-Life as a Public Health Leader-
Introducing
John Atkinson is the Executive Director of the OPHA (Ontario Public Health Association) a non-profit organization with a mission keyed in on providing leadership on issues affecting the public’s health and strengthening the impact of people who are active in public and community health throughout Canada’s largest province.
Professional Background and Expertise
John has a Masters of Social Work and has a wealth of experience as far as leading health promotion programs and policy initiatives in a number of settings including university health services, public health, community health, and two health non-profits prior to joining OPHA.
Not to be overlooked, John has also led a number of community development, health promotion and child development initiatives overseas.
Community Health Involvement
Beginning his career as a smoking cessation counsellor in 1998 and a health educator at Region of Waterloo Public Health, John has been a leader and strong advocate within the public and community health sectors for nearly 25 years.
Award and Recognition
In 2006, John was presented with the provincial Smoke-free Champion Award and a nominee for the Heather Crowe award in 2015 for his work in tobacco control. As a result of John’s extensive work regarding youth health, John was awarded the Order of Niagara.
Track Record of Success
Before joining OPHA, John worked at the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) for 10 years, where he served as the Vice-President of Cancer Prevention leading all prevention initiatives across a number of areas including tobacco control, healthy eating, physical activity, alcohol, and ultraviolet radiation.
He also developed strategic partnerships and strategies aimed to reduce health inequities and increase access to supportive environments and services among diverse communities.
Mission Driven Work
John is a committed advocate and leader within the public, community and health promotion sectors and is excited to work in collaboration with the public and community health communities to strengthen and grow their impact.
Reasons to Listen
This talk offers a unique look into the world of public health advocacy and initiatives including relevant issues, challenges and rewards pertaining to this work.
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in knowing more about what it takes to be an effective leader of large teams and mission driven projects
- those curious about the rewards and challenges associated with public health related careers and work
- those who are looking for insights and tips on getting started in the field
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- a thorough explanation of what public health truly encompasses
- one of the biggest challenges of working within this field
- the wide array of professions which fit under the public health umbrella
- what John is personally engaged with as Executive Director of the OPHA
- what the most rewarding aspect of his work is
- how John ultimately made his way into his present day work
- how in his youth John managed parental career expectations
- how an overseas trip at age sixteen completely opened John up to new life and career perspectives
- handling high stakes responsibilities across his career
- a simple planning and organizational strategy which helps John manage massive projects in an effective manner
- how he manages the online pushback related to his organization’s work
- online misinformation regarding public health initiatives
- what he feels to be the number one task as per improving public health outcomes
- the meaningfulness of his work
- a powerful story on learning and reflection
- the role of tech including AI in this sector moving forward
- much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
On his role as the Executive Director of the OPHA:
“There are so many players and so many ways that health is impacted. There are no shortages of needs or challenges. It’s figuring out how you identify those needs, ensure they are informed by research and evidence, package them in a way that makes sense and then take them to the decision makers.”
-John Atkinson
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view the full video conversation of this discussion, you can do so via Youtube.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about John and his work, be sure to check out the Ontario Public Health Association or you can find and follow him on the following platform:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
