Plan4Health Day One

Mark Kulaas, FAICP, has more than 40 years of professional planning experience in a variety of urban and rural settings in Washington and Idaho. He retired in 2020 after a 26-year career as the Land Services Director for Douglas County, WA. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University’s Urban … Read More

Mark Kulaas, FAICP, has more than 40 years of professional planning experience in a variety of urban and rural settings in Washington and Idaho. He retired in 2020 after a 26-year career as the Land Services Director for Douglas County, WA. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University’s Urban and Regional Planning program and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the professional institute of the American Planning Association. In 2012, he was inducted into the College of Fellows for AICP. Mark is also an elected official. He was first elected as a city councilmember for the City of Wenatchee in 2003 and is now in his fifth consecutive term on the council. He has served on a variety of boards and commissions during his tenue on the council including Link Transit board of directors, Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center board of directors, State Building Code Council, chair of the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Legislative Priorities Committee. Mark holds the designation of Advanced Certified Municipal Leader bestowed by the AWC. Read Less

Bio for Melissa Oden, DHEd, LMSW-IPR, MPH, CHES® Melissa Oden is a Fort Worth, Texas native who earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Texas Wesleyan University in 1997. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2001, … Read More

Bio for Melissa Oden, DHEd, LMSW-IPR, MPH, CHES® Melissa Oden is a Fort Worth, Texas native who earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Texas Wesleyan University in 1997. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2001, a Master of Public Health in 2006 from the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, and a Doctor of Health Education (2011) from Andrew Taylor Still University School of Health Management. Dr. Oden has been practicing social work for 21 years and a public health practitioner for 16 years. Her work experience ranges from social work in hospital and long-term care settings, to teaching and public health education and community practice, to professional development training and project management for applied social research projects. Her current fieldwork focuses on and Emergency Management and Disaster Planning and developing cross-disciplinary collaborations between urban planners and public health professionals. She is currently founding CEO of Health Education Resources Network, a public health project management and health education consulting company. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker with Independent Practice Recognition (LMSW-IPR) and a Certified Health Education Specialist® (CHES®). She is an active member of the Texas Public Health Association (TPHA), serving on that organization’s Executive Board & Governing Council and as a Past President and Fellow. She is also a charter member and Past President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health Alumni Society Board. She is the recipient of the 2012 Texas Public Health Association Jessie A. Yoas Memorial Advocacy Award for continuing the important work of advocating of key public health issues. She was also recognized in 2014 by Texas Wesleyan University as an alumnus “Mover & Shaker”. Dr. Oden was recognized as an Outstanding Faculty in Research with Student Involvement in April 2018, and her Planners4Health Team was awarded the Promising Practice Award from the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) for their work in tornado recovery in Van Zandt County, Texas. Dr. Oden lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her 3-year-old orange tabby, Oliver. Read Less