| National capital area Environmental health Association |
2025 Board of directors
PRESIDENTamanda Coletti, mph, rehs/rs |
| Amanda Losardo Coletti graduated from The State University of New York College at Oneonta in 2014 with a BS in Human Biology. She earned her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from George Mason University in 2017. Amanda started her career in environmental health working as an Environmental Technician in the Disease Carrying Insects Program (DCIP) at the Fairfax County Health Department. Amanda then interned at the United States Environmental Protection Agency and worked on a wide variety of projects, including but not limited to, pesticides, asbestos, air quality, and drinking water. After her internship, Amanda was hired as an Environmental Technician with the Onsite Sewage and Water Program at the Fairfax County Health Department. She then moved on to food inspections by working as an Environmental Health Specialist in the Food Protection Program for the Prince George's County Health Department. Amanda currently works as an Environmental Health Specialist in the Food Protection Program for the Alexandria Health Department. She has worked in many different areas of environmental health and recently earned her REHS. Amanda currently resides in Alexandria, VA and enjoys cooking and spending time with her corgi, Finn. |
VP of MembershipAmanda bartoAmanda Barto is originally from upstate New York and graduated from The State University of New York College at Plattsburgh in 2013. Amanda began her new career path in 2020 with the City of Alexandria Health Department where she does inspections for food safety, tourist lodging, and aquatic health. Prior to becoming an Environmental Health Specialist she was a Quality Management Specialist for The Steritech Group from 2017- 2020 and worked in the food industry 2010 to 2017. Amanda currently lives in Georgetown, DC and spends her free time baking, crocheting, reading and spending time with her dog Duckie. |
|
VP of Programs and Professional DevelopmentJulia Balsley, REHS/RS |
| Laura Wildey Kearse, MS, CP-FS, is a passionate food safety subject matter expert with over a decade of experience in both the private and public sectors of food safety management and regulatory enforcement. Laura is the owner of LMK Food Safety Consulting, a small business offering food safety subject matter expertise and project management solutions to non-governmental organizations, retail/food service operations, and regulatory authorities. Prior to her consulting role, Ms. Wildey Kearse served the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and its members by providing assistance and expertise in the field of food safety. Her prior experience also includes Program Manager of the Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division at Washington D.C.’s Department of Health and Senior Food Specialist at Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In addition, she has experience in the retail food industry as a food handler and kitchen manager, and as a third-party auditor. Laura is an International Food Protection Training Institute Fellow of Cohort 8, where she conducted research on the regulations and practices around cannabis edibles regulations in the United States. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science in Food Safety degree from Michigan State University. When she isn’t nerding out about food safety, you can find Laura traveling, eating, doing something outdoorsy with her husband Richard, or spending quality time with friends, family, and her beloved cat. |
TreAsurerJulia Balsley, REHS/RSJulia Balsley graduated from Salisbury University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health. That summer she began her career as an Environmental Sanitarian with the State of Maryland for the Anne Arundel County Health Department in the Community & Housing Protection Program. In 2001 she became an Environmental Health Specialist with Arlington County's Public Health Division. In the Environmental Health Program, she performs food, hotel and water recreational facility inspections, reviews architectural plans and performs lead risk assessments of children with elevated blood lead levels. Julia first joined NCAEHA in 2000. She has served as the President, Virginia Representative, Secretary and has sat on the By-Laws, Elections & Awards Committees. She maintains NEHA's REHS/RS credential and has a Lead Risk Assessor License from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2015 she was presented the Jerrold M. Michael Award in recognition of her dedicated service to Environmental Health. She is currently our Past President as well as our Treasurer. |
|
SECRETARY |
VACANT |
Virginia RepresentativeKara HoisingtonKara Hoisington is an Environmental Health Specialist II for the Fairfax County Health Department. Kara earned her B.S. in Community Health and M.P.H. in Health Policy from George Mason University. In her time at Mason, she was a Teaching Assistant for introductory epidemiology and an assistant coordinator for the Covid-19 vaccination clinic at Eagle Bank Arena. Kara’s first introduction to Environmental Health work was with the Arlington County Health Department as a pool inspector during summer of 2019. She currently works in the Consumer Protection Program which encompasses food, tourist, and pool inspections. Outside of work her life revolves around her dog, Miss Lucy. NCAEHA.VA.Rep@gmail.com |
|
Maryland representativeMaxine Linthicum Davis |
| Maxine Linthicum Davis is a native Washingtonian, who graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology. Over the course of her career, she has served in many different capacities including both regulatory and the private sector such as: City of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Alexandria Health Department, UL and Safeway. Her most current role is with Amtrak, where she has served as a Senior Public Health Specialist for the last nine years. Maxine possess her CP-FS certification and is a ServSafe proctor and instructor. In her free time she enjoys raising her vivacious five year old, two stepdaughters and two dogs. When she is not spending time with family, she enjoys shopping and the wonderful game of pickleball. A fun fact that people may not know about Maxine, is that she was a vet tech for a 24 hour emergency animal hospital in DC for over 16 years. |
industry liaIsonS'Day Manley, CP-FS |
S’Day brings over a decade of experience to his role as Industry Liaison for NCAEHA. S’Day is currently employed as a Quality Assurance Field Specialist for Wawa, where he conducts food safety inspections, instructs and proctors ServSafe/NRFSP exams for store leadership, and plays a pivotal role in the company's expansion into new markets. Prior to his current role, S’Day served as a Quality Management Specialist for Steritech, specializing in food safety inspections and brand protection. His military background as a Culinary Arts Specialist in the Army National Guard, including activation during Hurricane Sandy response efforts in NJ, instilled in him a strong sense of duty and discipline. Outside of work, S’Day is actively involved in volunteer work with the SPCA and is committed to professional development, maintaining memberships in organizations such as NEHA, VA Food Safety Task Force, and AFDOSS. Currently pursuing a degree in business management at Germanna College, he balances his professional and academic pursuits with hobbies such as reading, spending time with friends, and unwinding at the beach. |  |
DC Representative |
Vacant
Past President
Nicole Gragasin, REHS/RS
| Nicole Gragasin currently works as an Environmental Health Specialist for Riverside County Environmental Health in Riverside, CA and has worked as an Environmental Health Specialist II for the Fairfax County Health Department from 2013 to 2023. Originally from California, Nicole graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Sciences with an option in Community Health from California State University, Long Beach. Nicole began her career in 2013 with Fairfax County as an Environmental Health Technician for the OS&W section conducting recreational water facility inspections and private well water inspections. She soon advanced on to become an Environmental Health Specialist II where she gained further experience in food safety, hotel, and child care inspections for the Consumer Protection Program. In addition, Nicole works was part of the Plan Review team where duties include review approval of plans for new and emerging restaurants and first routine inspections. Nicole has served on multiple notable committees within the Health Department including the Active Managerial Control team, Temporary Food Establishment Committee, EH IT team, the Fairfax Co.'s HD Customer Service team and has 2 Cohort year experience with NACCHO mentoring program. Furthermore, she is an active general member with NEHA and maintains the NEHA REHS/RS credential. Nicole first became involved with NCAEHA as a general member in 2014 and gained many networks and committee experience with fellow NCAEHA members. In 2018, Nicole joined the Board of Directors as VP of Membership, serving two full terms. Simultaneously, she assumed the role of Director of Communications as the creator behind all email blasts, newsletter publications, annual reports, and advertising designs. Nicole's notable highlights with NCAEHA include the development and implementation of this new Membership Platform website which has launched January 2020, which has evolved and modernized NCAEHA's membership records, payment and financial transactions, email blasts, are more! |
