The Partnership
The Partnership is a voluntary group of public and private organizations seeking community practice changes that increase the ease with which Washingtonians can improve nutrition, increase physical activity and reduce smoking, particularly in communities facing a disproportionate burden of chronic disease.

The Steering Committee (The SC)
The SC is a fifteen member group of individuals from various public and private leadership organizations that guides the Partnership by developing consensus recommendations for collective actions that promote such changes while preserving the economic viability of businesses and communities.

• Specific community practice change recommendations
• Public promotion of recommendations, including public and targeted communication about them
• Increased ease with which healthy nutrition, exercise and tobacco use choices can be made in work, school and/or community environments

• A governmental and a non-governmental organization (initially the WA State Department of Health and the Association of Washington Business) will be represented as Co-Chairs
• A non-governmental organization (initially The Washington Health Foundation) will lead staffing, coordination, communications and engagement efforts.
• Initial funding, administrative assistance, and technical support will be provided by the Washington State Department of Health.
• Steering Committee Members will seek consensus as regular participants in SC meetings, may provide staffing expertise and/or financial support, or may assist in communicating SC recommendations via emails, blogs, public presentations or personal communications.
• Partnership members may attend Steering Committee meetings, may suggest actions for SC consideration, and may lend their name, or contribute their resources to advance community practice changes recommended by consensus of the Steering Committee.

Contact Information --- Becoming a Partnership Member
More information about the Partnership, the Steering Committee or its progress can be found at http://www.chef.org/HealthEquityPartners/
HealthyCommunitiesPartnership/tabid/107/Default.aspx or by contacting Don Sloma at dons@chef.org. Any public or private organization that supports the Partnership’s aims can become a member by providing their organization name and email contact information to dons@chef.org

Approval of Charter
This Charter is adopted by a consensus of the Steering Committee members and may be revised in the same way. Approved: January 21, 2011