Scott A. Uhlich, BSEHS, MCP

Director, Environmental Health

Division of Public Health

Georgia Department of Human Resources

Atlanta, GA 30303

Biography

Scott A. Uhlich is Director of Environmental Health Services for the Division of Public Health, Georgia Department of Human Resources.  Mr. Uhlich is responsible for directing the activities of the Division's Land Use Program; Food Service, Tourist Accommodations and Public Swimming Pool Program; Chemical Hazards Program; and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 

Mr. Uhlich previously served as Director of the Division's Land Use Program responsible for on-site sewage management systems and non-public water supplies.  Mr. Uhlich served on the task force that developed the Rules and Regulations for On-Site Sewage Management Systems and the Department's Technical Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems.  Mr. Uhlich serves on the Department of Human Resources Technical Review Committee, which is responsible for approving alternative on-site sewage systems used in the state of Georgia.  In March, 2008, the United States Environmental Protection Agency recognized Mr. Uhlich and the Georgia On-Site Sewage Management System Program for improving onsite system performance and commitment to protecting public health and the environment.

Mr. Uhlich has 29 years of experience working in environmental health programs.  He began work as a County Environmental Health Specialist in Gwinnett County, Georgia.  Mr. Uhlich served as District Environmental Health Director for the Northeast Health District and was responsible for directing the environmental health programs for the 10 county health district.  Mr. Uhlich has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health Science from the University of Georgia and a Masters Degree in Land Use Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology.  He is a member of the Georgia Environmental Health Association and the Georgia Public Health Association.  Mr. Uhlich received recognition as the Environmentalist of the Year from the Georgia Public Health Association in 1995.

Leadership Development Opportunities

I decided to apply to the Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI) program as an opportunity to learn new leadership skills.  I was particularly interested in the "Systems Thinking" approach to program development.  As I began to grasp the concept, I found the approach to be a useful way of identifying program objectives and the interrelationships involved in reaching those objectives.  I found myself not only focusing on my perceived objective but also on the potential adverse actions or unintended consequences that might occur through meeting these objectives.  As a result, I find myself better prepared to address these unintended consequences and potential adversaries by utilizing this Systems Thinking approach.

Through the Myers Briggs Type indicator, I now understand why other people don't see it my way.  I have a better understanding of how I perceive information and how others may perceive the same information.  This has allowed me to better communicate with others and develop consensus toward addressing issues.  The Skillscope tool helped me understand my strengths and weakness as a leader.  I was pleased to find my peers identified more strengths than I though I had, which improved my confidence in my leadership abilities.  More importantly, I have worked to improve my leadership abilities in areas identified as needing improvement.

I enjoyed the relationships developed with the other EPHLI cohorts.  We all seem to face similar issues in our work.  The exchange of information on how others have addressed various environmental health issues, what worked and more importantly what didn't work, has been very beneficial.