuing Education Advisors

Chair, Continuing Education Committee and 

Advisor for Continuing Education for Certified Health Education Specialists

Kathy Saichuk, MA, MCHES
Louisiana State University

Advisor for Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Education for Family Physicians

Scott Henderson, MD
University of Missouri

Advisor for Continuing Nursing Education

Martha Davis, BSN, MBA
University of Georgia, retired

Advisor for Continuing Education for Psychologists

Michael Malmon, PhD
Metropolitan State University of Denver

Advisor for Continuing Education for National Certified Counselors

Joy Himmel, PsyD, PMHCNS-BC, LPC, NCC
Pennsylvania State University-Altoona, retired

Advisor for Continuing Education for Social Workers

Drayton Vincent, MSW, LCSW, BCD
Louisiana State University

Advisor for Continuing Education for Pharmacists

Deb Hubbell, RPh, FACHA
University of Connecticut

Advisor for Continuing Education for Health Information Management Professionals

Deb Hubbell, RPh, FACHA
University of Connecticut

Advisor for Continuing Education for Registered Dietitians and Nutritionists

Dawn Boyd Null, PhD, RD, LDN
Southern Illinois University

ACHA Staff

Chief Program Officer

Susan Ainsworth, BA
American College Health Association

Continuing Education and Exhibits Manager

Lisa Pitrone
American College Health Association

Education Coordinator

Katie Francavilla. BS
American College Health Association