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Public Health in the Rockies Committee

The purpose of the Public Health in the Rockies (PHiR) conference is to provide an opportunity for education, networking and skill development of professionals in Colorado and neighboring regions.  PHiR is designed to build a more competent public health workforce who will continue to build health equity across the state.

Our Annual

Public Health in the Rockies

Keystone Resort & Conference Center | Colorado​

​2024: Elevating Rocky Mountain Health

2023: Public Health: Community, Connection & Action

2022: “Forging Forward Together.”

2021: “Public Health H.E.R.O.E.S.: Health. Equity. Resiliency. Outcomes. Engagement. Safety."

2020: “Health at All Altitudes: Health for all. Action for all

2019: “Equity and Social Justice: Innovation at Elevation”

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The goals of the conference are to:

  1. Provide a forum for public health professionals to develop new skills, demonstrate best practices, exchange lessons learned, share current research and discover valuable resources.

  2. Offer a multi-disciplinary conference program that encompasses the broad aspects of public health.

  3. Stimulate innovation in public health practice.

  4. Promote awareness around Colorado’s adoption of the Public Health 3.0 and Foundational Public Health Services models.

  5. Provide a meeting, discussion and networking opportunity for CPHA members, other public health interest groups, special interest groups, and new and non-traditional public health partners.

What does an average committee meeting look like?
The meetings have an agenda that is sent ahead of time and normally consist of updates from sub-committees and making decisions about various aspects of the conference (e.g. determining the keynote speaker, discussing the theme, etc.)

Join the PHiR Committee

Interested in bringing your skills to the PHiR planning committee? Join the team today!

Meet the Chairs

Kelly DeBie

Committee Co-Chair

Kelly DeBie is a legal epidemiologist specializing in studying how policy and politics impact population health. She has a BS in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California, where she also minored in Bioethics. She earned her law degree at the University of San Diego, then completed her MS and PhD in Environmental Health, Epidemiology from Colorado State University. She has decades of advocacy experience focused on the HIV+ community, LGBTQ+ youth, students with learning differences, and parental mental health. Her previous experience includes work with the CDC Foundation, where she was assigned to Tri-County Health Department's Covid-19 Response Team, serving ultimately as a Team Coordinator prior to returning to school to complete her doctorate. She is a current member of the Colorado State University Institutional Review Board, has served on the Boulder County Cultural Council, and was the founder of a parent support group through PFLAG. She has also worked for the St. Vrain Valley School District, in hospital risk management for the University of California at San Diego and been responsible for oversight of the California Medical Board. Kelly currently works as an affiliate instructor at the Colorado School of Public Health, lectures at CSU and UNC, and has created trainings for CDPHE. She has lived in Colorado for twenty years with her husband and five children. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and gardening.

James Kuemmerle

Committee Co-Chair

Jim Kuemmerle is a regional behavioral health specialist, Eastern Region for Colorado State University Office of Engagement and Extension, Colorado Agrability Project. Jim currently co chairs the healthy aging and emergency management work groups at CSU Extension. He has a background in clinical social work and emergency management, prominently in rural and frontier  communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wyoming and Colorado. During the First Gulf War, he served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a flight operations specialist in an attack helicopter battalion and during the War of Terror, he served in the Pennsylvania and Colorado Army National Guard as a behavioral health officer in a mobile medical unit. Jim is a retired first responder, trained as a firefighter, EMT, and hazardous materials technician. He volunteers as a Boy Scout leader, serving as a mentor for the youth in his community, state and around the country.

Stephanie Pusker, MS

Committee Co-Chair

Stephanie Pusker is an Air Quality and Health Scientist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in the Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability. She focuses on informing air policy through data with a health lens. She holds a BS in Biological Sciences from Clemson University, an Associate Degree in Paramedicine from Greenville Technical College, and a Master of Science in Environmental Health, Epidemiology from Colorado State University. She has worked in the medical field for 10 years, including as a paramedic for the last seven, and currently works part time in an Emergency Department in Fort Collins. She holds volunteer positions with the City of Fort Collins as a Home Educator for the Healthy Homes indoor air quality program, and with CSU/Larimer County/City of Fort Collins on the Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Committee. She is a transplant to Colorado from South Carolina, and has been enjoying the outdoor life. Her hobbies include cycling, hiking, knitting, and spending time with her cats.

Alison Barbee, MPH 

Committee Co-Chair

Alison Barbee is a Communicable Disease Epidemiologist with the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. In her current role, she conducts case investigations and outbreak response, which includes providing education to the public and health providers on communicable diseases. Additionally, she also helps to maintain surveillance data and conducts epidemiologic analyses projects for the county. She has a BS in Wildlife Conservation from Colorado State University, where she also minored in Biomedical Sciences. She went on to earn a Master of Public Health with a dual focus in Epidemiology and 'Animals, People, & the Environment' from the Colorado School of Public Health. Her prior professional experience includes over a year as a Environmental Protection Specialist/ Health Educator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), five (5) years as a Biological Science Technician at the USDA-APHIS- Wildlife Services at the National Wildlife Research Center, and over four (4) years working as a Laboratory Technician for multiple research groups at Colorado State University. During her time at CDPHE, Alison managed and coordinated collaboration efforts with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School to develop a new Environment Health Education elective course that provides in depth education on environmental health hazards as well as reporting requirements for medical or healthcare students. Her passion began in veterinary medicine and wildlife conservation, which then expanded into public health as she believes in the one health initiative that people, animals and the environment are all interconnected. She believes that it is possible to address health inequities through fostering sustainable environmental practices, promoting equitable access to resources/services, and ensuring that food/water systems are safe for all. She is originally from Southern California (Ventura, CA) and now lives in Fort Collins with her husband, their dog and cat. Alison enjoys hiking, swimming, paddle boarding, crocheting, reading, baking (especially her sourdough), gardening, and spending time with her loved ones.

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