The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is pleased to announce the winners of its 2026 AMCHP Annual Awards. The awards will be presented at the 2026 AMCHP Annual Conference, held March 7-10 in Washington, DC. Recipients of the 2026 AMCHP Annual Awards include:
John C. MacQueen Lecture Award
For innovation in the field of maternal and child health (MCH)
Wendy Elizabeth Barrington, PhD, MPH
Wendy E. Barrington, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing in the School of Nursing and the Departments of Epidemiology and Health Systems and Population Health in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. She is an instructor of public health and healthcare practitioners focused on understanding and addressing the social determinants of health in practice and serves as the inaugural director of the Center for Anti-Racism and Community Health (ARCH).
As a health disparities researcher and social epidemiologist, Dr. Barrington’s work centers on promoting healthy communities and addressing racial disparities in clinical outcomes. She applies anti-racism and community-based participatory research (CBPR) frameworks to foster authentic community partnerships, amplify and connect cultural wisdom to public health and healthcare efforts, collaborate with and support the leadership of community-based workforces including doulas, and shift policy, practices, and processes to disrupt mechanisms of structural racism and discrimination that limit the accessibility and quality of public health and healthcare services.
Excellence in State MCH Leadership Award
For an outstanding state MCH professional whose career has made significant contributions to the health of women, children, and families in his or her state
Annette Mente, MA
Annette Mente is a respected MCH leader with 27 years of dedicated service in the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health. As Title V MCH Block Grant coordinator, she provides steady, values-driven leadership across administrations, expertly coordinating statewide MCH programs through major public health challenges while ensuring continuity of essential services. She has guided Hawaiʻi through five 5-year Title V needs assessments and 27 annual reports, supporting the state’s transition from primarily direct services to a population-based, data-driven, systems-focused framework. Annette is widely recognized for leveraging the Title V Block Grant to strengthen coordination across Hawaii’s 30 MCH programs, advance workforce development, promote cultural responsiveness, and champion family engagement—all while supporting emerging leaders and fostering partnerships statewide.
Vince Hutchins Leadership Award
For leadership in promoting a society responsive to the needs of women, children, youth, and families
Laura Kavanagh, MPP
Until her retirement in December 2025, Ms. Kavanagh served as the Acting Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), providing strategic leadership for the nation’s vital MCH programs. Ms. Kavanagh oversaw MCHB’s significant budget ($1.7 billion), ensuring that programs were data-driven, transparent, and designed to achieve sustainable results. A distinguished public servant, Ms. Kavanagh dedicated her nearly 40-year career in government and academia to improving health outcomes for the MCH population, with an emphasis on teaching, mentoring the next generation of MCH professionals, and advancing a diverse array of programs for underserved communities. She is a recipient of the prestigious 2019 Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award, an honor recognizing sustained, extraordinary accomplishments in public service and awarded to only 1% of the federal Senior Executive Service workforce.
Starting in April 2015, she served as MCHB’s Deputy Associate Administrator. Her extensive leadership experience within MCHB includes leading the MCHB Division of MCH Workforce Development; directing the MCHB Division of Research, Training and Education, and spearheading the MCHB Autism Initiative, a cross-division program focused on research and training. Prior to federal service, Laura conducted health policy research at Georgetown University’s National Center for Education in MCH and taught in the graduate public policy program. Research areas included an evaluation of the national MCH training program, development of MCH performance measures, effectiveness of outreach strategies in assuring access to children’s health services, and evaluation of a community-based MCH program, Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children.
She is a graduate of the University of Virginia (Echols Scholar) and Georgetown University, where she received a master’s degree in public policy with an emphasis on health policy analysis.
Merle McPherson Family Leadership Award
For exemplary contributions to further family/professional collaboration within the state Title V program and AMCHP
Eileen Auer Bennett, MBA
Eileen Auer Bennett has spent over 30 years personally and professionally advocating for Colorado to build and improve systems that ensure all families can access early childhood services. As the mom of a daughter who had complex medical issues, Eileen learned first-hand the complexity and difficulty that families encounter in accessing supports, especially for children with disabilities. 20 years ago, her personal journey led her to being asked to become the Executive Director of Assuring Better Child Health & Development (ABCD), a statewide nonprofit whose vision is for all children to have access to services that promote healthy development. With her leadership, ABCD has become locally known and nationally recognized in actively shaping and championing progressive early childhood policies and equitable access to comprehensive, high-quality perinatal early childhood services for young children and their families.
Eileen’s passion is working with professionals and families to ensure their living experiences are the key drivers in capacity building and advocacy efforts so that families and young children receive accurate information and early intervention during key developmental windows to support optimal early childhood health and well-being. Eileen is currently the co-chair of the Colorado Early Childhood Screening and Referral Policy Council, and a co-chair of the Colorado Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant.
Eileen’s interests include spending time with her 3-year-old granddaughter and volunteering at Children’s Hospital Colorado to ensure her daughter Naomi’s legacy continues by supporting the Beads of Courage program, dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and teens coping with serious illness.
Ryan Colburn Scholarship Award
For a young adult who identifies as having special healthcare needs or disabilities to attend the AMCHP Annual Conference, grow as a leader in MCH, and continue to honor Ryan’s legacy
Riley Patterson
Riley Patterson is a Youth Consultant for Children’s Rehabilitation Service in Muscle Shoals, Ala., a division of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Riley was born profoundly deaf in both ears and hears with cochlear implants. Growing up, she was determined to live her life to the fullest, and now she works to help other young people with disabilities do the same.
Riley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Health from the University of North Alabama, where she was a member of the dance team and the director of Wellness and Inclusion for her Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Riley is continuing her dance career as a coach for a high school dance line.
Emerging MCH Professional Award
For outstanding state or local MCH professionals under age 45 whose work has made substantial contributions to their state’s MCH program, their state’s MCH outcomes, or made other significant contributions to promoting and protecting the health of women, children, and families in their state
Region I – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut
Courtney Smalt, MPH, CHES, MID
Courtney is a Certified Health Education Specialist, holding master’s degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in Public Health and International Development. She has worked in global and community health with a particular focus on sexual, reproductive, and maternal health. She joined the Vermont Department of Health’s Division of Family and Child Health in 2022 and has since served as the Title V Block Grant Coordinator and the Reproductive and Maternal Health Program Manager. Courtney oversees the division’s portfolio of family planning grants, including Title X and the Maternal Health Innovation Grant.
Courtney was the co-lead for Vermont’s Title V Needs Assessment and facilitated the program’s performance measure selection process last year. Over the last few years, she has been part of developing multiple strategic plans to ensure alignment with Title V priorities, including Vermont’s first maternal health strategic plan. She is also one of the leads for the state’s maternal health task force and is looking forward to using the cross-sections of her role to advance maternal health in Vermont.
Region II – New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Rebecca Shoaf Kozak, PhD, LICSW, MPH
Dr. Rebecca Shoaf Kozak is the Director of Special Projects and Quality Improvement in the MCH Unit within the Family Health Services Division of the New Jersey (NJ) Department of Health (DOH). In this role, Dr. Kozak assists in overseeing the Title V program portfolio by supporting program managers across all population health domains. Additionally, she engages in quality improvement efforts to strengthen process and outcome evaluation procedures to bolster and optimize program functioning.
Before coming to the NJ DOH, Dr. Kozak worked for ten years in substance use treatment, most recently directing dual diagnosis residential centers in Boston for pregnant and parenting women. As a Clinical Social Worker and Public Health Researcher, Dr. Kozak applies her clinical experience to her current role by creating and supporting innovation in health policy and is humbled by the opportunity to support and serve the diverse residents of NJ.
Region III – Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia
Makaila Davis, MS
Makaila Davis is a nationally recognized public health and community justice leader committed to advancing health equity, protecting vulnerable youth, and expanding pathways for women and girls, particularly young mothers and young women of color. She is the Founder and Chairwoman of Angels Protection Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to maternal mental health, harm reduction, and women’s leadership development for young women ages 13–20. Her leadership has been honored at the local, state, and national levels. In 2025, Davis received the Horizon Youth Award from Self, Inc., recognizing young leaders shaping the future of community advocacy and social impact. She is also a four-time award recipient from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, at both the national and local levels, reflecting her academic excellence, community leadership, and sustained commitment to uplifting women and girls.
Davis has successfully secured and executed multiple competitive grants supporting the work of Angels Protection Inc., including the 2025 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Ivy Legacy Foundation Community Grant and the 2023 Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation Community Assistance Award. In 2024, she received the Bell of Hope Award in the Innovator Peer Category from Mental Health Partnerships for her contributions to mental health advocacy, and her work was featured on FOX 29 News during its Women’s History Month special highlighting leaders advancing equity for women and children. In 2023, Davis was appointed as the first Social Justice Ambassador for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the Delaware County region, supporting anti-discrimination initiatives, youth education, and community-based justice outreach. A strong advocate for women in the legal profession, she leads a mentorship initiative connecting young women to executive professionals and career pathways. Through research, policy engagement, and community-based programming, Makaila Davis continues to shape national conversations on public health, justice, and women’s leadership.
Region IV – Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi
Alice Irby, MPH, MS
Alice Irby, MPH, MS, began her Alabama Department of Public Health career in Vital Records. Presently, she is a Senior Epidemiologist, and her major focus areas are the MCH Block Grant and State Systems Development Initiative. Of the works that she has had an opportunity to work on, one of the most meaningful experiences was her State Health Assessment Community Engagement efforts. Outside of work, she is most proud of her volunteer board membership role with the non-profit Priscilla’s Path, which aims to provide reduced cost or free autopsies for stillborn and intrauterine fetal demises. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tuskegee University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Master of Science in Biology from Mississippi College. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and photography.
Region V – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Mary Ellen Potts, MPH
Mary Ellen Potts is the Director of Operations and Strategic Development within the MCH Division at the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH). In this role, she serves as the State Systems Development Initiative (SSDI) Project Director and oversees the division’s evaluation, operations, and strategic initiatives grants. These grants include Title V and statewide infant mortality reduction funding. She received her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health – Community Health and her Master of Public Health (MPH) – Public Health Administration and Behavioral, Social, Community Health from Indiana University Bloomington. She is passionate about quality improvement, supporting collaboration across Indiana, and advancing health outcomes for women, children, and families. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two cats, and going to theme parks.
Region VI – Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Alexandra Simpson, MPH, CHW
Alexandra Simpson is a passionate public health professional with extensive experience in coordination, material development, and technical assistance. She is currently a Project Coordinator for the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (TEHDI) Program with the Texas Department of State Health Services. She is a native of Durham, North Carolina, and holds a Master of Public Health degree focused on maternal, child, and family health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Through the Texas Public Health Fellowship, Alexandra moved to Texas in 2023 and worked with the Community Health Improvement program in TX Public Health Region 8, providing programmatic assistance to staff around Title V topics for a year. Alexandra performs at the highest level with a professional background spanning from doula care to government-based healthcare and community engagement.
In just three years of career experience, Alexandra has become an integral member of the TEHDI team, serves as a board member for Durham Children’s Initiative, and lends her expertise to various non-profits. She is dedicated to building community no matter where she is. Recently, doing so as a Pillar Counselor, facilitating confidence building for Camp Founder Girls, a summer camp for Black girls. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring South Central Texas, dancing, and spending time with family and friends. Alexandra is committed to improving access to health knowledge and resources and overall contributing to better health outcomes, especially in maternal and family well-being.
Region VII – Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska
James Olson
James Olson serves as Iowa’s Title V Block Grant Coordinator. He has served in this role since 2013. He works with staff across Iowa Health and Human Services and the University of Iowa Division of Child and Community Health to plan and implement strong action plans to address Iowa’s top needs for the MCH population. James’ interests include early childhood and adolescent health issues. James has a Bachelor of Science in Child, Adult, and Family Services from Iowa State University. In his free time, he participates in a virtual book club and enjoys spending time with his nieces and nephews.
Region VIII – Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah
Angela Reinarts, RN, BSN
Angela (Angie) Reinarts serves as the Maternal Health Specialist with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, where she advances statewide efforts to improve maternal, paternal, and family health outcomes through collaboration, systems improvement, and family-centered care. An emerging leader in MCH, she brings nearly two decades of experience as a Registered Nurse with expertise in MCH, neonatal intensive care, and public health surveillance. Angie works across programs—including MCH, Family Planning, Men’s Health, and Refugee Health—to align strategic priorities, strengthen cross-program coordination, and promote a more holistic, inclusive approach to family health. She plays a key role in integrating men’s health into well-woman and postpartum initiatives, advancing comprehensive, family-centered models of care. She also serves on the Maternal Mortality Review Committee and the North Dakota Perinatal Quality Collaborative, contributing to statewide efforts to improve maternal safety and outcomes.
Through partnerships with community and statewide stakeholders, Angie supports the expansion of postpartum services, enhances referral pathways, and advances culturally responsive education for diverse populations. Drawing on her clinical and public health background, she translates strategic goals into practical, system-level improvements that strengthen care delivery and improve outcomes for families across North Dakota. Outside of her professional work, Angie is a wife and proud mother of three. She enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, reading, and playing golf.
Sophie Silverstone
Sophie Silverstone focuses on creating community connections to improve maternal outcomes at the Utah Women and Newborns Quality Collaborative (UWNQC). Some of her projects include creating audience-specific resource guides as part of the Utah Maternal Resource Guide, an online hub for affordable and accessible resources that she helped design and continues to maintain; partnering with community organizations to create focus groups and social connection events for Hispanic/Latina, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, and rural American Indian/Alaskan Native moms; and working to address birth trauma through patient engagement, provider training, and creating the Birth Trauma Resources website.
Sophie began working in public health as a COVID-19 contact tracer and specialized in helping refugee families. Before public health, Sophie worked in journalism, marketing, and professional figure skating, including in an ice circus in Mexico. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University. She is currently working on her master’s degree in public health from Utah State University.
Region IX – Nevada, California, Arizona, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands (American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Island, and Palau)
Caroline Johnny-Jibas
Caroline Johnny-Jibas serves as the MCH Director of the Republic of Marshall Islands. Caroline has made significant, long-lasting contributions to MCH in her region. She was instrumental in establishing the newborn screening program, creating systems that ensure coordination with U.S. partners, timely follow-up, and continuity of care for infants and families in a resource-limited island setting.
She also led the development and implementation of the ERASE-MM program, strengthening maternal mortality surveillance and review processes. Her efforts improved cross-sector collaboration and advanced data-driven decision-making in maternal health. Through her leadership and mentorship, Caroline has helped build stronger MCH systems and workforce capacity, improving maternal, infant, and child health outcomes across the islands.
Region X – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska
Maria Ness, MPH
Maria Ness is the Lead Research Analyst at the Oregon Health Authority’s Family and Child Health Section. Prior to this position, she served as the Program Evaluation and Surveillance Manager at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health. Ms. Ness is a graduate of the two-year CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship. She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Ms. Ness is a recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Award for Outstanding Epidemiology Practice in Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities.
In her current position, Ms. Ness provides assessment and evaluation leadership and support to Oregon’s Title V and home visiting programs. She provides mentorship for the CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship and various student internships. Her research is focused on perinatal and child epidemiology, particularly examining and ameliorating inequities experienced by marginalized communities.
Community Partnership Award
For an exemplary collaboration between Title V entities and community-based organizations
Metropolitan Ministries
Metropolitan Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The organization works to alleviate suffering, promote dignity, and instill long-term self-sufficiency through comprehensive and compassionate care.
With a vision to be one of America’s most effective caregivers to poor and homeless communities, Metropolitan Ministries delivers innovative programs that address immediate needs while creating pathways to lasting stability. Supported by committed staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners, the organization strengthens lives and builds more resilient communities.
Organization Contact: David Williams, CPC; Director of Residential Services
Innovation Hub Awards
Innovation Hub Awards recognize exceptional programs in the MCH Innovations Database that have demonstrated a positive difference in the MCH field
Innovation Hub Best Practice Award
For the highest-scoring practice in the MCH Innovations Database of the past year
1st Five Health Mental Development Initiative
The 1st Five Health Mental Development Initiative focuses on helping primary care practices incorporate developmental screenings and referrals into their workflow, ensuring more children receive the support they need. Primary care practices incorporate developmental screenings and referrals into their workflow, ensuring more children receive the support they need. Learn more about the practice in our database.
Practice Contact: Amy Robak; amy.robak@hhs.iowa.gov
Innovation Hub Practice Development Award
For a practice that has made substantial strides in moving up the Innovation Hub practice continuum and has grown to a significant level
Kids Network Safe Sleep Instructor Certification
The KIDS Network Safe Sleep Instructor (SSI) Certification trains health care professionals to deliver standardized safe infant sleep education and community outreach to parents/caregivers, childcare providers, health care providers, and the broader community to reduce infant sleep-related death. Learn more about the practice in our database.
Practice Contact: Maria Torres; ssidirector@kidsks.org
Innovation Hub Community Wellness Impact Award
For the practice in the MCH Innovations Database that demonstrates the strongest impact of supporting the health and wellness of a community
Ohio Department of Health Youth Homelessness Program
The Ohio Department of Health Youth Homelessness Program supports the work of local community organizations, taking an innovative approach to serve Ohio youth experiencing homelessness. Learn more about the practice in our database.
Practice Contacts: Sara Haig, MSW, LSW Lauryn Floring, MSW, LSW; Sara.Haig@odh.ohio.gov
