About InALBOH

Our mission and history

Mission

The mission of the Indiana Association of Local Boards of Health is to strengthen local boards of health through education, training, networking, advocacy and technical assistance, thus enabling them to effectively support the core functions and the ten essential services of public health that promote and protect the health of their communities.

Support the important work of InALBOH by making a donation today. InALBOH graciously accepts all financial support, large or small. Please make check out to “InALBOH” and mail it to the address below. Your donation is greatly appreciated!

History

In May 2007, individuals interested in establishing an Indiana Association of Local Boards of Health gathered together.  At this meeting, those in attendance signed a Resolution to Form an Association of Indiana’s Boards of Health and an InALBOH Steering Committee was formed.  The InALBOH Steering Committee began shaping the organizational structure through their correspondence to questions posed by the Indiana Public Health Association.  During a state-wide meeting held in February 2008, local board of health members learned the results of the Indiana Local Board of Health survey that the steering committee conducted and the organizational recommendations of the InALBOH steering committee.  After much discussion, those present voted to form the association, approve an organizational structure, form an Advisory Board, and begin accepting memberships.

After laying groundwork to help form the association, Michelle Lindley became the first Board of Health Program Manager with funding from the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency (ITPC).  In October 2008, InALBOH elected officers and continued to promote InALBOH membership.  The first Advisory Board officers were Catherine M. Engel (Vanderburgh County Board of Health) as President-Elect, Pam Aaltonen, MS, RN, (Tippecanoe County Board of Health) as the Secretary/Treasurer, and Connie McCahill, RN, (St. Joseph County Board of Health) and Jim Howard, DVM, (Clark County Board of Health) as Members At-Large. In December 2008, InALBOH officially became a sub-organization within Indiana Public Health Association (IPHA) in order to benefit from IPHA administrative and staff support. Catherine M. Engel became the association’s first president in 2009.