Emerging Tobacco Products

Ms. Berkowitz has worked with Maryland’s tobacco control program since 1997. During her tenure she has served roles with increasing responsibility, serving as a Division Chief for ten years – providing oversight of the federal National Tobacco Control Program for Maryland; health communications efforts; youth and college coalitions; and other statewide initiatives, including the launch of the Maryland Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW. In 1999 and 2000, Ms. Berkowitz provided guidance to the Governor's Task Force to End Smoking in Maryland which formed the legislative and programmatic framework for Master Settlement Agreement dollars coming into Maryland and worked to form the current structure of Maryland's resulting tobacco control program.

Maryland was the fourth state selected by SCLC for a Smoking Cessation Leadership Academy and Ms. Berkowitz was one of the state public health leaders who helped plan and launch the initiative in June 2011. In March 2013, Ms. Berkowitz took over as the Director of Maryland’s Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control and continues to provide oversight, guidance, and expertise to local, state, and national tobacco control initaitives.

Ms. Berkowitz holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master's degree in Public Health, both from Tulane University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).

Amber E. Bullock is Executive Vice President, Program Development, for Legacy. Mrs. Bullock is a seasoned public health administrator and educator, with more than 30 years’ of experience working with various health professionals, researchers, clinicians, community-based organizations, and consumer groups on a range of behavioral risk factor public health issues.

Mrs. Bullock provides oversight and direction for the Foundation’s community technical assistance and training programs, priority population initiatives, youth activism programs, Legacy’s Partnership for Healthier Communities Initiative as well as grant and program dissemination tools and resources. Her special areas of expertise include tobacco related health equity programming, community capacity building and sustainability issues. During 2011 Mrs. Bullock served as guest co-editor of a special supplement of Health Promotion Practice which focuses on training and technical assistance lessons learned to sustain social norm issues in tobacco control.

Prior to joining Legacy, she served as Prospect Associates Ltd.’s Vice President of Public and Community Health Promotion and also as Director of the Coordinating Center for the National Cancer Institute’s American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) initiative. Over the course of her career she has provided technical assistance and training and managerial direction on a diverse range of public health and social justice issues including
women’s health, cardiovascular risk factors, multicultural competency, reproductive health, tobacco prevention, cessation programming and advocacy, youth/young adult health promotion, and HIV/AIDS. She previously served as Director of Education and Research for the American College Health Association, and worked early in her professional career for the American Heart Association, where she developed and managed a wide range of research administration, consumer health promotion, and professional education programs.

Mrs. Bullock received her public health master’s degree in community health education from San Jose State University, and her undergraduate degree in human development at California State University, Hayward. She is a chartered certified health education specialist as designated by The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Dr. Donald Shell completed his residency training in Community Health and Family Medicine in 1991 and fellowship training in Primary Care Sports Medicine and Adult Fitness Fellowship in 1992.

Dr. Shell has 18 years of experience in the field of public health. He is currently the Director of the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, and the Interim Director of the Center for Tobacco Use Prevention and Control in the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Dr. Shell’s work to improve the health of people and populations is based on the premise that the social determinants of health and health disparities must be considered and addressed. Dr. Shell believes that critical choices in and out of the control of people and populations, regarding their relationships, education, training, housing, employment, nutrition, finances, emotions, and substance use and spirituality, will shape and dictate their health.

By identifying the role and impact of these personal and societal behavioral norms, socioeconomic foundations, academic failures, societal regulations, policies, interpersonal realities, and cultural biases that directly and or indirectly influence an individual’s life experiences, Dr. Shell believes that each individual can improve their overall health and create opportunities to maximize their potential to succeed in and enjoy life.

As Senior Manager, Training and Technical Assistance at Legacy, Kristen develops and executes program development strategies and training and technical assistance projects. In this role, she provides customized technical assistance to various state and community groups, manages a project to integrate tobacco cessation into federally qualified health centers, and supports the development and delivery of trainings on various topics such as brief tobacco intervention for pregnant and postpartum women, Tobacco Control 101, and emerging issues in tobacco control. She also leads the internal Little Cigar and Cigarillo Working Group. Prior to joining Legacy, Kristen was the Assistant Director, State and Local Outreach at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and a Senior Policy Analyst for Tobacco Control at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. She is a graduate of Boston College.