Two Staff Members At Western U.P. Health Department Awarded

Two staff members at the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department were recently honored at the Michigan Environmental Health Association’s annual education conference.

Lynne Madison, RS, Director of Environmental Health at the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, received the LaRue L. Miller Life Achievement Award.

In receiving the award, Madison was recognized for her efforts to promote excellence in the environmental health profession across the State of Michigan and nationally, most notably through securing scholarship funding to support continuing education of public health sanitarians.

Madison has been a long standing MEHA member, serving as board member and president of the association. She currently serves as a board member to the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), where she represents Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Madison also represents the state of Michigan at the national Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR).

Tanya Rule, RS, Environmental Health Sanitarian at the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, received the Distinguished Service Award.

Rule was recognized for her exemplary professionalism, sound environmental health judgment and outstanding contributions to food protection improvements in our district.

Rule is the lead food protection educator for WUPHD and is an MDARD Standardized Trainer. She has developed several tools and programs to communicate food protection related concepts such as Advanced Foodborne Illness Prevention Training, Food Handler Training, Focus on Food newsletter, Food Safety Manager Daily Checklist, and Food Code Cards. She currently serves as a board member of the Michigan Environmental Health Association.

The awards were presented at the conference held in Big Rapids, MI.