Janet Phoenix, M.D., M.P.H, MS. is Executive Director of the Coalition for Environmentally Safe Communities.

She is an Assistant Research Professor in the Departments of Health Policy and Management in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She chairs the DC Asthma Coalition and serves on the Executive Committee for the DC Healthy Housing Collaborative. She is a physician by training who has managed research, risk communication, and health prevention and promotion programs for many organizations. Dr. Phoenix is the Founder and Manager of the Asthma Home Visiting Program for Children’s National. Dr. Phoenix conducts research in children’s environmental health, with an emphasis on community based participatory methods such as health impact analysis. She is the Principal Investigator for a study exploring allergen exposure for children living in public housing in the District of Columbia.

Derrick Faison has been involved in community health projects serving the Washington, DC

Metro Area for more than 10 years. He conducts home visits for families with children who have

asthma and delivers necessary remediation supports to alleviate asthma triggers in the home

such as antiallergen mattress covers, HEPA vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. In addition,

Derrick serves as the Advocate for A Wider Circle’s Partnership to Independence program

providing resources to improve the lives of individuals and their families in the areas of career

support, health and wellness and financial management. Derrick has served as the Community

Health Worker for the Coalition for Environmentally Safe Communities for four years. He also

enjoys group exercise instruction and providing personal training for residents in his community.

Destiny Askew, who currently serves as the Director of Volunteer Engagement at STAIR Birmingham, brings more than ten years of dedicated experience in the nonprofit and education sectors. Her extensive background has been instrumental in driving positive change and fostering community empowerment. In her capacity, Destiny actively recruits, trains, and fosters open lines of communication with volunteers. 

In her free time, Destiny loves making delicious baked goods. She has an amazing recipe for Chai Vanilla Shortbread cookies. When she's not baking, she's busy taking care of her garden and having a playful battle with the squirrels in her backyard. And when she wants to unwind, she enjoys watching classic mystery shows, with Murder, She Wrote being her favorite.

Whitlyn Battle (Lynn) is a craftsperson living in Birmingham, AL.

Lynn served as the Executive Director of Citizens Lead Education and Poisoning Prevention

Program (CLEPP) from 1996 to 2004. CLEPP worked to eliminate health hazards in more than 115 homes in Birmingham, Alabama in partnership with the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Public Health as part of a Healthy Homes initiative. These hazards included safety problems, electrical hazards and mold, as well as lead paint. Lynn is a journalist by training and worked as a national advocate for lead poisoning prevention for many years.