Council Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the May 3, 2007 PCPFS Council meeting.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS)

Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 800
Washington DC 20201

Thursday, May 3, 2007
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

MEETING SUMMARY

Table of Contents

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

1.1 Council Members in Attendance
1.2 Council Members Absent
1.3 Other Attendees and Presenters

2. Chair's Report

3. Executive Director's Report

3.1 Lifetime Achievement Awards
3.2 Community Leadership Awards
3.3 Other Council and Related Activities

4. Special Presentations

4.1 General Mills
4.2 Community Leadership Awards
4.3 HealthierFeds Awards
4.4 President's Challenge Platinum Award

5. Corporate Fitness Subcommittee Update

6. Media Subcommittee Update

7. Special Presentation: Olympians for Life

8. Governors Update

9. Community/Youth Subcommittee Update

10. President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Program Update

11. President's Challenge Update

12. Awards Subcommittee Update

13. Other Business/New Plans/Wrap Up/Review

14. Adjournment

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

John Burke, Chair, PCPFS

Mr. Burke called the meeting to order and welcomed the members of the Council. Ms. Jane Wargo conducted the roll call.

1.1 Council Members in Attendance

John P. Burke, Chair
Dorothy G. (Dot) Richardson, M.D., Vice Chair
Denise Austin
Catherine M. Baase, M.D.
James (Nick) Baird, Jr., M.D.
Kirk M. Bauer
Paul Carrozza
Susan Dell (afternoon only)
Lillian Greene-Chamberlain, Ph.D.
Bill Greer
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
T.L. (Tedd) Mitchell, M.D.
Charles Moore
Jerry V. Noyce
Donna Richardson-Joyner
W. Edgar Welden, Sr.

1.2 Council Members Absent

Steven Bornstein
Elisha (Eli) Manning
Mary Lou Retton-Kelly
Andrew Roddick

1.3 Other Attendees and Presenters

Tynetta Dreher, PCPFS Program Staff Specialist
Melissa Johnson, PCPFS Executive Director
Adrienne Jordan, General Mills
Joey King, PCPFS Public Affairs Specialist
Leslie Liff, PCPFS Clerical Assistant
Jeff McClaine, President’s Challenge Program; Amateur Athletic Union
Chris Spain, PCPFS Director of Research, Planning, and Special Projects
Meredith Terpeluk, PCPFS Director of Outreach
Jane Wargo, PCPFS Program Analyst

2. Chair's Report

John Burke, Chair, PCPFS

John Burke welcomed the Council members and attendees. He said the Council had made a lot of progress, including the Lifetime Achievement Awards, the first President’s Challenge Platinum Awards, and the upcoming adult fitness test. He thanked Executive Director Melissa Johnson for her hard work and for obtaining more resources for the Council to further its efforts.

3. Executive Director's Report

Melissa Johnson, Executive Director, PCPFS

Ms. Johnson noted the White House had issued proclamations for National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and also for Older Americans Month (both in May) that include references to the Council and the President’s Challenge.

3.1 Lifetime Achievement Awards

Ms. Johnson announced the first Lifetime Achievement Award winners:

• Ken Cooper, M.D., the “father” of aerobics
• Jack LaLanne, fitness pioneer and television personality
• Bonnie Prudden, a founder of the President’s Council
• Bud Seretean, promoter of health and wellness education
• Judi Sheppard Missett, founder of Jazzercise, Inc.
• Joe Weider, publisher and bodybuilding and strength conditioning pioneer

The honorees would be announced at a public event in Washington, D.C., attended by Council members and HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt at lunchtime (May 3) in conjunction with the launch of Mayor Fenty’s Move D.C. effort to improve health and fitness in the city.

The honorees would also be recognized at an awards luncheon (also May 3) organized by the Council and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). Also, a reception in honor of the Lifetime Achievement Award winners would be held at the Capitol Hill Club in the evening.

3.2 Community Leadership Awards

The Council named the following individuals and organizations as winners of its first Community Leadership Awards:

• Donald Bergman, MD, FACE, New York, NY
• Lee Blackwell, Moses Lake, WA
• Andrew Bohannon, Keene, NH
• Carlisle Academy Leadership Team, Carlisle, PA (Team members: Matthew Tuckey, Brenda Leibundgut, Sue Stake, Maggie Lattin, Debbie Thomas)
• Craig Cooper, Salmon, ID
• William Cooper, Oyster Bay Cove, NY
• Jeff DeRaps, Roseville, CA
• Thomas Farley, MD, MPH, New Orleans, LA
• Julie Gahimer, Greenwood, IN
• Gina Guddat, Covington, WA
• Wally Halas, White Plains, NY
• Constance Hengel, Kinston, NC
• Cate Hernandez, Cumming, GA
• Sheila Hommema, Galax, VA
• Thomas Hunkele, LaGrange, GA
• IBM Global Well-Being Services, Rochester, MN
• Robert C. Karch, Ed.D., Washington, DC
• Joann Kowlski, Hanson, MA
• Sherman Lyons, Advance, NC
• Doris Marks, Orland Park, IL
• David Lee McAllister, M.A., Bronx, NY
• Tim McCord, Titusville, PA
• Yvonne Melton-Gyesi, Bronx, NY
• Audra Meyer, College Park, GA
• Randy O’Neill, Williamsburg, VA
• Shellie Y. Pfohl, M.S., Durham, NC
• Georgi Roberts, Ft. Worth, TX
• Michael Y. Seril, Whittier, CA
• CPT Jarrod Shingleton, US Army HQ 5th Signal Command, Mannheim Germany
• Bill & Cindy Simon, Los Angeles, CA
• Dr. Philip G. Spencer, Federal Way, WA
• LT Jason Matteo Valadao, Camarillo, CA (stationed at VAW-117 in Point Mugu, CA)
• Ulrike Vernachio, West Palm Beach, FL
• Jasmine’ Victoria Dawn’ Monique Warren, Albany, GA
• Cathi Watson, Schaumburg, IL
• Art Woodward, Evansville, IN
• Leslie I. Wright, Salisbury, MD

3.3 Other Council Related Activities

Ms. Johnson praised the Science Board for their work on the adult fitness test, which will be released soon. She recognized the Science Board partners: the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD); the American College of Sports Medicine; the National Athletic Trainers Association; the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and incoming partner American Physical Therapy Association. Ms. Johnson said the Council hosted a session at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual conference and hopes to do so at AAHPERD’s annual conference also.

Ms. Johnson noted that Sec. Leavitt announced that Adm. Penelope Royall would head the advisory committee charged with developing the first Federal physical activity guidelines. The committee will hold its first meeting in June. The committee, comprised of experts in the field, will evaluate the scientific literature and compile evidence-based recommendations on activity and health.

Ms. Johnson thanked Council Members Denise Austin and Dot Richardson for joining in the government-wide launch of the HealthierFeds campaign. Nearly 40,000 government workers and contractors and their family members signed up to participate in the 6-week fitness program in partnership with the Office of Personnel Management, which has an ongoing HealthierFeds program. Some of the highest-achieving participants would be recognized at the Council meeting.

Other Federal health promotion efforts included the launch of HHS’ obesity prevention campaign; a meeting among President George W. Bush, Sec. Leavitt, and several corporate leaders on physical activity and nutrition; and a focus on fitness at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. Ms. Johnson thanked Council Member Denise Austin for promoting fitness in conjunction with the White House Easter Egg Roll through several media appearances and presentations.

4. Special Presentations

4.1 General Mills

Adrienne Jordan, General Mills

Adrienne Jordan described the efforts of General Mills and the General Mills Foundation to promote health. In 2007, General Mills will give $74 million to communities, which represents more than 5 percent of the company’s pretax profits, through philanthropy and corporate contributions, foundation grants, and food donations. Ms. Jordan said the company promotes volunteerism, and 78% of General Mills’ employees say they volunteer regularly.

In 2002, General Mills launched the Champions for Healthy Kids program, which has invested $8 million so far in youth nutrition and fitness programs, benefiting more than 150,000 kids across the United States. As part of this effort, General Mills partnered with the American Dietetic Association Foundation to annually award 50 $10,000-grants to promote healthy lifestyles among kids. In addition, the company partners with the Council to sponsor kids’ participation toward the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. So far, 50,000 kids across the country have received sponsorship. Nationally, the company annually supports up to 25,000 students in schools with low socioeconomic status. Five years in to its 10-year commitment to the Champions for Healthy Kids program, the company is evaluating its progress and determining best practices at a May 2007 Summit.

Ms. Jordan noted the program has room to grow: it is estimated that 15,000–20,000 students in schools with low socioeconomic status across the country are being sponsored, and the company could sponsor more schools that want to participate. Minneapolis has been a model partner in the program. Schools that take part in the program and implement the President’s Challenge receive $400 for gym equipment.

4.2 Community Leadership Awards

Melissa Johnson, Executive Director

Ms. Johnson recognized two winners of the first Community Leadership Awards who were in attendance: Dr. Robert Karch, chair of the Department of Health and Fitness at American University in Washington, D.C., and former member of the PCPFS Science Board; and Randy O’Neill of Williamsburg, Virginia, who provides a free mobile fitness facility for children.

4.3 HealthierFeds Awards

Melissa Johnson, Executive Director

Ms. Johnson announced the winners of the HealthierFeds Award. The Executive Branch won overall, while the Department of Homeland Security had the highest number of participants—1,863, or 20 percent of registrants—who completed the program. Ms. Johnson thanked Marta Brito Pérez, Chief Human Capital Officer of the Department of Homeland Security, and Terry Hill for their leadership. Winners of the awards for the highest percentage of employees completing the challenge were the Chemical Hazard and Safety Agency in the small-agency category, the Farm Credit Administration (which won the overall competition in 2006) in the medium-agency category, and the Office of Personnel Management for the large-agency category. Phillip Shebest, chief administrative officer of the Farm Credit Administration; and Mark Reinhold, Human Capital Officer of the Office of Personnel Management were on hand to receive awards for their agencies. Ms. Johnson recognized Lucy Polk, Work/Life Program Specialist at the Office of Personnel Management, for her efforts, which were instrumental in getting HealthierFeds up and running.

4.4 President’s Challenge Platinum Award

Melissa Johnson, Executive Director

Ms. Johnson presented the first President’s Challenge Platinum Award to Capt. Peter Hartsock, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health and fitness enthusiast who has earned Germany’s highest medal for physical fitness and is actively involved with the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

Finally, Ms. Johnson presented awards to HHS staff members who had given years of service to the Council: Joey King (15 years), Tynetta Dreher (20 years), and Leslie Liff (42 years). Ms. Johnson also thanked Meredith Terpeluk, who will be leaving her post as Director of Outreach to attend graduate school, for her excellent service.

5. Corporate Fitness Subcommittee Update

Bill Greer, Subcommittee Chair

Bill Greer said the subcommittee completed a corporate toolkit that would be posted on the Council’s website once it is approved by HHS. It includes cost–benefit data and other research to help managers make the business case for workplace fitness programs, as well as information on using the President’s Challenge. The subcommittee is also gathering best practices to help companies implement worksite physical activity and fitness programs, including a program development checklist borrowed from Dow Corporation. The toolkit and best practices would be available online.

Mr. Greer added that he believes many companies are using the President’s Challenge but there is no reliable mechanism for tracking use of the program. To get the message out, the Council sent a letter signed by Mr. Burke, Dr. Richardson, and Ms. Johnson to the 350 50th Anniversary partners. The letter emphasizes the need for worksite fitness programs and suggests the President’s Challenge. A similar letter will go out to a list of 1,000 chief executive officers identified by Council Member Charlie Moore.

The group discussed ways to identify and reach out to more companies, including promoting the President’s Challenge to small businesses with limited resources, capturing the names of companies that sign up to use the President’s Challenge, and asking current registrants to provide the names of the companies where they work. The Council discussed establishing another level of partnership for companies that use the President’s Challenge or some form of recognition for company participation, such as acknowledgment on the website or a plaque for the corporation’s headquarters. It was suggested that the Council launch the corporate toolkit with a concerted effort focusing on corporations, health care coalitions, and fitness facilities and that chambers of commerce be asked to help with distribution.

Action Item
Ms. Johnson will determine whether the President’s Challenge online enrollment form can include a button to indicate whether the user represents a company.

Ms. Johnson will explore the feasibility of creating an awards program for corporate participants in the President’s Challenge.

6. Media Subcommittee Update

Ed Laskowski, M.D., Subcommittee Chair

Ed Laskowski reported that the Council was making very good progress toward its goal of having each member give four presentations and be involved in 10 high-profile media events annually while representing the Council. He encouraged Council members to let Mr. King know when they take part in events or give presentations.

Mr. King described some highlights of media coverage: Ms. Richardson-Joyner took part in promoting Game On! (a kids wellness challenge) and was featured in Homes of Color magazine; Ms. Austin took part in promotions in conjunction with the White House Easter Egg Roll; and Ms. Johnson did a satellite media tour in New York City to launch a new publication on physical activity by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists that features the President’s Challenge. Ms. Johnson added that C&E Communications is pitching stories about all the recent award winners to media outlets in the awardees’ areas.

C&E Communications has developed a strategic communications plan for the Council to help spread the message to people who are unaware of the lack of physical fitness and obesity epidemic among Americans. C&E Communications has provided a national media list broken down according to where each Council member lives and is helping with media coverage. The subcommittee is talking with HHS officials about establishing a speakers bureau and other media goals.

Ms. Richardson-Joyner described her participation in the Fifty-Million-Pound Challenge, sponsored by State Farm Insurance, which provides tools to people who register online to help them become more active and try to lose at least 10 pounds. Mr. Burke and Dr. Richardson proposed some type of national challenge involving the President’s Challenge. Ideas included a television show, which Ms. Austin said she would help to pitch; partnering with an existing television show (e.g., having a regular feature on a national show); a telethon; and an annual challenge that changes every year. Ms. Richardson-Joyner suggested the slogan, “Downsizing America with the President’s Challenge.” It was suggested that a U.S. city hosting the Olympic Games might be willing to sponsor or host an initiative that focuses on “future Olympic athletes.”

Action Item
The Council will brainstorm about a national fitness challenge and consider an initiative for 2008.

7. Special Presentation: Olympians for Life  

Gary Hall, Richard Fosbury, USOC

Gary Hall and Richard Fosbury proposed a partnership between the USOC and the Council, Olympians for Life, that would assign every Olympic and Paralympic athlete to five schools in their region. The athlete would be asked to make an appearance at each of his or her schools once a year to promote a school fitness program. The Olympians for Life program would also provide a directory of every Olympic sport, with contact information about training opportunities for those sports in every state. The President’s Challenge physical fitness test would be part of the program. Mr. Hall said athletes were free to opt out of the program but most athletes have indicated they would like to be more involved in promoting activity and sports on behalf of the Olympics. Many details of the program have yet to be determined, but the Council was enthusiastic in its support and offered a number of suggestions, such as getting parents and families involved.

8. Governors Update

Meredith Terpeluk, Director of Outreach

Ms. Terpeluk described the results of outreach by the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to assist the Council in reaching its goal of having at least 10 governors implementing the President’s Challenge as part of their own statewide health and fitness programs by the end of 2008. As part of the Prevention Bus tour, Sec. Leavitt is meeting with governors around the country, and Council members will be invited to the Secretary’s roundtables in their states. Council members were asked to provide input or contacts to the Council staff to help further promote state partnerships. It was suggested that state health department directors be contacted through their national association and that departments of health in each state should be aware of how the President’s Challenge can be used as part of a wellness initiative.

Ms. Johnson noted that the Council offers a template to help states establish a Governor’s Challenge but more marketing efforts are needed to promote it. Ms. Johnson said the Council now has software to create an online map that shows the locations of Council members, Science Board members, Council advocates and partners, and schools that use the President’s Challenge. The Council members felt the map should also include details or links to governors’ programs as well as mayors’ programs and that the map should be searchable.

Action Item
Ms. Johnson and Joey King will work on creating an online map of Council entities and look into the feasibility of making the map an interactive tool for identifying fitness programs and advocates around the country.

9. Community/Youth Subcommittee Update  

Kirk Bauer, Subcommittee Chair

Kirk Bauer said the subcommittee’s efforts to encourage schools that currently use the President’s Challenge to increase their participation level met with limited success but may be revisited in the fall. Mr. Bauer said Texas Gov. Rick Perry is supporting mandatory physical education programs for primary schools. The subcommittee hopes to tie into the efforts of the Harlem Globetrotters’ Ambassadors program for the coming school year. Efforts continue to promote the President’s Challenge through the HHS Office of Disability’s I Can Do It! You Can Do It! program.

Chris Spain highlighted a number of local efforts by subcommittee members to promote fitness. Most notably, Ms. Richardson-Joyner described a national faith-based fitness effort, the Potter’s House Challenge, which will include the President’s Challenge. Ms. Richardson-Joyner also toured with radio and television talk-show host Tavis Smiley to raise awareness about childhood obesity, reaching 5,000 grade-school-aged children and 6,000 of their family members, and she hopes the President’s Challenge will be part of ongoing efforts to promote fitness at those tour locations.

10. President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Program Update  

Chris Spain, Director of Research, Planning, and Special Projects

Ms. Spain said the American Physical Therapy Association, which has 6,000 members, recently became the Council’s fifth Science Partner. She said the Council has 142 corporate partners who use the President’s Challenge program. Becoming a corporate partner is free, and partners agree to let the Council know whenever they use the President’s Challenge logo. Ms. Spain said many corporate partners want awards that include their own company logos, so the program does not earn money from their participation. She added that anything with the President’s signature or the presidential seal cannot be modified to include, for example, corporate partner names.

Ms. Spain said the Science Board is reviewing evidence that supports the use of such products as the Nintendo Wii and Dance-Dance-Revolution video games as ways to get kids more active, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Train Like an Explorer programs.

An AAHPERD representative described a national fitness challenge that includes an online tool to track progress through the PE Central website and suggested the Council consider how it could create a similar venture. Ms. Spain said the Council has effective and popular programs in place that people want.

Ms. Spain described some proposed Federal legislation that would allow individuals to deduct expenses related to physical activity from their taxes, give favorable tax treatment to companies that promote fitness among employees, and promote physical activity in communities. She reminded the Council that they are barred from lobbying Congress as representatives of the Council.

Action Item
Ms. Spain will ensure that all 142 corporate partners are identified on the Council’s website by the end of May 2007.

11. President’s Challenge Update  

Jeff McClaine, Associate Director, President’s Challenge

Jeff McClaine provided statistics describing the current status of the program, noting that it includes 4.5 million students in 30,000 schools. Two thirds of the participating schools are public. Ninety percent of schools are repeat users of the program, which Mr. McClaine attributes to the program’s good customer service. Two thirds of the schools are elementary schools, and Mr. McClaine said it has been difficult to get the program into secondary schools because of the perception that the program is for young children. The program has 450,000 users registered online, of which about 25,000–50,000 use the website in a given 2-week period, but it is not known how many users track their progress with paper logs, which many school programs use.

Mr. McClaine presented graphs showing awards purchased by region and over time. He said factors contributing to program participation and awards distribution included the following:

• State legislation mandating fitness assessments (e.g., West Virginia, Virginia, and Texas mandate use of programs other than the President’s Challenge)
• Schools that keep an inventory of awards over time
• Emphasis on lifetime physical activity over fitness assessments
• Elimination of physical education from curricula
• Increasing number of participation waivers in schools
• Stagnant program offerings

Mr. McClaine believes the Active Lifestyle and Champions programs may help increase program participation overall. Ms. Spain added that many schools simply can’t afford to buy the awards. Mr. McClaine and Ms. Spain noted that Burger King and General Mills have both sponsored the purchase of awards, but the Council cannot directly solicit such sponsorship.

Ms. Spain noted that the President’s Challenge is a nongovernment entity that supports itself through awards sales. While the program itself is popular, sales are not robust, and the Council cannot require participants to buy awards or otherwise pay for the program. The Council discussed what options it has for encouraging participants to buy awards, whether awards should be better tailored to users, whether the program should be revised, and whether the Council should be promoting physical activity in general or the President’s Challenge specifically.

Mr. Burke said getting the message out about the need for more physical activity is the Council’s primary goal. Mr. Burke asked that the Council target states, such as Texas, Florida, and Mississippi that are mandating physical education in schools. Ms. Johnson said the Council has people on the ground in 33 states, in the form of demonstration center coordinators, to help promote the use of the President’s Challenge in schools.

12. Awards Subcommittee Update  

Dot Richardson, M.D., Subcommittee Chair

Dr. Richardson said the subcommittee met all of its goals for 2006, pointing to the Lifetime Achievement and Community Leadership Awards. The subcommittee plans to revise the timeline for the nomination process to allow more time to select and notify winners. The directions for the Community Leadership Award will more strongly emphasize the 250-word limit for nominations and ask that nominations include specific numbers of people affected by the nominee and the duration and frequency of the nominee’s program.

13. Other Business/New Plans/Wrap Up/Review

John Burke, Chair

Mr. Burke said the Council is considering holding a meeting at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York. The next meeting is expected to take place in October or early November 2007.

14. Adjournment  

John Burke, Chair

Mr. Burke thanked the Council members and staff for their efforts over the past year, saying the Council had achieved a lot. Mr. Burke then adjourned the meeting.

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