2003 Lead-Safe Indiana Award Recipient

The following individuals and organizations received a 2003 Lead Safe Indiana Award from the Task Force at its 2003 Indiana Lead-Safe and Healthy Homes Conference on October 16, 2003.  IDEM's Paula Smith, HUD's John Hall and IHFA's Kim Wize presented the awards.  For more information on the awards process. For information on 2001 and 2002 award recipients.

2003 Award Recipients

• Amy Hesting, Fort Wayne – Allen County Health Department
• Judy Gilliland, Indianapolis – Indiana State Department of Health
• Dr. Mary Jo Stine – Southeastern Health Clinic
• Florence Alexander – Indianapolis’ Citizens Multi-Service Center
• State Senator Pat Miller – Indiana General Assembly
• Indiana Department of Environmental Management – David White, Vicki Schoen, and Suzanne Whitmer
• St. Joseph County Health Department – Dr. Janice Carson, David North and Mary Kay Millar
• Indiana Housing Finance Authority – Kimberly Wize and Mark Young

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Amy Hesting, Fort Wayne – Allen County Health Department

Amy Hesting is the primary risk assessor and environmental investigator for the Fort Wayne – Allen County Health Department. But she is more than an investigator. She is a problem solver with an attention to detail and consistency that benefits all Hoosiers. She asks the tough questions such as:

• Just what information about a lead poisoned child must be disclosed?
• Shouldn’t we notify people who were told their home is safe under the old EPA lead hazard standards when those levels exceed the new standards?
• How should I write a risk assessment that not only meets the precise standards of the law but still helps residents take the critical steps to protect their children?

In essence, she has an excellent grasp of the forest, the trees as well as the leaves!

David White, Vicki Schoen, and Suzanne Whitmer – Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Writing a rule can be tedious work. The stakeholders have changes they want to see that may not be compatible with agency policy or the law. When the words are down on paper, the nitpicking of the language and various interpretations takes a tolerant and flexible approach. No wonder the four-step process usually takes more than two years to complete.

In April 2002, the Indiana General said that the Air Pollution Control Board needed to adopt revised lead-based paint rules by July 1, 2003. IDEM and the Board met the deadline – thanks to David White, Vicki Schoen, Suzanne Whitmer and their key managers, Kathy Watson and Phil Perry. To their credit, they did not make only the changes demanded by the legislature. They took advantage of the opportunity to make the rule more effective in many areas.

And they put up with Tom Neltner’s nagging questions and detailed issues!

Judy Gilliland, Indiana State Department of Health

Judy Gilliland has been with the Indiana State Department of Health for many years. Actually, we were afraid to ask how many. She was one of the originals in ISDH’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. She filled in as acting director at a critical time before Nancy Cobb took over. She constantly was trying to help the agency be more effective at preventing lead poisoning and helping children who fall between the cracks and become lead poisoned.

This summer, she moved to become a regional bioterrorism coordinator for ISDH. The move allows her to be closer to her home in rural southern Indiana – and to her horses. She will be missed.

Dr. Janice Carson, David North and Mary Kay Millar - St. Joseph County Health Department

"We have always done it that way" - that attitude dominated the St. Joseph County Health Department. It held true until Dr. Janice Carson became the chief health officer and director of the health department. With a critical attention to detail, she makes health the top priority, considers different approaches, and enables her staff to succeed.

Her approach has allowed two key staff – David North and Mary Kay Millar – thrive. David North is a risk assessor and environmental investigator. Mary Kay Millar is a public health nurse. Together they work with local groups like the Get the Lead Out Task Force to get it done.

Dr. Mary Jo Stine

Many – too many – medical doctors just don’t understand lead poisoning. If they don’t see the symptoms there must not be a problem. Dr. May Jo Stine does. She has helped many families identify lead poisoned children and take steps to prevent further damage.

Before joining the Southeastern Health Clinic in Indianapolis, Dr. Stine helped Ron and Jill Fischer of Franfurt. She was their children's pediatrician for many years. Her caring way of handling children was always exemplary. But above all she was thorough. She went beyond the stereotypes that plague lead poisoning and asked her clients whether they lived in an older home that might be lead-based paint. When a child was lead poisoned, she actively monitored the case until the levels dropped below 10 ug/dL.

The bottom line is that she is a true pediatrician with the interests of her children paramount.

Florence Alexander – Indianapolis’ Citizens Multi-Service Center

Running an inner city community center is tough work. Securing the money; maintaining the facilities; finding and keeping the best staff; and building the trust of the community takes effort. It is tempting to settle down and go where the funding leads you.

But leadership takes more. It takes Florence Alexander.

In May of 2002, she recognized the connection between the healthy homes and the success of her community. Along with Improving Kids’ Environment and the Concerned Clergy, she launched the Citizen’s Healthy Homes Initiative. She got her youth mentors trained. She got her staff involved. And she made the personal commitment that is the key to success.

State Senator Pat Miller

Senator Miller sponsored Senate Enrolled Act 367. SEA-367 requires that laboratories report the results of all blood lead tests – not just those of children – get reported to the Indiana State Department of Health. This law enabled Indiana to get access to more than $25,000 in grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also allowed the state to identify adults who might be poisoned and who might be bringing home lead dust to poisoning their children.

Initially the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce was opposed to the bill. She worked through the issues with the stakeholders. When a compromise was not happening, she made the tough decision to move ahead with an approach that addressed the concerns. It would have been easy to let the bill die. She didn’t.

Kimberly Wize and Mark Young – Indiana Housing Finance Authority

The Lead-Safe Indiana Task Force finally said enough is enough. For two years, Mark Young has been saying no to an award for IHFA. They are just doing their job. But after talking with other states, it is clear that IHFA is doing more than "just its job." IHFA is enabling us to prevent lead poisoning.

IHFA has made this conference possible for the third year in a row. While the conference has many wonderful sponsors, IHFA has paid the lion share of the funding for scholarships and materials. Beyond the conference, IHFA has made sure that its grantees followed both the substance and the spirit of the law. It has tried to stop the game-playing that allows people to avoid the HUD Lead-Based Paint rule while still leaving lead hazards behind to poison children.