About the Staff
The Food and Waterborne Disease Program consists of a statewide coordinator, nine regional environmental epidemiologists, one bioterrorism preparedness coordinator, and one administrative support member. We are here to assist the 67 county health departments in the surveillance, investigation, reporting, and prevention of food and waterborne disease.
As a group, we have over 200 years of experience in environmental health. Our regional environmental epidemiologists are "in the field" with offices in various parts of the state. Our color coded regional map visually depicts their locations and contact information and can be printed for future use. This information is also available in a text format regional map text equivalent. Also, a phone list for the program is available to download.
Tiffiani Joy Onifade, MS, PhD - Statewide Coordinator
Dr. Tiffiani Onifade is the Florida Department of Health's Statewide Coordinator for the Food and Waterborne Disease Program. She comes to this role from Michigan, where she was a Research Scientist in the Center for Data Management and Translational Research at the Michigan Public Health Institute. Dr. Onifade has extensive experience in the public health field, conducting basic science research, developing and evaluating community level interventions, and analyzing health policy. She also has experience evaluating biological, environmental, and climatological drivers of gastrointestinal disease incidence in human populations. In her new role, she aims to build from her program evaluation background for the implementation and adherence to national quality standards for the food and waterborne disease program and from her scientific and public health knowledge of microbiology, infectious disease, and epidemiology to enhance the programs rapid detection, investigation, and prevention of food and waterborne disease outbreaks. Dr. Onifade received her PhD in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology from Michigan State University and MS in Environmental Health Science from University of Georgia.
Michael Wydotis - Preparedness Coordinator
Michael received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology from the University of Florida in 1996. He began his career in public health at the Pasco County Health Department in 1997 as a Family Support Worker in the HIV program. After a year teaching HIV prevention, Michael accepted the position of Disease Intervention Specialist with the Pasco County Health Department STD Program. He continued with the STD Program for seven years until accepting a position as Health Services Representative for the county Epidemiology Program. Michael broadened his scope after more than a year and began working in epidemiology and preparedness as a Government Operations Consultant. Michael joined the Bureau of Environmental Public Health Medicine in Tallahassee as the Food and Waterborne Disease Preparedness Coordinator in February 2009.
Rick Hutchinson - Northwest Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Richard Hutchinson is a Florida State University graduate with a degree in Biological Science. He began his public health career working as a Biological Scientist at the Northwest Florida Water Management District. He then worked as a Sanitation and Safety Specialist with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation where he inspected public lodgings and food service establishments. He currently represents the Department of Health as an Environmental Health Program Consultant with the Bureau of Environmental Public Health Medicine. He is the Regional Environmental Epidemiologist for Northwest Florida in the Food and Waterborne Disease program. Rick has been in his current position since January 1999. Rick's office is located in Tallahassee and he is responsible for Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and Washington counties.
Kathleen Van Zile - Northeast Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Katie has been employed with the Florida Department of Health since 1978. She earned a Bachelors of Science from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida and a Masters of Science in Environmental Health from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. She began her career as a sanitarian and progressed to Assistant Environmental Health Director before leaving Duval County Health Department. She joined the Food and Waterborne Diseases program in 1994 and serves as a Regional Environmental Epidemiologist in Northeast Florida. Katie's office is located in Jacksonville and she is responsible for Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Volusia, St. Johns and Flagler counties.
Dean Bodager - Central Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Dean Bodager is employed at the Florida Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health, Bureau of Environmental Public Health Medicine. He serves as a Regional Environmental Epidemiologist for Food and Waterborne Diseases for the Central Florida area. He has worked for county, state and federal public health agencies including field, supervisory, middle management, and consultative positions since 1982. He has been an environmental epidemiologist since 1993. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Health Sciences from Indiana State University in 1981 and a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Central Florida in 1996. He is a Registered Sanitarian with the National Environmental Health Association and the Florida Environmental Health Association. Dean is a member of the National Environmental Health Association, Florida Environmental Health Association, International Association of Food Protection and Florida Public Health Association. He is a Diplomat in the American Academy of Sanitarians and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Dean is on the Technical Editorial Advisory Board for the NEHA Journal of Environmental Health and on the Journal Committee for the FEHA Journal of Environmental Health. He is a Past President of the Florida Environmental Health Association and has held numerous FEHA offices including Vice President, Board Director-two terms, and Central District Chairman. Dean's office is located in Orlando and he is responsible for Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Hardee, Highlands, Polk and Seminole counties.
Mike Friedman - West Central Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Mike Friedman received a B.A. degree in 1979 and a MPH degree from the University of South Florida in 1991. He began working for the Florida Department of Health at the Pasco County Health Department where he was a Sanitarian Aid, Sanitarian, an Environmental Health Specialist, and Epidemiology Division Director. He works closely with four county health departments in the Tampa Bay area with the investigation and analysis of food and waterborne outbreaks. These counties include; Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas Counties. His office is located in New Port Richey. Mike was born in Maryland and moved to Florida in 1976.
Janet Wamnes - Southeast Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Janet graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.S. in Foods and Nutrition and an M.S. in Food Science and Technology. She has been in her current position since 1994. Prior to this, she was an Environmental Specialist with the Martin County Health Department for four years. Janet's office is located in Ft. Pierce and she is responsible for Palm Beach, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.
Robin Terzagian - Southwest Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Robin received a BS in Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1979. She began her career in food safety with the USDA as an agricultural commodity grader and then moved into public health. Her journey into public health started in 1981 in environmental health at the county level as a sanitarian, environmental specialist and sanitation and safety supervisor. She worked for the Glades, Charlotte and Lee County Health Departments, including the Office of Restaurant Programs. Robin moved to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants in October 1992. Robin returned to the Department of Health and has been in her current position since September 1997. Robin's office is located in Ft. Myers and she is responsible for Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota counties.
Ryan Lowe - Broward Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Ryan has been employed with the Florida Department of Health since 2002. His public health career began as an Environmental Specialist in Martin County. After 3 years in Martin, he accepted a position with the Bureau of Environmental Public Health Medicine’s Food and Waterborne Disease Program. He has been in his current position since July 2005. Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a Minor in Biology from Kansas State University in May 2002. He earned his Master of Public Health degree in December 2006 and a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management in May 2007 from the University of South Florida. Ryan has a been a member of the Florida Environmental Health Association since 2002 and has held various positions including Treasure Coast District Awards/Membership Committee member, Treasure Coast District Vice Chairperson, State FEHA Public Relations Committee member, Gold Coast District Secretary/Treasurer, and Gold Coast District Chairperson. Ryan's office is located in Fort Lauderdale and he is responsible for Broward County.
Juan Suarez - Southern Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Juan Suarez graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras in 1979 with a BS in Biology. He focused his research interests in the areas of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He worked after graduation in various private and hospital clinical laboratories. He worked at the Drinking Water Research Center of Florida International University in environmental research and the Microbiology and Immunology Department of the University of Miami Medical School in murine immunology. He joined the Florida Department of Health in 1987 as supervisor of the Environmental Microbiology and Serology Sections of the State Laboratory in Miami. He became part of the Food and Waterborne Disease Program in 1994 as Regional Environmental Epidemiologist for the South Florida area. Juan’s office is located in Miami and he is responsible for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
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