Hosted jointly by the West Central Alabama Community Health Improvement League (WCACHIL) and the UAB Sanitation Health Program, we extend our deepest gratitude to every community leader and member who joined us yesterday. Your presence and engagement made this year’s institute a true success.

A special thank you to:

• Sheryl Threadgill-Matthews, WCACHIL Director, and Ethel Johnson, WCACHIL Program Manager, for their leadership and ongoing partnership
• Ms. Afriye Wekandodis for opening the program with powerful affirmations
• Claudette Poole, MD (UAB SOM) and Amy Hutson Chatham, PhD, MSPH (UAB SOPH) for their leadership in implementing the Sanitation Health Program and other vital initiatives across the Black Belt
• Ms. Sherry Bradley, Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program, for serving as our keynote speaker
• And Jasmine S. Kennedy, MA (UAB SOM); Stacy McKean (H2 Alabama); Jillian Maxcy-Brown, PhD (Auburn University, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering); and Drew Capone, PhD (Indiana University, Capone Lab) for leading impactful sessions and sharing their expertise

We also thank all vendors who tabled and provided valuable resources and information to the community, as well as the Wilcox Central High School Health Science and Family & Consumer Science classes for their hard work. Your contributions are helping create lasting change in the Black Belt region.