PRESS RELEASE
(For immediate release)
HERO announces winners of 2022 Health & Well-Being Awards
The annual HERO awards honor dedication and commitment to the advancement of health and well-being.
Fernandina Beach, FL (September 26, 2022) – The Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) recognized outstanding contributions by workplace professionals within the health and well-being industry during the HEROForum22 annual conference on Amelia Island in Florida. The conference was the first return to in-person events for HERO and many attendees and was held at the Omni Amelia Island Resort in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Award recipients included: Wendy Lynch, PhD (Bill Whitmer Leadership Award), Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, (Mark Dundon Research Award), Megan Hammes, MS (Heart of HERO Award), and Anneliese Murphree, (Healthy HERO Award). In addition to the HERO Health & Well-being Awards, HERO’s CEO & President, Karen Moseley also presented the prestigious President’s Award to Jessica Halem, MBA, Senior Director of The Eidos LBGTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania; and Eduardo Sanchez, MD. MPH, FAHA, Chief Medical Officer for Prevention at the American Heart Association. In her presentation remarks, Moseley commended Halem and Sanchez for their decades-long commitment to health equity and intentional inclusion.
“HERO is proud to recognize these individuals who are making meaningful impact on the science and practice of health and well-being,” said Karen Moseley, HERO President & CEO. “Being back in person after more than two years of uncertainty and virtual events, it is an honor to gather together and honor these individuals for their work.”
About the recipients:
- Bill Whitmer Leadership Award Wendy D. Lynch, PhD, is the founder of Analytic-Translator.com. For 35 years, Lynch has been making the connection between human and business performance. At heart, she is a sense-maker and translator: nerd-to-corporate and corporate-to-nerd. Wendy runs a consulting firm and holds an adjunct position of Associate Professor at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Her current research efforts focus on the application of big data solutions in human capital management. A consultant to numerous Fortune 100 companies, her career includes positions of faculty at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Vice President of Strategic Development at HCMS Group, Principal at Mercer Human Resource Consulting, and Board of Directors for two publicly traded firms. A frequent speaker, and author of over 100 articles and reports, Lynch has also published three books: Who Survives;Aligning incentives, information, and choice and, most recently, Get to What Matters.
- Mark Dundon Research Award Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH, is an independent consultant on evidence-based, best practice approaches to worksite wellness initiatives and program evaluation. She is a worksite wellness thought leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing individual and population health. Serving the past 20 years as an outcomes researcher and program evaluation consultant, Grossmeier has executed research studies demonstrating health and financial outcomes for wellness programs sponsored by numerous large, national employers. Grossmeier has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed and industry professional journals and has presented at more than 100 industry events and webinars. More recently, her research has focused on identifying best practice approaches to workplace wellness initiatives that are associated with superior health and business outcomes. She enjoys sharing her expertise by mentoring mid-level career professionals, speaking at industry national conferences, and serving on industry advisory boards. Grossmeier is the author of Reimagining Workplace Well-Being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence.
- Heart of HERO Award Megan Hammes, MS, MCHES, is the senior director of UI Wellness at the University of Iowa, where she provides leadership for initiatives and policies designed to support the whole-person well-being of 20,000+ faculty and staff including an academic medical center. The liveWELLprogram at the University of Iowa has won numerous recognitions including a Healthy Iowa Award, Blue Zones Certified Worksite, C. Everett Koop National Health Award Honorable Mention, and National Wellness Challenge Winner from the Building Healthier Academic Communities (BHAC) organization. Hammes serves as a planning co-chair for the HERO University Summit and associated HERO Universities Unmuted webinars. She is certified as a health and wellness coach, a resilience & thriving facilitator, a Make it Okay Ambassador and is a master certified health education specialist (MCHES).
- Healthy HERO Award, sponsored by WorkPartners, a health and productivity solutions company and affiliate of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and UPMC Health Plan, recognizes individuals who have improved their overall health and well-being by making a significant lifestyle change. The 2022 Healthy HERO Award recipient is Anneliese Murphree, Director of Faculty Recruitment and Program Innovation at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.
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Crystle Helderman, HERO, Director of Communications / (408) 516-4472 / crystle.helderman@hero-health.org
About HERO – HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization) is a not-for-profit,
501(c)(3) corporation that was established in 1996. HERO is dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices that improve the health and well-being of employees, their families, and communities. To learn more, visit www.hero-health.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/heroehm; Twitter @heroehm and on LinkedIn.
