So who is the HYAC? Members represent each of our
six target communities of Caribou, Presque Isle, Fort
Fairfield, Washburn, Van Buren, and Limestone, as well
as some surrounding towns. They have diverse career
backgrounds from fields such as education, healthcare,
recreation, banking, and business. Their titles include
director, parent, volunteer, vice president, retiree,
superintendent, specialist, veteran, owner, coordinator,
and coach. They are your friends and neighbors who
also just happen to be highly committed to making
Aroostook County a healthy, safe, and vibrant place
to call home. Currently, the HYAC members that I
have the pleasure of directing are: Bill Flagg, Cara
Miller, Sara Shaw, Jo-Ellen
Kelley, Tim McMahon,
Kathy Mazzuchelli, Marcie
Barbarula, Tricia Langer,
Brian Flewelling, Ellen
Willinghan, Bev Turner,
Bethany Zell, and Kim
Parent.
In her announcement, Ms. Tina Pettingill, MPHA
Executive Director said:
CONGRATULATIONS! Healthy You was selected to
receive this year’s Maine Public Health Association’s
Public Health Program of Excellence Award! Healthy
You was chosen from a highly competitive group of
nominations from across the state and came out on
top due to your outstanding program goals, outcomes,
and reach. The awards committee was impressed on
a number of levels and is proud to honor you with this
prestigious award.
This award is shared by many.
Healthy You would certainly
not be as dynamic as it is today
without every person on the
advisory committee and our
partners. And while the entire
“village” is to be commended for
the excellent work that has and
continues to be done through
Although the committee
Healthy You, there is one person
only meets a couple
in particular I want to recognize.
of times a year, we are
She is an exceptional role
in
constant
contact
model as an active, generous,
planning, prepping, and
enthusiastic,
and
positive
hosting programs every Kim Jones, Director of Healthy
committee member and citizen.
month. And it’s not just You, Kim Parent, Public Relations
I’m speaking of HYAC member
Generalist, and Tim McMahon, Grant Kathy Mazzuchelli. Kathy is set
the immediate HYAC
members who are actively Coordinator at Cary Medical Center. to retire this fall and it seemed
involved in this process.
only fitting that, in an article
Everyone on the committee knows someone else (or about collaborative community wellness, we pay
several others) who supports our mission and is willing tribute to the legacy she is leaving us. After all, she is
to lend a helping hand, donate resources, or share the epitome of healthy living and cooperative spirit.
ideas. Through HYAC members, we’ve developed
partnerships with organizations from libraries and When I began forming the advisory committee, Kathy
recreation centers to grocery stores and banks.
was the first person I called. For years, I’d admired
her extraordinary commitment to providing wellness
This “it takes a village” approach is powerful. It allows opportunities in our region. She is well known
us to deliver programs free of charge to the general amongst her peers for her tireless effort, hugely
public without restriction. It results in us being successful programs, and innovative problem-solving.
able to offer an impressively diverse array of classes This, combined with her can-do attitude, made her
that address overall wellbeing including physical, the perfect person to help launch and deliver Healthy
emotional, mental, social, and family health. It You. Thankfully, Kathy agreed to be part of the HYAC positions us to complement existing health initiatives just like she’s agreed to be part of the Caribou Alcohol
and customize programs for each target communities. Drug Education Team, Power of Prevention Coalition,
In fact, our collective efforts have been so successful Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention program,
that Healthy You was selected as the 2013-14 Program Hersey Track and Field, Maine Parks and Recreation
of Excellence Award winner by the Maine Public Health Association, and a long list of other groups on which
Association (MPHA).
she has served in leadership and support positions.
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SUMMER 2014