Awards Received

Recognition and honors for the Northern Kentucky Health Department programs and employees

The Northern Kentucky Health Department has received many prestigious awards and honors over the years for its programs, outreach and exemplary individuals, who help lead the charge toward greater public health in Northern Kentucky.

2010-- Laura Strevels, RS, BS, Environmental Health Manager, and Ted Talley, RS, BS, MBA, Environmental Health Manager, were awarded first runner-up for the prestigious Balderson Leadership Project Award. This award, one of the highest honors given in public health, is given each year by the National Public Health Leadership Development Network to recognize individuals and teams participating in public health leadership institutes nationwide. Their project, “Avoid the Scratcher,” contributes to the public’s health by introducing and passing a local regulation to require bloodborne pathogen education for tattoo and body piercing artists operating within the Northern Kentucky Health Department’s four-county district. As graduates of the Kentucky Public Health Leadership Institute, Ted and Laura were also awarded a Certificate in Public Health Leadership from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

2010-- The Health Department's B.E.S.T. partnership with Twenhofel Middle School won the 2010 B.E.S.T. Outstanding Rookie Partnership of the Year award from the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented to partnerships established during the 2009 - 2010 school year that displayed exemplary programs and results. The partnership was also recognized as a Gold Standard Partnership, which was based on the following criteria: measurable results, implementation of high-impact initiatives, equal benefits to school and business partners, and identifiable community impact.

2010-- Sue Landers, Support Services Coordinator, received the Administrative Support Award from the Kentucky Public Health Association. The award is presented to one person annually for outstanding contributions in the field of support services.

2009-- Barbara Laing, Senior Case Manager in the HIV/AIDS case management program, received the Outer Limits award at the Kentucky HIV/AIDS conference, held May 20-22 in Louisville. Barbara was recognized for her outreach efforts to promote HIV services.

2009-- DaNelle Jenkins, Senior Health Educator, was awarded the “Above and Beyond” Award by the Covington Partners in Prevention for her “Excellence in Collaboration.” The presenter of the award said this about Danelle: "She is a member of the coalition’s Family Fitness committee and has helped to develop and define the committee. DaNelle is a perfect example of collaboration; she is caring, dedicated, creative and a hard worker. Her undying passion for health education is evident in the many roles she has accepted. She is currently spearheading the idea of the Covington Cafeteria Cooking Challenge and her latest role is 'Queen of the Vitamins' in the Captain Nutrition DVD series. It is our pleasure to honor one of our members who embodies the spirit of being our partner in prevention."

2008-- Louise Kent, MBA, Planning Administrator, and Deborah Muench, BS, Accounting Manager, were members of the team that tied for first place for the prestigious Balderson Leadership Award. This award, one of the highest honors given in public health, is given each year by the National Public Health Leadership Development Network to recognize individuals and teams participating in public health leadership institutes nationwide. Their team, “Unbridled for Excellence,” was selected for their project to implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Public Health Performance Standards Program in Kentucky's local public health systems. As graduates of the Kentucky Public Health Leadership Institute, Deb and Louise were also awarded a Certificate in Public Health Leadership from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

2008-- Monica Smith, R.D., L.D., Community Dietitian, was selected as Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the American Dietetic Association. The award is given annually through each state affiliate association in recognition of significant contributions to the profession and association. Smith was recognized for her participation in the Greater Cincinnati Dietetic Association for recruitment of new members and working to improve communication within the local association. She was also awarded for her efforts to promote nutrition in the Northern Kentucky community, including her work to promote childhood obesity prevention through programs such as Just for Kids and the Kids Fruit and Vegetable Challenge. She was recognized as well for her efforts to improve children’s nutrition and physical activity in the school environment as co-chair of the Northern Kentucky region of Action for Healthy Kids, a national coalition that addresses the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school.    

2008-- Paul Trickel, HIV Case Manager, was presented with the 2008 Kentucky “Meeting the Need” Award at the May 2008 KY HIV/AIDS Conference. Paul received this award “For outstanding work in the HIV continuum of care that has significantly improved the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.”

2008-- Cathy Kunkel-Mains (now retired) was presented with the “Outer Limits" Award for HIV prevention services in outreach settings. She received the award for excellence and innovation in moving HIV prevention messages out of the office and into the communities most at risk.

2007-- The Kentucky Department for Public Health received a Special Achievement in GIS (Geographic Information System) award at the Environmental Systems Research Institute’s Annual User Conference in San Diego, Calif. Ned Kalapasev, Database/GIS Manager, was part of the winning group. Ned's main job was to geocode clinical records for lead level lab results, meaning he mapped the records of blood lead tests that had already been performed and assigned them to specific locations and addresses. He dealt with more than 50,000 records for the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky.  

2006-- Karen Domaschko, Human Resources Administrator, and Barbara Laing, HIV/AIDS Case Manager, received Regional Diversity Outreach Awards from the Bowles Center for Diversity Outreach. Domaschko was honored for her work with PACE (Preparing Adults for Competitive Employment) program which offers practical work experience to individuals who have disabilities but wish to return to the workplace or establish a new career. Laing was recognized by the Bowles Center for promoting and demonstrating outstanding commitment to diversity in health education and service in Northern Kentucky.

2004-- Stephanie Vogel, Health Education Manager, was honored with NorthKey Community Care's Community Partner award. Vogel was recognized for her work with NorthKey's Worksite Wellness Committee to implement programs and initiatives that promote the health of their employees, and for her work on tobacco prevention and policy in the community.

2003-- Jennifer Hunter R.N., B.S.N., Clinical Quality Assurance Manager, was a member of the team chosen as a runner-up for the National Public Health Leadership Institute/American Public Health Association Balderson Leadership Award. The Balderson award is one of the highest honors given in public health. Hunter’s group presentation, “Public Health Nursing Competencies,” was selected as the best of the nine presentations at the Kentucky Public Health Leadership Institute on April 28, 2003.  The leadership institute program provides yearlong training for 40 people from all over Kentucky, who have been nominated by their peers.

2001-- The Health Department was chosen as one of nine health departments in the nation to serve as a demonstration site for the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP). MAPP is a strategic planning tool developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which engages the community in the development of a plan for a strengthened local public health system.