Title
To honor and recognize Michael P. Smeltzer for his 40 years of exemplary public health service to Columbus Public Health and thank him for his commitment to the residents of the City of Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, Michael Smeltzer grew up in Los Angeles, California and decided to study at The Ohio State University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology; and
WHEREAS, Michael began his public health career at Columbus Public Health as a lab technician in 1970 where he earned $4.14 an hour; and
WHEREAS, Michael was promoted to a lab supervisor position where he managed a staff of ten and was in charge of budget oversight, grant acquisitions, purchasing, research and other protocols; and
WHEREAS, Michael became the director of the Columbus Public Health Sexually Transmitted Disease and HIV/AIDS Program; establishing some of the earliest AIDS tests in Columbus, making it one of the first health departments to provide HIV testing in Ohio; and
WHEREAS, Michael’s desire for community improvement led him to obtain his Master’s in Public Health in Laboratory Practice and Parasitology; and
WHEREAS, Michael’s advocacy extended beyond the basic testing of persons for HIV/AIDS, but included his backing of counseling and supportive services for persons diagnosed with HIV in the community; and
WHEREAS, Michael developed an extensive professional resume at Columbus Public Health and during his tenure served as a Laboratory Technologist, an Ambulatory Services Laboratory Director, worked in the Office of Public Health Standards, served as a Violence Prevention Team Leader, and was employed as the Director of the Division of Planning and Peak Performance; and
WHEREAS, Michael’s broad management and leadership roles at Columbus Public Health over the years helped him to become known across Ohio as the "go-to guy" when it came to information about national public health issues, he served as Ohio's lead representative to the American Public Health Asso...
Click here for full text