SOPHE Staff
Elaine Auld, MPH, MCHES is SOPHE’s Chief Executive Officer, where she oversees the Society’s portfolio of professional publications, meetings, research, cooperative agreements and advocacy on behalf of health education and health promotion. She has spent some 30 years working in health education, with publications and interests related to credentialing and standards, workforce development, advocacy, public policy, and health equity. Currently, Ms. Auld is the Secretariat for the International Union for Health Promotion and Education’s North American Regional Office; a Governing Councilor for the American Public Health Association; and a board member of the Campaign for Public Health. She has received numerous awards, including SOPHE’s Distinguished Fellow Award (2008), The University of Michigan School of Public Health Alumna of the Year Award (2010), and the REACH Health Disparities Champion Award (2010).
Allison T. McElvaine, PhD is Director of Professional Development at SOPHE, where she oversees the Society’s portfolio of educational meetings and programs. She has several years of association experience in scientific and continuing educational programs. Allison earned her Bachelor of Science in biology, with a minor in sociology-anthropology, at Millsaps College in Jackson, MS, and her Ph.D. in molecular biology at Northwestern University. A marriage of her interests in biology, health, and social responsibility, Allison’s passion is working to improve health outcomes through education and advocacy initiatives, particularly addressing health disparities and access to quality care.
Celena T. NuQuay, MA, CAE is SOPHE’s Director of Membership and Marketing, where she oversees the Society’s membership recruitment, retention, and marketing portfolios. She spent more than 15 years in association management and non-profit environments working to expand membership and market the benefits of engagement with various associations and/or societies. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Johnson C. Smith University majoring in Political Science and a Masters of Arts degree in International Relations from the American University. Celena has been a Certified Association Executive (CAE) since 2007 and has worked in the field of international development, conducting democracy and governance training in Africa.
Rose Marie Matulionis, MSPH is SOPHE’s Senior Project Director, managing the Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative funded by HHS. This funding supports SOPHE, as one of ten national organizations, to assist the CPPW funded communities implement prevention policy focusing on obesity and tobacco prevention and control. Prior to joining SOPHE, Ms. Matulionis served as the Executive Director of the Directors of Health Promotion and Education from 1996 to 2010; and as the Program Director for the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine from 1992-1996. Her work has included the Prince Georges County Health Department (MD), Office of Health Promotion, the Vermont Department of Health Office of Health Promotion; and the Vermont Department of Health and Human Services. Her areas of interest include prevention policy, implementation of evidence-based interventions, and training the public health workforce. Ms. Matulionis has co-authored several publications, articles and curriculum. She also serves as a trainer for community training related to competency-based policy skills, Shaping Policy for Health.
Tiffany Pertillar, MSW, MPH, CHES is the Project Director of Healthy Communities, a cooperative agreement between SOPHE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her main duties are to provide technical assistance to four national organizations (National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Recreation and Parks Association, and the YMCA of the USA) as they work with community coalitions to implement community-based policy, systems, and environmental changes to reduce the risk factors associated with chronic diseases. Prior to joining SOPHE, she served as the Project Manager for a national initiative funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration and Office on Women’s Health, entitled The Business Case for Breastfeeding. Tiffany was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Washington DC after receiving her Bachelor of Science in 2003 from Geneva College. She received dual Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Maryland Baltimore in 2008. She has been a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) since 2010.
Laura Boyle is the Project Director of Media for the Community Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative, with funding provided by HHS. Laura is a media specialist, seasoned writer, and senior editor of publications, promotional materials, press releases, technical proposals, and reports. In addition to developing high quality print materials, Laura has written and edited web copy for corporate websites as well as social media channels. She has extensive experience in reaching target audiences with appropriate messages that are culturally relevant and easy to understand. In addition, she has managed programs and projects with a regional or national reach. She is adept at developing and implementing marketing and communication plans with clear, measurable goals and deliverables. Laura has a master’s degree in public health and a master’s degree in international policy and practice. A certified health education specialist, Laura has experience and knowledge of health topics such as tobacco control and prevention, cervical and breast cancer, international health and development, child development and fetal alcohol syndrome, health literacy, and reaching special populations.
Nicolette Warren, MS, MCHES is the Director of Health Equity at SOPHE, where her main duties are to address racial and ethnic community-based policy, systems, and environmental changes to reduce the risk factors associated with chronic diseases and lead SOPHE's additional efforts on health equity. Prior to joining SOPHE, she held positions with Duke University Medical Center managing federal funded research, as well as state and local health departments coordinating health education and promotion programs. She also served in various professional and community leadership positions, such as President of the North Carolina SOPHE Chapter. Ms. Warren received her Bachelor of Science from Kent State University majoring in Community Health Education and a minor in Healthcare Ethics. In addition, she completed a Certificate in Core Public Health Concepts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned a Master of Science degree in Health Promotion/Human Sciences from North Carolina Central University. She has been a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) since 2002.
Jerrica Mathis is the Director of Public Health Policy at SOPHE. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Health Science at Georgia Southern University in 2004 and began working for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) shortly thereafter. During her time at NACDD she participated in national and state palling efforts around chronic disease prevention and control. After completing an MSED program with a major in Health Promotion through Virginia Tech in December 2008 she became the lead staff role for the NACDD Health Equity Council (HEC) where she worked to accomplish their mission of addressing health inequities through changes in public health practice. In September 2009, she was selected for the prestigious Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Louis Stokes Urban Health Policy fellowship and was able to further build expertise in health policy, health equity, and health disparity elimination. Jerrica is Project Director for the SOPHE’s cooperative agreement with CDC to educate state policymakers on chronic disease issues and provides staff leadership to SOPHE’s Advocacy and Resolutions Committees.
Sarah Leonard is the Health Policy Associate at the Society for Public Health Education, where her main duties focus on projects and initiatives surrounding the CDC cooperative agreement, Educating State Health Policy Makers on Chronic Disease Prevention. At SOPHE she also serves as an ambassador to several partner organizations and coalitions, creates, designs and co-authors many of the organizations publications and outreaching communications, staffs multiple committees, and manages the Web site content and social media accounts. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Public and Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. Currently she is pursing a Master of Public Health in Public Health Communications and Marketing from George Washington University.
Laura Mariani is the Editorial Assistant of Health Promotion Practice (HPP) at the SOPHE National Office. Laura also serves as the project coordinator for SOPHE's midyear and annual meetings. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she majored in Psychology. Most recently, she worked in the Risk Management Department at the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General's Office.
Julia Gin, BS, joined SOPHE in June as the Project Coordinator. In this role, she is coordinating SOPHE communications outreach initiatives to SOPHE membership, media, and external audiences and supporting several cooperative agreements. Formerly, Julia was a Communications and Outreach intern at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). She received her Bachelors of Science degree in Public and Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Amy Kozicki is the Project Coordinator for the Community Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative, with funding provided by HHS. Ms. Kozicki will assist in completing the SOPHE implementation action plan for capacity building for evidence based policy/systems change to decrease smoking initiation, supporting smoking cessation, and decrease exposure to second hand smoke. Prior to joining SOPHE, she held a position at Arthritis Foundation, WI Chapter supervising evidence based intervention programs. As a Health Promotion Coordinator, she worked in implementing, and evaluating goals consistent with the Wisconsin Chapter strategic plan in coloration with the Department of Health and Family Services and the CDC. Ms. Kozicki received her Bachelors of Science degree in Health Promotion, concentrating in Community Wellness from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Science degree in Health Sciences, concentrating in Community and School Health Administration from Towson University.
Amanda Schnitzer is the Editorial Manager of Health Education and Behavior (HEB) Prior to joining SOPHE, she worked at MedChi’s Center for a Healthy Maryland where she participated in grant proposal submissions, developed and updated their websites, implemented skin cancer educational programs, analyzed survey data and assisted in writing the skin cancer chapter of the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. Ms Schnitzer received her Bachelors of Science degree in Health Sciences, concentrating in Community Health Education from Towson University. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Science degree in Health Sciences, concentrating in Community Health Education and Health Administration from Towson University.
Saundra Flegler is the Administrative Assistant and “The Voice” of SOPHE. Saundra oversees the day-to-day operations at the SOPHE office. Additionally, she maintains the SOPHE membership and meetings database, coordinates mailings, fulfills order requests, manages the conference call schedule, and provides administrative support to the Chief Executive Officer. Saundra also provides assistance with the logistics and organization of SOPHE’s meetings and conferences – including onsite support at each event. She has been with SOPHE since 2000.