NBPHE Welcomes New Board Members

The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) is pleased to welcome three new members to their Board of Directors. Coming from well-regarded public health organizations, the new board members bring years of experience and leadership to help guide NBPHE strategically into the future. The new directors are Dr. Joseph Kanter, CEO of Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; Charlene Cariou, Community Health Manager with Southwest District Health; and Dr. Matt Richardson, Director of Public Health for Denton County. 

“With a shared commitment to assuring excellence in the field of public health, we are excited to welcome these new directors to the NBPHE Board,” shared Allison Foster, president of the National Board of Public Health Examiners. “Their talents, experience and expertise will positively impact of our board and our ability to ensure that public health professionals have mastered and continue to advance their knowledge and skills to meet the changing public health environment.” 

Joseph M. Kanter, MD, MPH, is a board-certified emergency physician with a wealth of expertise in public health promotion, state and local governmental administration, and health advocacy. His most recent position was the state health officer and medical director of Louisiana Department of Health. He assumed the role of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) CEO in the spring of 2024 with an agenda to advance the organization’s mission of providing essential support to state and territorial health departments, ensuring the vitality of public health programs and workforce, and championing polices that enable optimal health for all. 

Charlene Cariou, MHS, CPH, CHES, is a Community Health Manager with Southwest District Health, a regional Public Health District serving six counties in southwest Idaho.   In this role, she leads the Community Health Team to identify community needs, implement programs to increase preventive health behaviors and change health outcomes, and evaluate our health impact across SWDH’s 6-county region. In addition to being a past chair of the APHA Executive Board, Charlene has 20 years of experience in healthcare and public health, working at both the state and local levels and serving in volunteer leadership positions with state and national public health associations. 

Matt Richardson, DrPH, MPH, FACHE, is the Director of Public Health for Denton County, TX and is completing his 20^th year as a local health department director. Dr. Richardson is active with CEPH as a site visitor and has authored peer-reviewed publications, testified to the Texas Legislature regarding public health issues, and continues to advocate for public health practice and resources for Denton County and the state of Texas. Matt is currently the president of the Texas Association of City and County Health Officials. 

We also would like to acknowledge and thank our outgoing board members Sam Price, John McElligott and Camara Jones. We are truly grateful for their commitment and continued support of NBPHE.