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
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 • Augusta Comprehensive Treatment Center • Broadreach Public Relations • Children's Oral Health Network of Maine • City of Portland, Health and Human Services Department, Portland Public Health Division • Consumers for Affordable Health Care • CSL Seqirus • BME Strategies • Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous • GamFin • Gilead Sciences, Inc. • GSK Vaccines • Help Me Grow Maine & ECE Consultation for Me • LymeTV • Madrigal Pharmaceuticals • Maine Cancer Foundation • MaineCare • Maine CDC Breast and Cervical Health Program • Maine CDC Lead Poisoning Prevention Program • Maine CDC Radon Program • Maine CDC Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention & Control 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 • Partnerships for Health • 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 at Farmington • 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.
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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.
CME credits are available
CME and CHES credits are available:
UNE COM has requested that the AOA Council on Continuing Medical Education approve this program for a maximum of 5.0 hours of AOA Category 2-A CME credits. UNE COM designates this educational activity for a maximum of 5.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ UNE COM designates 5.0 University of New England contact hours for non-physicians. Contact hours may be submitted by non-physician, non-PA health professionals for continuing education credits. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Maine Medical Association through the joint providership of the University of New England, and Maine Public Health Association. University of New England is accredited by the Maine Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Sponsored by NEPHTC & YSPH, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 8 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours are 0. Provider ID #1131137. Event ID #PM1131137_10012026