Skip to main content
MENU
search

BOARD/COMMISSION:  Environmental Health Tracking And Biomonitoring Advisory Panel

Address

MN Dept Of Health
PO Box 64882
St Paul, MN
55164-0882


Supporting Entity/Enabling Legislation Supported by Department of Health (MDH)

ENABLING LEGISLATION
M.S. 144.998
Enabled: 07-01-2007
Revisor of Statutes Link

Chair and Contact
CONTACT
Jessie Carr
(651) 201-5662
CHAIR
Ruby Nguyen
(612) 626-7559
TITLE
NAME
EMAIL
PHONE
PRIMARY
Contact #2
Jessica Nelson
jessica.nelson@state.mn.us
(651) 201-3610
No
Contact #1
Jessie Carr
jessie.carr@state.mn.us
(651) 201-5662
Yes
Contact #3
Rick Kipp
rick.kipp@state.mn.us
(651) 201-4900
No
TITLE
NAME
EMAIL
PHONE
PRIMARY
Chair
Ruby Nguyen
nguyen@umn.edu
(612) 626-7559
Yes
Membership

The committee shall have 13 members; specifications and restrictions for each are detailed in M.S. 144.998.

The commissioner of Health shall appoint nine members, the commissioners of the Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Agriculture shall each appoint one member, and the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader shall each appoint one member. None of the members may be lobbyists registered under chapter 10A.

As specified, a particular subset of 10 of the 13 members must have backgrounds or training in designing, implementing, and interpreting health tracking and biomonitoring studies or in related fields of science, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, laboratory sciences, occupational health, industrial hygiene, toxicology, and public health.

Member Info

COMPENSATION

  • Per Diem: $
  • Other Compensation: Expenses

MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

  • Requires Older Member - no
  • Requires Senate Approval - no
  • Members file campaign finance and disclosure - no
Entity Powers and Duties, Activity Summary

The advisory panel makes recommendations to the commissioner of Health and the Legislature on priorities for environmental health tracking and biomonitoring.

These include recommendations to study specific chronic diseases, environmental health exposures, chemicals, communities and geographical areas. The panel makes recommendations on aspects of the design, implementation, and evaluation of the environmental health tracking and biomonitoring system.

ACTIVITY SUMMARY

During FY 2021, the Environmental Health Tracking and Biomonitoring (EHTB) Advisory Panel held three full panel meetings. The panel provided critical external guidance and recommendations to support the work of the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Biomonitoring Program (MN Biomonitoring: Chemicals in People) and the MN Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (MN Tracking).

In these shortened virtual meetings, the panel heard updates on a variety of topics.  These topics included, but were not limited to, progress on the Healthy Kids Minnesota statewide biomonitoring program, biomonitoring laboratory method development overview, clinical urine mercury screening projects, and COVID-19 in Minnesota. 


The Advisory Panel were asked questions pertaining to the recruitment protocol for Healthy Kids Minnesota, establishing thresholds for children with elevated chemical levels, and strategies for addressing obstacles to expanding clinical urine mercury screening.

Meeting Information
Meetings typically last: 3
Meeting Frequency: Meetings are currently held three times each calendar year.

Meetings are held at:
St. Paul.


Fiscal Information
Annual Staff Hours: 872.00
Total Appropriations:
Appropriations Description:
Fiscal Year Expenses: $27,904.00

Expenses Description:

Open Positions (3)
POSITION SEAT AUTHORITY 21-DAY MIN GUARANTEE #SEATS ACTION
Citizen Member - Speaker Appointment Citizen Member #2 (Speaker Appt) Subcommittee on Committees of the House of Representatives 8/23/2021 1 APPLY
Scientist Rep Statewide Business Org. Scientist Rep Statewide Business Org. #2 Commissioner of Health 11/22/2023 1 APPLY
Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests Commissioner of Health 11/22/2023 1 APPLY
NAME POSITION APPLICATION DATE
Jacob Keller Citizen Member - Senate Appointment 5/18/2024
Amelia Pedrego Citizen Member - Senate Appointment 2/14/2025
Mrs. Awnetria Rahming Citizen Member - Senate Appointment 10/7/2024
Dr. Ruby Nguyen Scientist Rep. University Of Minnesota 4/25/2024
Bruce Alexander Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests 2/21/2025
Jennifer Lansing Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests 10/3/2024
Mr Joel Peterson Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests 6/3/2024
Mr Eugene Koprowski Esq. Citizen Member - Speaker Appointment 3/21/2025
No pending appointments found.
POSITION/SEAT
APPOINTING AUTHORITY
MEMBER NAME
STATUS
TERM END
ACTION
Direct Appointments
Commissioner Of Agriculture Appointee
Commissioner of Agriculture
Rajinder Mann
Filled
09/20/2026
Commissioner of Health Appointee from Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Division
Commissioner of Health
Jay Desai
Past Term End
01/02/2024
Commissioner Of Pollution Control Agency Appointee
Commissioner of the MN Pollution Control Agency
Sona Psarska
Filled
05/22/2027
Ex-Officio - Unit Supervisor
Commissioner of Health
Jessie Carr
Filled
05/22/2027
Current Members (10)
POSITION/SEAT
APPOINTING AUTHORITY
MEMBER NAME
STATUS
TERM END
Citizen Member - Senate Appointment
Citizen Member #1 (Senate Appt)
Senate Majority Leader
Amelia Pedrego
Filled
01/01/2027
Citizen Member - Speaker Appointment
Citizen Member #2 (Speaker Appt)
Subcommittee on Committees of the House of Representatives
Posted
National Business Org Rep Mn's Interests
National Business Org Rep Mn's Interests #3
Commissioner of Health
Lisa Yost
Filled
09/30/2026
Nongovernmental Org
Nongovernmental Org #1
Commissioner of Health
Eileen Weber
Filled
09/30/2026
Nongovernmental Org #2
Commissioner of Health
Jill Heins-Nesvold
Filled
09/30/2026
Scientist Rep Statewide Business Org.
Scientist Rep Statewide Business Org. #1
Commissioner of Health
Sarah Kleinschmidt
Filled
09/30/2026
Scientist Rep Statewide Business Org. #2
Commissioner of Health
Thomas Hawkinson
Posted
08/30/2023
Scientist Rep. University Of Minnesota
Scientist Rep. University Of Minnesota
Commissioner of Health
Dr. Ruby Nguyen
Filled
07/01/2027
Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests
Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests
Commissioner of Health
Dr. Zeke McKinney
Posted
09/30/2023
Scientist, At Large, Rep. Minnesota's Interests #2
Commissioner of Health
Jennifer Lansing
Filled
04/30/2027
ALL BOARDS/COMMISSIONS

© 2025 Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State - Terms & Conditions
The Office of the Secretary of State is an equal opportunity employer