American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Becky J. Smith, Ph.D., CHES, CAE

Executive Director,  American Association for Health Education

Dr. Becky J. Smith completed both a Bachelors and Masters degree at the New York State University at Brockport. Her doctoral studies were completed at the University of Illinois with a major in Health and Safety Studies and minors in Labor and Industrial Relations and History and Philosophy of Education.

Currently, Smith serves as the executive director of the American Association for Health Education and as a vice president of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Previous experience includes 12 years of teaching within health education professional preparation at institutions of higher education and nine years of public school teaching. She has held appointments at Ohio University, Illinois State University, and Indiana State University.

From 1991 through 2001, Smith served on the Board of Trustees of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), and as the regional director of the North American Regional Office (NARO) of IUHPE. She was a founding member and former vice chairperson of the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. From 1992-94, she served as the chairperson of the National School Health Education Coalition. Smith was a founder and former member of the board of directors of the Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education. Smith currently serves as the chairperson of the National Coordinating Committee on School Health. She is also a current member of the Board of the National Association of Health Education Centers.

Smith is a Fellow of the American School Health Association and a Charter Fellow of the American Association for Health Education. She is a member of the health education honorary, Eta Sigma Gamma and has received their Distinguished Service Award. In addition, she has received a Professional Service Award and Presidential Citation from the American Association for Health Education. She holds the following certifications: 1) Certified Association Executive (CAE), 2) Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), and 3) certified educator K-12 in New York and Illinois.

Smith has directed a wide diversity of projects in health education and health promotion funded by government, corporation, and foundation sources. She served as the editor of the Journal of Health Education from 1986 through 1997 and currently serves as the executive editor of the American Journal of Health Education and the International Electronic Journal of Health Education. She has served on more than 20 national advisory committees, and is the author of numerous publications and papers presented at national and international meetings.