Booth, the full-time school health coordinator for School Administrative District 75 for 12 years, has helped facilitate policies that reduce tobacco use, substance abuse and bullying, and that promote daily physical activity, healthy vending machine contents and staff health, the association said in a news release.
To accomplish this, she secured cooperation of school nurses, teachers, school board members, administrators and community partners and forged strong ties with community partners, especially Mid Coast Hospital and Access Health Healthy Maine Partnership in Brunswick.
The award “recognizes Booth’s collaborative leadership that has resulted in SAD 75 being the only school sys- tem in Maine to receive state excellence awards in all eight areas of school health, including health education, health services, physical and social environments,” according to the association.
“We are very proud of Mary, as we are of all the school health coordinators in Maine,” SAD 75 Superintendent Brad Smith said. “She has helped us to make tremendous gains in promoting the health of students, which is key to their educational success.”
Booth has hosted numerous visits from state legislators, school administrators and other school health coordinators wishing to observe how a coordinated model works to achieve changes in policy, environment and student behavior, Smith said. She appeared with other district staff on a statewide cable television series, “Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids,” anchored by Maine’s former first lady Karen Baldacci.
Booth received a bachelor of science in foods and nutrition and a master’s degree in human development, both from the University of Maine. She has more than 30 years of experience in nutrition and health promotion, is a registered dietitian, and has previously worked as an adjunct professor teaching nutrition as well as a private consultant.
In her spare time, Booth said she enjoys being active outdoors.
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