Linda Helland

Linda is the team lead for the Climate Change and Health Equity Program of the California Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity. This Program works with national, state and local partners to embed health and equity into climate change policy and planning in California, and to embed climate change and equity in public health planning. Prior to joining the California Department of Public Health, Linda spent 14 years at Mendocino County Public Health, most recently as Senior Program Manager for the Prevention and Planning Unit, where she oversaw 16 programs working with community coalitions on chronic disease prevention, the built environment, alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention, and policy development to make the healthy choice a little bit easier and to prevent illness before it starts. Linda led her team to focus on reducing health inequities by training youth from under-represented communities to be advocates for policy change in their neighborhoods, schools and communities. Her team conducted health impact assessments on healthy food access, high alcohol outlet density, and the Ukiah Climate Action Plan. Since 2002 Linda has been engaged in land use and transportation planning to promote health, as a member of the Ukiah Planning Commission and Project Review Committee, the Mendocino County Blueprint Project Advisory Committee, the Ukiah Bike and Pedestrian Plan Advisory Committee, the Ukiah Main Street Program board of directors, as a founding board member of Walk and Bike Mendocino, by providing health and equity input to land use and transportation plans, by obtaining and carrying out active transportation policy and sustainability grants, and by earning a certificate in Land Use & Environmental Planning from UC Davis Extension. Linda obtained her BA in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College, and her Master of Public Health degree from San Jose State University. Linda is thrilled to do work that combines her two passions of health equity and climate change, and loves riding her bicycle to the Richmond Public Health campus.