Our Advisory Board

Joanne Crawford
Advisor

Joanne Crawford has worked for many years to address health equity challenges within the Vermont Abenaki community. She is a former member of the Maquam Bay Board of Directors for the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi as well as a former Chief of the tribe. She is currently a member of the Health Disparities Cultural Competency group and a Schweitzer Mentor within the UVM Larner College of Medicine. Within her role with the Department of Mental Health, she Chairs the Agency of Human Services Abenaki Equity Workgroup which seeks to ensure equity and inclusion for the Abenaki people within State programs and resources. For the last two years, she has been a member of the Health Equity Advisory Commission which is an advisory to the Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont General Assembly. She is currently on the Board of Directors for Wobanaki, Inc. whose work includes improving the health and wellness of the Abenaki people.

 

Ron Dendas
Advisor

Ron Dendas is a consultant and advisor, with a focus on improving overall community health and well-being.  He works with non-profit organizations on strategic planning, reorganizing, building capacity, creating organizational culture, using data to drive discovery, and implementing innovative, strategic initiatives.  He served as the first Director of Health Improvement for the Leonard Parker Pool Institute for Health, where he implemented innovative ways to create cross-sector partnerships, authentically engage and empower community members, identify and address vital conditions for well-being, and increase access to and actionability of local data. 

He also served as a Program Officer for The Dorothy Rider Pool Health Care Trust, managing grants that focus on community health, access to primary health, cradle to career education, safe and healthy housing, economic mobility, behavioral health, and maternal-child care. He was also involved in expansion of local public health services, establishment of community health centers, improved behavioral health services, and assessing the health needs of communities. 

 

Heidi Klein, MPH
Advisor

Heidi Klein is the Managing Director of Healthy and Equitable Communities at Health Resources in Action (HRiA).  She brings over 30 years of public health practice, public engagement, and collaborative planning. She worked with leaders at the national, state and local level, to design programs and policies which recognize the interconnection between public health, environmental protection and economically vibrant communities. She is past-president of VtPHA and has served in multiple capacities for the American Public Health Association.

Heidi Westermann, MPH
Advisor

Heidi Westermann (she/her) is a Director of Public Health Data Modernization and Informatics at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) where she oversees ASTHO’s data modernization portfolio of learning communities, capacity building, and technical assistance projects in support of data sharing, systems improvement, and effective data-driven decision making. Prior to joining ASTHO in 2019, Heidi worked with the Vermont Department of Health and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in tobacco, HIV, epidemiology, workforce development, and performance improvement. Since 2012, she has taught part-time in the University of Vermont public health program, designing, teaching, and adapting an online course in Public Health Surveillance. Heidi’s love and commitment to data stem from her training in chronic disease epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and the interdisciplinary study of science, technology, and society at Vassar College. Heidi is a Vermont native who loves travel and any size, shape, or type of national park to balance her small state roots.