Awards

GEHA Awards

2009 Member of the Year: Christy Blair

2008 Member of the Year: Sidney "Sandy" Shepherd

Sandy Shepherd is the Georgia's Seafood Safety Officer for the Georgia Department of Agriculture in Savannah, GA. Sandy received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1980 from UGA in Geology. After working in the oil industry, he moved back to Georgia and worked in Atlanta as a Sanitarian with The Georgia Department of Agriculture in 1987. In 1994 Sandy moved from Atlanta to the Georgia Coast where he became more involved in Seafood Safety as a Senior Sanitarian. Over the past two years Sandy has

worked with regulatory agencies and industry to improve regulations dealing with seafood safety, labeling, and representation of seafood in Georgia. Sandy is active on various committees within the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference including the Vibrio Management Committee, Vibrio Education Committee and is Chairman of the Import Assessment Committee. He also serves on the Georgia Marine Fishery Advisory Council. Much of his time now is spent promoting seafood safety within Georgia by educating and training industry and inspectors. Sandy is currently a member of First Baptist Church in Richmond Hill where he serves in several ministry departments. Sandy has two sons, Blanton and Christopher and one Granddaughter that live near him in the Savannah area.

2007 Member of the Year: Tonya Gray

Tonya Davis Gray is presently employed by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Public Health, Environmental Health branch as a program consultant. She was employed by Coweta County Board of Health for 10 years after 13 years of employment as a sanitarian with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

She began her career in environmental health as a wastewater lab analyst in Carrollton. She holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of West Georgia and a biology degree from Wesleyan College. The Georgia Registration Board of Environmental Health Professionals and NEHA both have issue the credential of Registered Sanitarian/EHS to Mrs Gray.

Beyond environmental health, she loves ballet, music, and soccer. Many GEHA members have watched her children, Davis and Amelia, grow from toddlers to teens while attending many educational conferences held each summer.

2006 Member of the Year: David Perry

2005 Member of the Year: Hugh Coleman

2003 Winners
2002 Winners

Lifetime Honorary Member Awards:

Susan Reyher
Melba Bridges
Bill Pace
Larry Martin
David Beecher
Daryl Rowe

Member of the Year Award:

Read the eligibility and nomination requirements.
Nomination Form

Rowe Environmental Health Award:

The purpose of the Rowe Environmental Health Award is to recognize one undergraduate student majoring in environmental health at the University of Georgia who, in the opinion of the environmental health faculty, shows excellent promise for success in environmental health practice. This award is not based on GPA but a combination of characteristics that lead to success as a professional including but not limited to enthusiasm, interest in public health, integrity, involvement in environmental health organizations, and success in environmental health courses.

Irving Bell Golf Scholarship:

The scholarship selection committee (composed of the President of GEHA, the Chairperson of the GEHA Scholarship Committee, and two other GEHA Board Members appointed by the President) will choose the awardee based on academic achievement, financial need, letters of recommendations, statement of why s/he is choosing a career in Environmental Health, and the evaluation of the chosen internship program.
The scholarship will consist of:

$1550.00 awarded at the annual UGA Environmental Health awards banquet held at the UGA campus.
To be invited and honored at GEHA’s Annual Educational Conference awards banquet. Room and meals for the conference shall be courtesy of GEHA.
$100.00 expense money if awardee accepts the invitation to the Annual Education Conference.
One year paid membership to GEHA.

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John J. Sheuring Scholarship:

This fund was established in 1967 by donations from the Georgia Society of Registered Professional Sanitarians - renamed Georgia Environmental Health Association - and others in memory of John J. Sheuring. The scholarship is awarded to students interested in the study of various aspects of environmental health. The Environmental Health Science Program as it is known today was established by Dr. Sheuring and the late Professor Herb Henderson. This $750.00 award goes to a Junior EHS major and will be paid in August 2002 for the next academic year.

Donor: John J. Sheuring Memorial Fund (Departmental Scholarship)

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