It’s our party and we can cry if we want to in honor of "The Most Depressing Day of the Year." On January 23, Recess is throwing a party with a purpose. We’re hosting a screening of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Refreshments start at 6, and the film will begin at 6:30.
We love Joe’s moxy in turning his life around, but recognize that there are signficiant challenges in most people’s lives when making change. After the movie, stay for a panel discussion, question and answer session about steps we can take in our schools, workplaces and communities to be more supportive of good health for all. Our panelists include: Dawn Robbins, Wellness Coordinator for the State of Oregon; Alexa Shook, Pacific Source Health Plan; Dr. Richard White from Portland State University's School of Urban Planning; and Nancy Becker from the Oregon Pubic Health Institute. Read more about them below.
Tickets are $35, with every single dollar of that $35 benefiting the Ecotrust Farm-to-School program.
Get your tickets here.
Panelist Biographies:
Alexa Shook, Director of Healthy Life
Alexa Shook serves as the Director of the PacificSource Healthy Life Initiative. She is responsible for the planning, developing, marketing, and implementation of PacificSource Healthy Life and Healthy Life Challenge. Alexa joined PacificSource in 2011 with a strong background in health and wellness promotion, public relations and account management.
Prior to joining PacificSource, Alexa served as a Senior Consumer Engagement Advisor for WebMD Health Services Group where she was responsible for providing communication strategies to client worksite wellness programs in an effort to increase end user engagement in health, benefits, and worksite wellness programs.
She has held previous positions at Gard & Gerber, an advertising, PR, and Public Affairs agency in Portland, Young & Roehr Group, and Nike, Inc.
Alexa is an alumnus of Oregon State University where she majored in Political Science. She holds several wellness certifications obtained through Chapman Institute and the National Wellness Institute, including Certified Wellness Program Manager (CWPM). Alexa also serves on the board of Girls on the Run of Portland Metro and is an avid runner herself
Dawn Robbins, Co-Lead Wellness@Work Initiative (State of Oregon)
Dawn's experience includes more than 20 years working in communications and health. She founded Make It Your Business, a national campaign urging employers and insurers to cover, promote, and support people to quit using tobacco.
She enjoys hiking, reading, swimming, hiking, cross-country skiing, and dragon boating. She once stayed down the hall from a Liberian warlord, while on a consulting gig in Sierra Leone, West Africa!
Nancy Becker, MS RD LD
Nancy Becker is a Registered Dietitian who has worked in the areas of the politics of food, food policy, cooking low on the food chain, health education and clinical research for over 30 years. As the dietitian at Oregon Public Health Institute she works to bring nutrition policy and theory into practice. She currently chairs the Oregon Nutrition Policy Alliance, whose mission is to promote nutrition policies that will create a healthy active Oregon.
Nancy is active in civic and political groups locally and nationally and is an enthusiastic advocate for social justice and food that is good, clean and fair. She currently is on the board of directors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Political Action Committee and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. She received the AND’s award for Grassroots Excellence in 2009
Richard White, Ph.D Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Planning (PSU)
Richard teaches courses in the University Studies Program that prepares students for further work in the Community Studies and the Healthy People Healthy Places clusters; courses in the Community Development undergraduate program; and International Community Development field seminars in Nicaragua.
Richard's research interests include urban social structure, social justice, community organization and development, international community development, and urban faith-based organizations. He teaches urban studies and urban ministry courses for North Portland Bible College, a non-denominational African-American Bible College; is a member of the board of Instituto Teologico del Oeste (Theological Institute of the Northwest); and advisory board member for Bikes to Rwanda and the NAPE Foundation (Ghana).
Richard is a contributing editor of Cultural Encounters, journal for the Theology of Culture; and member of the editorial board of Community Development Practice, online journal of the Community Development Society. He is also a member of the Evangelical Missiological Society, Community Development Society (member of the International committee), and the Society for Values in Higher Education. Richard also consults with domestic and foreign faith-based organizations on issues related to community building, community development, and intercultural relationships.
Nancy Becker from the Oregon Pubic Health Institute
