The 2024 AIM Leadership in Action conference took place from December 10-12, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans and featured leadership development and training, AIM awards, and networking events. Scroll below to explore essential resources.
Conference Highlights
2024 AIM Award Winners
AIM recognizes that immunization program managers are central to the success of our nation’s immunization efforts. AIM members ensure vaccines reach the thousands of providers who provide COVID-19 vaccination and the 44,000+ providers and physicians enrolled in the Vaccines for Children program. Members do the hard and necessary work to lead the nation’s network of immunization programs—supporting information systems that track vaccinations, monitoring vaccination progress, containing outbreaks, and informing and educating consumers. They work year-round to develop and implement strategies to ensure that immunization coverage rates remain high, and that babies, adolescents, and adults are protected from vaccine-preventable disease.
AIM is proud to celebrate the hard work, innovation, and commitment to excellence shown by program managers throughout the nation.
The Natalie J. Smith, MD Award is presented in memory of AIM member Natalie J. Smith’s outstanding management and leadership skills. It was established to recognize the contributions of an immunization program manager who has demonstrated the high ideals, innovation, and commitment to excellence in immunization practices that characterized Dr. Smith’s career. The award recognizes accomplishments and visionary leadership that have had a significant impact on achieving city, state, territory, and/or national vaccine-preventable disease goals and is the highest form of recognition for immunization program managers.
2024 Winner: Ron Balajadia, MS, Immunization Branch Chief, Immunization Branch, Hawai’i Department of Health
This year’s winner, Ron Balajadia, MS, is a passionate leader in the AIM community and also a 2024 inductee into the AIM Hall of Fame. He previously received the AIM Impact Award and has served in various leadership positions over the past 20 years including AIM Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and multiple terms on the Executive Committee. Ron’s accomplishments in his home state include establishing a statewide school-located vaccination program, HPV school requirement, and a comprehensive pandemic vaccination program involving more than 150 partners from over 90 organizations. As a longtime AIM member, Ron has worked diligently to build a strong community for the Pacific Islands and remains a consistent and vocal champion for Pacific Island programs and the unique challenges they face.
The AIM Rising Star Award recognizes a new program manager who demonstrates effective leadership and potential for growth within AIM. Awardees are engaged with peers and partners across the country and demonstrate a desire to impact the broader immunization community.
2024 Winner: Emman Parian, MPH, Immunization Program Manager, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, Division of Public Health Services, Northern Mariana Islands
Emman Parian, MPH, the program manager in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is a member of the AIM Executive Committee, serves as co-chair of the AIM Adult Immunization Committee, and is a member of the 2024 AIM Conference Planning committee. He regularly attends the AIM U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) monthly calls, has shared his program’s work and lessons learned in the AIM Quarterly Peek, and was a speaker on vaccine confidence for an AIM educational webinar.
2024 Winner: Merideth Plumpton, RN, Immunization Program Manager, Vermont Department of Health
Merideth Plumpton, the program manager in Vermont, is a member of the AIM Member Engagement Committee, a regular attendee of AIM Member Meetups, and was a featured speaker on an AIM roundtable discussing financing for the Vermont adult immunization program. Merideth also featured her programmatic lessons learned in a volume of the Quarterly Peek.
The AIM Partnership Award recognizes an AIM partner who has worked with AIM to address an issue important to AIM members. Award winners’ work must involve collaboration and shared responsibility with AIM to implement a project that delivers a valuable resource or service to AIM members. Past award winners have been from academic institutions, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, the public health community, and the private sector.
This year’s winner, AIRA, has been integral to immunization programs in supporting their use of immunization information systems (IIS) and continuing the advancement of the nation’s leading public health information infrastructure. Founded in 1999, AIRA serves the IIS community and works tirelessly to bring the IIS and program manager communities together. AIRA’s work to improve the quality and use of data and data systems has improved immunization program management and vaccination coverage rates across the lifespan. With AIRA and AIM advocating collectively for the advancement of IIS and immunization, we are stronger, more powerful, and more influential. AIRA continues to foster collaboration among IIS and immunization programs, organizations, communities, and public health professionals and provides valuable resources to all immunization programs and partners.
The Bull’s-Eye Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization recognizes programs whose immunization strategies have “hit their mark,” achieving goals and increasing awareness by encouraging replication in other programs. This award is presented annually to three state, territorial, or urban area immunization programs (awardees) in recognition of an outstanding immunization initiative.
2024 Bull’s-Eye Award Winners
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for their initiative Immunization Public Health Detailing: An Innovative Approach to Improving Vaccination Coverage
Indiana Department of Health Immunization Division for their initiative Thinking Outside the Box – Pharmacies as VFC Providers
Virginia Department of Health Division of Immunization for their initiative Virginia Vaccines for Children (VVFC)
Sarah Leeds has served on numerous committees, including the Executive Committee, Health Equity Committee, Member Engagement Committee, and the Conference Planning Committee. She also participated in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Working Group. Sarah also serves as an AIM Peer Connect mentor and continues to answer many calls to help and support the AIM organization and their fellow program managers.
Dave McCormick has served on multiple AIM committees including the Adult Immunization Committee and the Conference Planning Committee. He has participated in the CDC VFC Listening Session and the AIM Emerging Issues Summit. Dave also serves as an AIM Peer Connect mentor to new members and has shared his programmatic wisdom and lessons learned in the Program Manager Knowledge Hub. Dave is a true leader for program managers in his region and beyond.
The AIM Impact Award recognizes a program manager who has dedicated significant time, expertise, and experience toward achieving AIM’s organizational goals—such as fostering member connection and contributing to sound immunization policy.
2024 Winners: Sarah Leeds, MPH, Immunization Program Manager, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Dave McCormick, Immunization Division Director, Indiana Department of Health
AIM’s Hall of Fame Award recognizes an individual’s leadership, commitment, and outstanding contributions to the immunization program manager community and the vision of a nation free of vaccine-preventable disease.
2024 Inductee: Ron Balajadia, MS, Immunization Branch Chief, Immunization Branch, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
Ron Balajadia has over 20 years of experience working in the field of immunizations in the Pacific region. Ron participated in the first AIM strategic planning meeting in 2004 as the program manager in Guam, where he worked for 10 years. Later, he joined the Hawai‘i Department of Health as the immunization branch chief, where he has served for the last 10 years. He has participated in numerous AIM committees, including serving the second longest tenure as AIM chair. Ron has been instrumental in bringing the Pacific Islands program managers into the AIM community and bringing the AIM community to the Pacific Islanders. Ron was also the recipient of the 2016 AIM Impact Award and the 2024 Natalie J. Smith, MD Award for Excellence in Program Management.
2024 Inductee: Pejman Talebian, MA, MPH, Immunization Division Director, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Pejman Talebian served as AIM chair in 2003. During his tenure, AIM acquired its first funding and hired its first executive director. Pejman planned and facilitated monthly General Membership calls, took minutes, facilitated the AIM meeting for program managers in 2004, and worked closely with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to set up financial infrastructure so that AIM could accept its first cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pejman accomplished all this while leading the Massachusetts immunization program to some of the highest coverage rates in the country. Pejman served as AIM chair again in 2015, was the Natalie J. Smith, MD Award for Excellence in Program Management winner in 2017, and has served many years on the AIM Executive Committee.
2024 Inductee: Beth Rowe-West, RN, BSN, Retired Immunization Program Manager, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Beth Rowe-West served as AIM Chair in 2004 and facilitated the first AIM strategic planning meeting and was a vocal presence for AIM throughout the Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project (VMBIP). Beth served as program manager in North Carolina until 2013, during which North Carolina ranked at the top for childhood immunization coverage rates. Beth also started the AIM mentor program and launched the AIM Leadership Institute, contributing to the creation of AIM’s Leadership in Action conferences. Upon her retirement, she became a consultant for AIM and mentored new program managers, serving as member services director for six years. Beth won the AIM Natalie J. Smith, MD Award for Excellence in Program Management in 2006.
2024 Inductee: Laurel Wood, MPA, Retired Immunization Program Manager, Alaska Division of Public Health
Laurel Wood’s involvement with AIM goes all the way back to 1999, and even earlier, when she had a vision of a community for program managers to share their challenges, successes, and ideas. Laurel Wood was program manager in Alaska for 16 years, where she managed a vaccine depot, built a statewide IIS, and developed a statewide preparedness program. Laurel served as chair of AIM in 1999, was a recipient of an AIM Bull’s-Eye Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization, and won the Natalie J. Smith, MD Award for Excellence in Program Management in 2007.
2024 Inductee: Jane Zucker, MD, Retired Assistant Commissioner, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Immunization
Jane Zucker managed the New York City Bureau of Immunizations for 18 years. During this time, she promoted the importance of immunization information systems (IISs) and used the IIS and its data to increase participation in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. She was an AIM mentor, and received the AIM Natalie J. Smith, MD Award for Excellence in Program Management in 2015. Jane published numerous articles, chaired the AIM Research Committee, and encouraged immunization programs and partners to use data and evidence to drive their activities. She was involved in the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), serving on many workgroups, and encouraged program managers to get involved and share their opinions.
The Immunization Champion Awards honor up to one Champion from each of the 50 states, six major cities, and eight territories and federated states.
Conference Materials
These slide decks and accompanying resources were presented at the 2024 AIM Leadership in Action Conference. Stay tuned as AIM continues to work on adding all conference presentations and materials. For any questions or additional information, please contact us.
Breakout Session: Increasing Vaccine Access Through Specialty Providers - December 11, 2024
Session Description: Partnerships are key to increasing vaccine access. In this session, jurisdictions shared examples of specialty providers in order to expand access to vaccines. This session included success stories from those who have collaborated with community health workers, community-based organizations, and other unique partnerships.
Dr. Annie Eisenbeis received her Doctorate of Pharmacy from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and her Executive MBA from the University of Missouri Trulaske School of Business. She currently works as the Director of Practice Development at the Missouri Pharmacy Association and as the Lead Network Facilitator for CPESN Missouri. The programs under Dr. Eisenbeis’ management involve adapting innovative models and implementing step-by-step approaches for sustainable and scalable systems change. These include the collaborative research and development of a Community Health Worker curriculum specific for pharmacy technicians and incorporating health equity services into community pharmacy and public health spaces. In addition, she serves as the Vice President of the Missouri Immunization Coalition. Dr. Eisenbeis believes it is an honor and privilege to contribute to the growth of pharmacy services during this dynamic time for patient care and the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
Christy Gray is the Director of the Division of Immunization at the Virginia Department of Health. In this role, she is the state’s Immunization Program Manager overseeing the Vaccines for Children and Vaccines for Adults programs, the Virginia Immunization Information System, and other immunization data and outreach statewide programs. Christy has been in this position since 2017, and has 15 years of experience with the Immunization Program at the Virginia Department of Health and 20 years of experience in public health. Christy holds certifications in health education and healthcare technology. Christy has a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Virginia Tech, a Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University, and is a DrPH Candidate at Tulane University.
Dr. Ryan Malosh has over 15 years of experience in the conduct and analysis of epidemiologic field studies of influenza and other vaccine preventable diseases. He earned a master’s degree in public health with a focus on global health and epidemiology in 2009 and a doctorate in Epidemiologic Sciences from the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UM-SPH) in 2015. He then joined the faculty at UM-SPH where he conducted research on household transmission of respiratory viruses, vaccine effectiveness, and the safety and efficacy of antiviral treatments. His main scientific contributions have included the development of a theoretical framework to examine factors associated with vaccine uptake in households with children and an examination of indirect (or community) effects of influenza vaccine in households. He has also led research on social and racial disparities in the incidence and outcomes of acute respiratory infections. He has over 40 publications, including several top scientific journals. In July 2021, he joined MDHHS as a project manager focusing on COVID-19 surveillance and joined the Division of Immunizations in November 2021.
Breakout Session: Adult Programmatic Framework - December 11, 2024
CDR Sam Graitcer is Lead for the Provider Compliance and Quality Assurance Team in the Immunization Operations Services Branch in ISD. He joined CDC as an EIS Officer in the Influenza Division and served as ISD’s pandemic vaccine program preparedness lead prior to his current position. He is a board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine and a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service.
Marie Hartel is the Program Director for the Tennessee Department of Health Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program, overseeing the administrative, IIS, and data management operations of the program. She joined the immunization community in May 2020, previously serving as the IIS Manager and IIS Deputy Manager. Marie has a Master of Public Health degree and more than a decade of experience supporting the design, implementation, and management of state data systems.
Heather Roth (she/her) is the Immunization Branch Chief at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In this position, she develops strategic direction and policies for the state’s immunization program. Heather holds a Masters degree in International Human Rights and a Certificate in Global Health Affairs from University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies as well as a Bachelors degree in Political Science and French from the University of Notre Dame. A Colorado native, Heather’s previous experience includes program management for the Colorado Immunization Information System and the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition. She is past president of the American Immunization Registry Association and will become chair of the Association of Immunization Managers in December 2024.
Conference Agenda
The 2024 conference agenda consists of leadership development training, collaborative meeting opportunities with colleagues, face-to-face time with CDC and other federal partners, and networking opportunities with partners in the immunization space.
Conference Exhibits and Sponsorships
AIM would also like to extend another huge thank you to Corporate Alliance, who make these valuable events possible. We encourage you to keep in touch and work with these committed partners all year long.
Click here for more details about joining Corporate Alliance. Please contact Katelyn Wells, Chief Research, Evaluation, and Development Officer, for additional information.
If you have questions or need additional information about the AIM 2024 Leadership in Action conference, please contact AIM.