History of ANCBH

A newsletter article is presented below. Read a draft outline of the history of ANCBH here.

“… Board of health members are the bedrock of local public health, a foundation for our future, and a strength on which we can build.”
— Carl Durham, ANCBH Founding Member and First President

The following is a small article as it appeared in the September, 2002 ANCBH newsletter. It provides a thumbnail sketch of ANCBH’s return to the status of an all-volunteer association. The author is Barbara Ann Hughes, PhD, a past president of ANCBH.

“In 1993, as a way to invest in the education of new Board of Health members across the state, the General Assembly started a $100,000 grant in aid to ANCBH. This arrangement worked fine until the state budget crisis caused the cancellation of this grant in 2001.

Fortunately, the Division of Public Health of the University of North Carolina, believed in the value of training, applied for, and was granted $70,000 from the state to continue training. A UNC Board of Health Proposed Training Plan was written on September 24, 2001. An agreement was made between the Division of Public Health and ANCBH to allow for the continued training of local Board of Health members. The agreement, signed on January 14, 2002, provided for employees to be appointed for a period of either 3 or 5 years to carry out this training from within the Institute of Public Health of the Division of Public Health of UNC.

Carmine Rocco became a staff member of the Institute for Public Health, and continued to conduct training of local board members. He tendered his resignation to become the Local Health Director for Warren County, North Carolina.

The Board of Directors meets quarterly and is committed to offering more and valuable services to its membership.”

Historical Outline of the ANCBH

This historical outline provides highlights from the Association’s past and it is presented to provide some background information to those who have little information about the Association.

1985
The seed for the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health was sown when a Steering Committee was appointed after a seminar on “The Future of Public Health for Local Boards of Health” held in Chapel Hill, NC.

1986
First Annual Meeting of ANCBH is held in September in Greensboro, NC. Articles of Incorporation were signed in November.

1987
Staff was hired including Vaughan Mamlin Upshaw, a founding member of the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH). Second Annual Meeting of ANCBH was held in Fayetteville, NC.

1988
Established independent office in Pittsboro, NC. Received IRS tax exempt status. Pilot Board of Health Orientation Program occurred in Charlotte, NC. Third Annual Meeting of ANCBH in Winston-Salem, NC.

1989
ANCBH Board of Directors approved hiring a part-time assistant. Receive $5,000 grant from W. K. Kellogg for research and development of board health manual. Fourth Annual Meeting of ANCBH in Charlotte, NC. W. K. Kellogg approved a grant for $310,311.

1990
Grant Review Committee appointed.

1993
General Assembly allocated a $100,000 grant in aid to ANCBH to invest in the education of new Board of Health members across the state. General Assembly ratified Senate Bill 1505 which included the continuation of a $100,000 grant-in-aid through DHHS to ANCBH to invest in the education of new Board of Health members across the state.

1994
General Assembly grant-in aid continued.

1995
General Assembly grant-in aid continued. First Emeriti Reception was held.

1996
General Assembly grant-in aid continued.

1997
General Assembly grant-in aid continued.
Carmine Rocco joins ANCBH as Executive Director in September.

1998
General Assembly grant-in aid continued.

1999
General Assembly grant-in aid continued.
David Phillips, teenage son of ANCBH Board member Charles Phillips of Cabarrus County, volunteers to develop and establish the first ANCBH website.

2000
General Assembly grant-in aid continued but funding is in jeopardy.

2001
General Assembly cuts the $100,000 grant in aid to ANCBH. ANCBH entered into a short-term contract with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health to assist with the downsizing. Contract terminated on June 30, 2002.

ANCBH receives the North Carolina Public Health Association's Partners in Public Health Distinguished Group Award.

2002
ANCBH Executive Director resigned. NCIPH wins a grant to provide orientation training to local board of health members. ANCBH files are relocated to NCIPH.

2003
ANCBH Board of Directors began to reassess its organization and role with an all-volunteer structure.

2004
ANCBH continued to assess its organization and role, looked back to re-connect with its history, and then began planning for the future.

2005
Bylaws were amended to add an Emeriti membership category. Membership survey was conducted. Affiliation agreement was signed with the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH). Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health. Website was evaluated for necessary changes.

2006
The January 2006 annual meeting presented an educational session on accreditation, the most frequently requested topic in the membership survey. The website receives major changes.