MPHA 2026 Annual Conference
Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine
MPHA’s annual conference is the largest public health gathering in Maine. Every year, it features a broad array of programs and projects that address individual and community health, and demonstrate strategy, creativity, and innovation in tackling public health challenges.
This year’s conference, Nourish to Flourish: Cultivating Healthy Communities for Today and the Future, will explore efforts that nourish and sustain people and communities. Grounded in the foundations of health, Nourish to Flourish returns to the basics of public health by centering essential needs like food systems, safety, housing, healthcare, clean air and water, and community as the building blocks of well-being.
The conference will showcase initiatives that bring together public health practitioners, community members and leaders, and other partners committed to helping Mainers thrive, now and for generations to come.
Registration Information
MPHA members receive a discounted registration rate! We encourage you to join today to receive this benefit and many others. You can learn more about membership at our website: www.mainepublichealth.org. You save money by joining MPHA and registering at the member rate, vs. registering as a non-member- so join today!
If you are a member, you may access your discounted registration link by logging in to your member profile and clicking "Upcoming Events."
- Select the 2026 Annual Conference, which will redirect you to EventBrite where your registration discount will be automatically applied.
- Your membership must be "Active" to receive the discount (so please be sure to renew first if your membership has expired). If this is the first time you've logged in to your member profile, you will need to enter your email and request a password reset link.
Regular Member Registration Rates:
- Individual members: $110 plus processing fees
- Alliance members: $100 plus processing fees
- Sustaining members: $90 plus processing fees
- Student, Early Career, Retiree, CHW/LHO/Community Member: $75 plus processing fees
REGISTER AS AN MPHA MEMBER HERE
The Non-Member Registration Rate is $275 plus processing fees.
Please note: EventBrite charges a service fee for invoices (even check payments), and a service and processing fee for credit card payments. If these fees are prohibitive, please email info@mainepublichealth.org and we will invoice you separately.
Keynote Speaker: Shelley Hearne, DrPH, MPH
Director, Johns Hopkins Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy, Deans Sommer & Klag Distinguished Professor, and Founder of Trust for America's Health
The New Bellwether: What Maine Teaches Us About the Future of Public Health
For decades, California set the pace for public health policy. Today, attention is shifting to Maine, an emerging model of innovation, pragmatism, and bipartisan problem-solving. Why is this happening? What contributes to Maine leading in this way, especially in a challenging time for public health? As an “advocate from away,” Shelley will reflect on Maine’s growing influence and the conditions that have enabled its progress, serving as a bellwether for the rest of the country. The talk will highlight the often-overlooked foundations of public health: infrastructure, workforce, and relationship building. As momentum builds for change, the central challenge is maintaining sustained investment and political will, while also building trust. This session offers a lens on how Maine is meeting the moment and how public health professionals can continue building on this momentum to improve public health.
Plenary Panel:
Rooted in Community: Food as a Catalyst for Health
This panel will focus on community-driven initiatives that showcase support for food security, nutrition, and culture. Panelists will share perspectives from their programs and communities that have helped build innovative systems, increase access to nutritious food, and promote healthy living.
Speakers:
- Jimmy DeBiasi, Executive Director, Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets
- Silvan Shawe, Executive Director, Cultivating Community
- Mark McBrine, Director, Maine Department of Corrections Farm to Table Program
- Keyana Pardilla, M.S. (Penobscot and Passamaquoddy), Director, Our Sacred Relations Division at Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness
Moderator:
- Courtney Kennedy, M.Ed., B.S., Director of Nutrition and Education, Good Shepherd Food Bank – Maine
2026 Conference Program
Support Opportunities
If you have questions about supporting our conference, please contact us: info@mainepublichealth.org.
Thank You to Our 2026 Annual Conference Supporters!
Gold Supporter
Silver Supporters
Bronze Supporters
Ally Supporters
Friend Supporter
Thank You to Our 2026 Annual Conference Exhibitors!
ADEPT Educational Institute of Maine • American Heart Association • American Lung Association • Andwell Health Partners • Broadreach Public Relations • Children's Oral Health Network of Maine • Consumers for Affordable Health Care • CSL Seqirus • BME Strategies • GSK Vaccines • Help Me Grow Maine & ECE Consultation for Me • LymeTV • Madrigal Pharmaceuticals • Maine Cancer Foundation • MaineCare • Maine CDC Radon Program • Maine Community Health Worker Initiative • Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets • MaineGeneral's Peter Alfond Prevention & Healthy Living Center • Maine Children's Alliance • Maine Immunization Coalition • Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition • Market Decisions Research • MCD Global Health • Merck • New Season • Northeast Atlantic and Caribbean Hub, Mental Health Implementation Support • Permanent Commission On The Status Of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations • Physicians for Social Responsibility • Maine Teens to Trails • University of Maine Augusta • University of Maine Institute of Medicine • University of New England, Graduate Programs in Public Health • University of Southern Maine • Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness • WIC Maine
Unauthorized Vendors and Unofficial Solicitations Notice
At MPHA, we prioritize the security of our sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees. Unfortunately, scammers often target events like our annual conference, falsely claiming to provide attendee mailing lists, contact information, or other data.
These emails are not from MPHA and are not legitimate. MPHA does not sell, rent, or share attendee lists. We will never contact you offering attendee data for purchase.
Any legitimate communication from us regarding the conference will only come from staff at MPHA, and from the @mainepublichealth.org domain.
If you receive one of these spam emails, we recommend deleting it. Please do not respond or provide any payment information. If you do receive a message like this, we encourage you to report it to the FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
If you have questions or want to verify whether a message is genuinely from MPHA, please reach out to us directly via info@mainepublichealth.org.