During this chat, we will take a closer look at how states are taking away local decision-making and the impact on your health.  You’ll learn about the what happened recently in Ohio and then hear from our panel of experts more details about this issue and how as an advocate you can make a difference.  Please register below.

Speakers include:

Dustin Holfinger: Dustin Holfinger has served as the Director of State Government Relations at the American Heart Association, where he is dedicated to Ohio’s statewide and local health initiatives. He provides policy leadership focused on addressing top health priorities of the state, including but not limited to water access, telehealth access for all Ohioans, state funding for important health initiatives, regulation of e-cigarettes and tobacco, healthy food access, complete streets, and more.

DJ Yearwood: DJ Yearwood is 16 years old from Independence, Missouri. He got involved with advocacy for the American Heart Association, on a flavored tobacco restriction campaign in 2020 in Kansas City. After that project, he has spoken on a national youth panel, and at a press conference with Governor Parsons of Missouri on behalf of the AHA, supporting the increase in tobacco cessation funding for the state. Aside from his volunteering with AHA, he is extremely active in his community working at and volunteering for numerous organizations. 

Josh Brown: Josh Brown is a public health professional who has been with the American Heart Association as a member of the Grassroots team since 2013. Josh is most passionate about supporting and empowering volunteers to use their voice to make a difference in their communities through heart healthy policy change. Josh currently is the Region Grassroots Manager covering Alaska, Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Christine Compton: Christine Compton is a public health professional with a passion to improve outcomes and decrease disparities by creating progressive messages, programs and policies to accomplish this goal. Christine is a National Senior Advocacy Consultant for the American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids team. She works with campaigns across the country strategizing about policies that support the mission of the organization with a focus on equity and empowerment.

Annette Fetty-Santilli: Annette Fetty-Santilli received her B.S. from West Virginia Wesleyan College and received her M.A. from West Virginia University. She currently works for WVU Research Corporation with the WVU School of Public Health. A committed advocate for the Heart Association and other organizations, Annette received the WVU Alumni James R. McCartney Community Service Award in 2019 and the National Community Advocate of the Year Award from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in 2015. Annette’s fight for healthy communities comes from their impact on her personally. She lost both her dad and father-in-law to heart disease, but her dad lived to 81 because of the advances made by the American Heart Association. She strives for longer, healthier lives for all of West Virginia.

Want to learn more about this issue? Read more here.