St. Charles County Department of Community
Health & The Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 29, 2001

CONTACTS:
Joe Ortwerth, St. Charles County Executive (636) 949-7520
Gil Copley, Community Health and Environment (636) 949-7477

Gil Copley Elected to Chair State Health Association
County Health Director Has More Than 30 Years Experience

St. Charles County - Gil Copley, Director of the St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment, was recently elected to chair the Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies (MoALPHA). Copley was elected to a one-year term at the association's annual meeting this month. He previously served as the organization's vice-chair for two one-year terms. As chair, Copley is responsible for guiding the activities of MoALPHA, its executive director, officers and employees, and presiding at meetings of the association and the executive board.

"Mr. Copley's election as chairman of MoALPHA is evidence of the professional respect his peers throughout the state hold for his expertise and commitment. He holds substantial credentials in public health and continues to seek new information to serve the citizens of St. Charles County. In his leadership role with MoALPHA, Mr. Copley's professionalism and dedication will not only benefit the county but citizens across the State of Missouri," said St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwerth.

Copley is the first Director of the County's Department of Community Health and the Environment. County Executive Ortwerth appointed him to the position in April 1996. Copley's public health career spans more that 30 years. He holds a M. A. in Health Service Management from Webster University, a B.S in Business Administration from the University of Missouri at Columbia, is certified in public health leadership, lead inspection, epidemiology and prevention and control of vaccine preventable diseases and is an accredited asbestos inspector and management planner. Mr. Copley also serves as an adjunct faculty instructor for the St. Louis University School of Public Health and as an advisor to local, state and national committees on public health issues. He resides with his wife and family in the Harvester area of unincorporated St. Charles County.

MoALPHA represents county and city public health agencies in more than 90 of Missouri's 114 counties including St. Louis and Kansas City. The association works in the interest of local public health agencies and the citizens of the counties they serve. MoALPHA seeks to promote health and wellness for Missourians through periodic community assessment, targeted policy development related to that assessment, and continuous assurance of available and affordable health care, health education, preventive health services, communicable disease control and environmental services delivered at the local level.

Details on the St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment are available at www.scchealth.org or by calling (636) 949-7400. Further information on MoALPHA is available at www.moalpha.org.

###

[GO BACK]