614: New ASTHO CEO Announced

SUMMER JOHNSON:   

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, March 5, 2024. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. 

STEVEN STACK:   

ASTHO is excited to announce today our next Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joseph Kanter. 

JOHNSON:   

That's ASTHO President, Dr. Steven Stack. On today's top story, the ASTHO Board has announced that ASTHO's new CEO will be Dr. Joseph Kanter, state health officer for the Louisiana Department of Health and the city of New Orleans, former director of health, MPH, and practicing emergency medicine physician. 

STACK:   

ASTHO is really lucky to have a wonderful CEO in the form of Mike Fraser who's done a wonderful job over his seven years. So, when we were looking for the next CEO it was important to find someone of similar caliber who could lead us into exciting new places in the years ahead. And we're confident that we found that in Dr. Kanter. 

JOHNSON:   

After a very thorough internal search process, the board saw some important qualities that would lead ASTHO into the next chapter for public health. 

STACK:   

Dr. Kanter is that wonderful balance of playing opposites in a position of strength. So, he's both humble, but he's also strong; he's intelligent, but he's also inclusive of other people's input. Dr. Kanter is going to be able to balance leading a team from within it, but also leading a team when decisions have to be made that the chief executive officer has to make.  

JOHNSON:   

Stack outlined some of those challenges that the new head of ASTHO will address, especially as the future is uncertain for the investment in public health that expanded in recent years. Stack says ASTHO's new leader will have to adapt and find new approaches.  

STACK:   

So, that's going to take a talented and capable leader, someone who's nimble and creative, and able to help us find approaches that allow us to succeed despite the changing landscape. 

JOHNSON:   

At the end of the day, Stack says Dr. Kanter has a unique combination of qualities to get the job done. 

STACK:   

He's been very clear. And that's one of the things that stood out in the interview process, is he has a real appreciation for the 300 plus members of the ASTHO team, the important work that they do, and the important work that their senior leaders do in organizing that activity. So, I'm confident that our team is going to continue to perform at a very high level as they welcome their new CEO to that team and rally to his leadership. 

JOHNSON:   

You can read ASTHO's news release about the announcement by clicking the link in the show notes. 

Dr. Joseph Kanter is familiar to ASTHO members. And to listeners of this show, we sat down with him on what attracted him to the position. 

JOSEPH KANTER:   

To be honest with you, the single greatest selling point of this job is the ability and the honor to join an organization that is so strong, and is comprised of such high-achieving high-performing good people. I feel incredibly honored to be joining that team. 

JOHNSON:   

We asked him about his plans for the first few months. 

KANTER:   

My top priority is to have a smooth and respectful transition, and I've been working in government long enough to have been part of administrative transitions that have gone well and administrative transitions that have been more challenging. And it's my first priority in the first few weeks and months of this new role to ensure that this administrative transition within ASTHO is smooth and ultimately respectful of the team members. 

JOHNSON:   

In the longer term, Kanter's looking forward to working with ASTHO on the considerable challenges facing public health. 

KANTER:   

I think we have to realize that this is a potentially perilous time, and public health is going to have to navigate that strategically. But at the end of the day, public health needs to be the strongest voice out there for policies and programs that affect individuals' health. 

JOHNSON:  

When asked how he thinks he'll approach the role, Kanter says he wants to use all the expertise around him. 

KANTER:   

I'm a collaborative leader, I value the input of a team and a diverse team. I believe very strongly that everyone has something to contribute no matter what their formal title or position is. And I seek out people with diverse backgrounds. Because when you're trying to influence change on a diverse population, when you're trying to make a population healthier, you need a diverse team on your side to make sure that the issues that really matter are considered and brought to the forefront. 

JOHNSON:   

Kanter starts his new role April 8, we're sure to hear more from him on this show. 

Also today, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace is vital for health departments that want to benefit all the populations they serve. An ASTHO blog article outlines three steps to advancing DEI efforts at the state level. The link is in the show notes.  

Finally, this morning, you can get legislative and policy updates from the ASTHO government affairs team by signing up for Legislative Alert emails. There's a link to do that in the show notes.  

Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.  

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Summer Johnson, you're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.