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Brown has been honored and privilege of allowing him to represent his fellow environmental health professionals as president of National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) for this trip around the sun. As Happy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sang, \"You're never too old to be young.\" This past year has invigorated him regarding the bright future of environmental health. It is hard to believe his term as president is ending, but NEHA is in great hands with outstanding board members, staff, volunteers, and members who will keep the NEHA ship steered not only in the right direction but also help their organization to gain steam. Time flies when you are having fun. He enjoyed working with their staff, board members, and NEHA affiliate leaders while meeting members from coast to coast.

Brown previously mentioned that environmental health professionals were the founders of the American Public Health Association. Most people do not realize that environmental health professionals were key personnel at the start of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 1, 1946, helping to fulfill the primary mission of CDC to prevent malaria from spreading across the nation. Environmental health professionals helped start Earth Day. Every year on Apr 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970, which arose out of pollution affecting our health. The first Earth Day had 10% of the US population participating from all political parties, walks of life, and communities throughout the land. People were participating to improve the health of people in the US through a reduction in pollution. The early 1970s saw the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Act. In addition, numerous environmental laws were passed, including the National Environmental Education Act; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Endangered Species Act; and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

Brown has just returned from beautiful Spokane WA after attending the successful National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) 2022 Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition with approximately 1,000 in-person and 400 virtual attendees. Thank you for making the 2022 AEC a success. Words cannot express how wonderful it was to see colleagues, friends, and members of his NEHA family. He has attended NEHA AECs since 2001 and have made numerous friends, many of whom have become part of his family. A shared passion to advance environmental health science--while helping people have clean air, food, and water, along with a safe place to live, work, and play--means they have an instant connection when meeting fellow professionals. Great minds think alike.

Brown asserts that environmental health professionals are scientifically trained and certified to identify and mitigate environmental dangers as well as promote alternatives. They are handling threats on the front lines of public health. Environmental health professionals form a critical component of the public health delivery system, providing services to curb environmental health threats and prevent adverse health outcomes. They assist communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disease outbreaks and natural and anthropogenic disasters. They are on the front lines of public health handling threats such as environmental inequities, climate change, food safety, safe drinking water, and clean air. Environmental health professionals are strategically positioned to identify and intervene to prevent public health and environmental health threats from affecting local populations.

The quote by Marty Rubin, \"The deep roots never doubt spring will come,\" is a reminder even in the season of renewal that the current season of bloom for the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) is from the environmental health trail blazers who sowed the initial seeds. Here, Brown wants to highlight two groups--the American Academy of Sanitarians (AAS) and the NEHA History Project Task Force--that many associate with the foundation or roots of environmental health. Being around these amazing people reminds him of what Pelé said, \"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.\" He cannot begin to express his gratitude for all the work done by these distinguished groups whose energy is infectious.

Brown expresses his gratitude to all the environmental health professionals who were the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental health professionals stepped up to the plate and performed a variety of tasks that provided their peers and the public with important insight into the value of their profession. Here, he stresses that as the world is reopening from the COVID- 19 pandemic, environmental health needs to seize the opportunity to educate the public, policy makers, and key stakeholders of the technical, scientific expertise required to become a Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS).