The partnership between NEHA and Gulf South VECTOR has become a model of effective collaboration, combining complementary expertise, strong communication, and a shared commitment to advancing environmental public health practice. By working closely together to identify emerging needs, develop relevant content, and deliver high-quality educational programming, our organizations have created learning opportunities that are practical, timely, and directly applicable to the challenges environmental public health practitioners face in the field.
Since October 2025, this collaboration has resulted in 9,053 webinar registrations and 5,673 active attendees across two highly successful two-part educational series focused on rodent control and bed bug management. The reach of these programs has been truly global, attracting participants from nearly 20 countries as well as virtually every U.S. state and territory. More importantly, these efforts are helping improve the day-to-day work experience of NEHA members and environmental health professionals by providing evidence-based tools, current best practices, and access to subject matter experts. Participant satisfaction was exceptionally high, with feedback overwhelmingly positive. Notably, the most common suggestion for improvement was not a criticism of the content or delivery, but rather a desire for even deeper exploration of the topics presented—an encouraging indication of both the quality of the programming and the strong engagement of attendees. The strong participation and satisfaction levels demonstrate both the demand for this type of programming and the effectiveness of the NEHA–Gulf South VECTOR partnership in delivering meaningful workforce development that strengthens public health practice.
Contributing Author
Dr. David Dyjack, DrPH, CIH, Executive Director
National Environmental Health Association
