Karen Ebey-Tessendorf, MPH, received the Jules S. Terry Memorial Award during the 2022 GPHA Annual Meeting and Conference on Jekyll Island. The Jules S. Terry Memorial Award was established to recognize an individual whose work has contributed to broaden the provision of health services to individuals. Dr. Terry’s request was that the award not be related to position or discipline, but open to all.

Ebey-Tessendorf has a BA in chemistry from Wheaton College and an MPH from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Ebey-Tessendorf has been the District Program Manager with North Central Health District since 2019. From July 2017 to January 2019, she was the Business Operations Director at the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College. She previously served as the District Program Manager (2013-2017) and Emergency Preparedness Director (2003-2013) for North Central Health.

Ebey-Tessendorf has more than 10 years of international experience in Haiti, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique. She worked for private voluntary agencies, international organizations, and the United States Agency for International Development as a health educator, community organizer, program coordinator, and administrator. Her areas of expertise include public health education, community development, public health emergency preparedness and program management.