Catching up with Sarah Robbin

Sarah Robbin was a member of Cohort III.

At that time, she was an Environmental Health Specialist at El Paso County in Colorado Springs Colorado.

Since then, she has helped to create and grow the Body Art Committee at AFDO, worked for the State of Colorado in the Water Quality Control Division, moved back to Montana and worked for several counties performing retail food and other regulated program inspections.

Sarah has been a member of the WAFDO board for almost 10 years and has been Vice President, President, Past President, Secretary, and is now the Treasurer. She is currently president of her state’s NEHA affiliate organization, the Montana Environmental Health Association and is working to guide the organization to a strong future with other public health partners in the state.

Sarah has worked a few other positions, mainly assisting Tribes in the Western US with drinking water programs, but finally is working full time for the State of Montana at the Department of Public Health and Human Services as the Retail Food Program Lead.

In her role as the Retail Program Lead, Sarah is responsible for rule making, rule interpretation, training and education of all local and tribal (56 Counties and 8 Tribal Nations) inspectors, and progressing the state department and local or tribal jurisdictions enrolled in the FDA Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.

“What I learned during my fellowship year still guides some of the decisions I make today on rule interpretation. The philosophy and friends I gained are still part of my life today.” - Sarah Robbin