Ted Evans

Chief, Consumer Health Services

Oklahoma State Department of Health

Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1299

Biography

Ted Evans is currently the Chief of Consumer Health Service at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Consumer Health Service regulates 23 licensing programs. He earned a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Ted has served as district delegate for the Oklahoma Society of Environmental Health Professional. He is a fellow of the Oklahoma Public Health Leadership Institute since 1998. Ted has received the Environmental Health Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Public Health Association. He has served on the Oklahoma Food Advisory Council, the Oklahoma Integrity Task Force, County Emergency Operation Planning Committee, and County Medical Emergence Response Center. Ted has been FDA standardized and is commissioned officer for FDA and the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. He has been employed as a county sanitarian, regional and quadrant environmental health supervisor, division director and service chief for 25 years.

What I Learned at EPHLI

Before Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute I had attended the Oklahoma Public Health Leadership Institute and gained some leadership skills. I had been using many of the principles taught at EPHLI. However, before I had not had a good grasp of how each component would fit together to move ideas and projects forward. Systems thinking is a great tool for me. I had used some of these principles to manage but never had a real clear picture of how everything fits together. The section on unintended consequences was really helpful to me. I will use those ideas daily on all decisions. Attending the institute has enhanced my ability to follow a process in order to more effectively solve problems.

The institute has allowed me to meet environmental health professionals from other states that have similar issues. These contacts will be valuable resources because many have already addressed issues that I will face in the future. I will have resources to contact to see what did and didn't work.

I am very fortunate to have been selected to attend EPHLI. The citizens of Oklahoma will benefit from the knowledge that I have gained from the institute for many years.