Election Details:


• Voting runs from June 1 to June 22.
• Each organization receives one vote, cast by its official representative.
• Representatives will get an email with a link to the secure eBallot portal, a username, and a password.
• The election closes at 5 pm PT on June 22.

Meet the Nominees:

NAQC is proud to present two outstanding candidates for the 2026 Board election. Detailed information about each nominee’s experience, connection to NAQC, and vision for the field is available by clicking on their name.

• Laura Hamasaka, National Network of Public Health Institutes
• Karla Sneegas, Retired

Who is eligible to vote? All organizational members of NAQC are eligible to vote in board elections, and a single designated representative will vote on behalf of their organization. To see the list, please click here.

Note: If you are the designee and prefer another person to serve in this capacity, please contact NAQC(NAQC@naquitline.org) to make the change. Also, if you have an individual membership and would like to upgrade to an organizational membership before the election, please contact NAQC at NAQC@naquitline.org.




How many positions are open on the Board? Currently, NAQC has one position available on the Board of Directors. 


Who currently serves on the NAQC Board? For a list of members, click here.

What qualifications does NAQC seek in new Board members?

Since 2006, the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) has served as the primary forum and membership organization for commercial tobacco treatment services and programs. NAQC provides leadership and a unified voice to promote the effectiveness and reach of commercial tobacco treatment services, including quitlines, to health leaders and the public. Quitlines continue to evolve and are experiencing many changes in the populations served, technology used, service models and approaches to sustainability. NAQC seeks candidates for the Board from the US and Canada who are innovative “difference makers” and who can help guide the commercial tobacco treatment community through these changes, especially sustainability. NAQC’s Board focuses on business issues, including finance, legal issues, and strategic leadership rather than on program development.


Areas of interest for 2026

The Board is seeking candidates with particular expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Sustainability and funding strategies for commercial tobacco treatment services, including policy, and partnerships
• Understanding of the broad reach and effectiveness of commercial tobacco treatment programs across multiple modalities
• Fundraising through donations, grants and/or contracts to support NAQC’s mission
• Understanding needs of specific populations such as Indigenous communities or others
• Board governance, policies and procedures, legal or finance/fiduciary expertise and business acumen

Candidates for the Board should:

• Have senior-level experience, preferably executive experience
• Possess leadership skills
• Be strategic, innovative, and critical thinkers
• Display professional and collegial demeanor

About the Board:

• Board members work together to create a global vision for NAQC.
• Board members do not represent their employer or any specific constituency instead.
• A diverse Board, in terms of geography, race, ethnicity, and perspectives, is desirable.
• Board members are elected for 3-year terms starting on August 1 and can be reelected (or reappointed) once for a total of six years of service.
• The annual time commitment for board members includes four meetings (usually the meetings are held in a virtual format with the possibility of an in-person meeting) plus meeting preparation time, travel time and 2-10 hours of committee work.
• We ask directors to support the cost of their travel to Board meetings if this is an expense their employer will allow.
• Board member must be committed to NAQC’s mission and values, contribute diverse viewpoints and cultural experiences, address health disparities, and fulfill fiduciary responsibilities.

Does the Board have terms and term limits? Board members are elected for three years and can be re-elected once. Directors may not serve for more than two consecutive terms, and partial terms of more than one year count as a full term.

What is the time commitment? Do Board members receive payment? The annual time commitment for board members includes four meetings (usually 1-2 in-person and 2-3 virtual meetings), meeting preparation time, travel time, and 2-10 hours of committee work. We ask directors to cover the cost of their travel to Board meetings if this is an expense their employer will allow.

How will NAQC notify the membership of election results? The Chair of NAQC's Board of Directors will announce the election results in late summer via a NAQC communication.

If I have technical problems with voting, who should I contact? For technical issues, contact NAQC@naquitline.org or call 800-398-5489 ext. 701.

How can I receive additional information about the election process? For further information or questions, please contact Corinne Graffunder, Nomination Committee Chair, at board@naquitline.org.

»   view the May issue
»   view past issues

You can access the calendar to explore upcoming opportunities, plan ahead for events that align with your interests or program needs, and access registration links.

We encourage TA providers to post their sessions, ensuring that the calendar remains a comprehensive resource for our community. If you would like to post events, please contact us at naqc@naquitline.org.

Please find the protocol here.

As a Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS), you play a critical role in guiding individuals toward healthier choices and encouraging life-saving screenings.

Project ENGAGE invites you to participate in our FREE, one-hour online accredited course, designed to equip you with the latest knowledge and strategies to promote lung cancer screening and tobacco cessation effectively.

Accredited Learning: Approved by the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs, this course provides 1 continuing education contact hour, along with a certificate of achievement to recognize your commitment to lung cancer prevention. 

Be Part of the Solution: Over 1,300 healthcare professionals have already completed this course, strengthening their role in reducing tobacco-related harm and promoting early detection. By enrolling in "Conversations that Save Lives: How Tobacco Treatment Specialists can Engage Clients in a Discussion about Lung Cancer Screening," you will become part of a community of committed specialists who are driving positive change. Your expertise will enable clients to make informed health choices, building on the trust they already place in you. 

Register Now and join a movement dedicated to saving lives! 

This course was funded through a Patient- Centered Outcomes Research Institute® (PCORI®) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EADI-26839). The views, statements, opinions presented in this course are solely the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of PCORI®.  

• A Spanish‑language adaptation of “Conversations that Save Lives: How Tobacco Treatment Specialists Can Engage Clients in a Discussion About Lung Cancer Screening.”
• A new course focused on equipping TTS with strategies to engage clients in a discussion about cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Because cardiac rehabilitation is underutilized, many patients miss out on important heart‑health benefits; this training will help TTS better support referrals and participation.

Please watch for announcements about these courses in the coming weeks.

Are there topics you would like to see us cover in a future training or webinar? Please let us know at naqc@naquitline.org.

To help members get the most from their membership, our next Member Orientation and Refresher Webinar will take place on June 10 at 12:00 p.m. ET. This session is a great opportunity for new and returning members to learn about NAQC’s programs, see how to use our listserv and other communication channels, explore current resources, and ask questions about engagement opportunities. If you would like to participate, please contact Natalia Gromov at 800‑398‑5489 ext. 701 or membership@naquitline.org.

The 2026 Board of Directors election will open on June 1 and close on June 22 at 5:00 p.m. PT. All NAQC member organizations eligible to vote will receive detailed information about the election process and this year’s slate of candidates. Please note that only the designated lead person for each organization may cast a vote on behalf of their organization.

We strongly encourage you to take part in this year’s election. If you have any questions about eligibility, the voting process, or the timeline, please contact naqc@naquitline.org.

We were fortunate to be joined by Dr. Joanna Streck, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, who presented emerging tobacco treatment approaches being tested to help adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) quit or reduce tobacco use.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for today’s webinar, Developing and Testing Novel Tobacco Treatments for Adults with Opioid Use Disorder, held from 1:00–2:00 PM ET. We are especially grateful to our presenter, Dr. Joanna Streck, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, for sharing her expertise and emerging research with the NAQC community.


The session highlighted:

• Unique considerations for smoking cessation among adults with concurrent OUD, including clinical, behavioral, and systems-level factors that influence treatment engagement and outcomes.
• Findings from studies examining e‑cigarettes as a strategy to help adults with OUD reduce or replace cigarette smoking.
• Promising peer‑delivered tobacco treatment interventions and how they may be integrated into existing OUD services and quitline partnerships.


If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit the discussion, the webinar recording and slides are now available:


• Watch the recording.
• Download the slides.


We encourage you to share these resources with colleagues, behavioral health partners, and others working to improve tobacco treatment for adults with opioid use disorder.


NAQC extends sincere thanks to Dr. Streck and to NAQC members who submitted questions and examples during the session, helping to ground the discussion in real-world quitline and treatment settings.


We hope this webinar and the accompanying materials support your ongoing efforts to expand and strengthen tobacco treatment options for adults with OUD.

NAQC Staff

This is a same-day reminder to join us today, May 20 from 1:00–2:00 PM ET, for our webinar, Developing and Testing Novel Tobacco Treatments for Adults with Opioid Use Disorder.


Presenter Dr. Joanna Streck, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will share emerging research on tobacco treatment strategies for adults with OUD, including:


• Unique considerations for supporting smoking cessation among adults with concurrent OUD.
• Evidence on how e‑cigarettes may help reduce combustible cigarette smoking in this population.
• The potential of peer‑delivered interventions to expand access to effective tobacco treatment.
  

If you have not yet registered, there is still time to join us:


Register here.


We hope you will participate in this important conversation on integrating innovative tobacco treatments into care for adults with opioid use disorder.


NAQC Staff

We are pleased to announce an upcoming webinar, Developing and Testing Novel Tobacco Treatments for Adults with Opioid Use Disorder, taking place on May 20 from 1:00–2:00 PM ET.


We are grateful to feature Dr. Joanna Streck, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, who will share emerging tobacco treatments being tested to help adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) quit or reduce tobacco use.


During this webinar, you will learn about:


• Unique considerations and challenges related to smoking cessation among adults with concurrent OUD.
• Evidence on how e‑cigarettes may help reduce combustible cigarette smoking in this population.
• The promising role of peer‑delivered tobacco treatment interventions in supporting quit attempts and sustained tobacco reduction.
  

This session is designed for state, provincial, territorial, and local tobacco control and quitline professionals, as well as clinicians and partners working at the intersection of tobacco use and opioid use disorder.


Register here.


We hope you will join us for this timely discussion on advancing tobacco treatment options for adults with OUD.


NAQC Staff

May 31 marks World No Tobacco Day, a global initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and its devastating effects on lung health. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable lung cancer deaths, responsible for nearly 7 out of 10 cases worldwide. Early detection is crucial: Lung cancer screening finds over half of cases at an early stage, compared to only about 25% without screening, greatly improving chances of successful treatment. 

As a Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS), you play a critical role in guiding individuals toward healthier choices and encouraging life-saving screenings. 

Project ENGAGE invites you to participate in our FREE, one-hour online accredited course, designed to equip you with the latest knowledge and strategies to promote lung cancer screening and tobacco cessation effectively. 

Accredited Learning: Approved by the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs, this course provides 1 continuing education contact hour, along with a certificate of achievement to recognize your commitment to lung cancer prevention. 

Be Part of the Solution: Over 1,200 healthcare professionals have already completed this course, strengthening their role in reducing tobacco-related harm and promoting early detection. By enrolling in "Conversations that Save Lives: How Tobacco Treatment Specialists can Engage Clients in a Discussion about Lung Cancer Screening," you will become part of a community of committed specialists who are driving positive change. Your expertise will enable clients to make informed health choices, building on the trust they already place in you. 

Register Now and join a movement dedicated to saving lives! 

This course was funded through a Patient- Centered Outcomes Research Institute® (PCORI®) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EADI-26839). The views, statements, opinions presented in this course are solely the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of PCORI®.  

»   view the April issue
»   view past issues

Please find the protocol here.

You can access the calendar to explore upcoming opportunities, plan ahead for events that align with your interests or program needs, and access registration links.

We encourage TA providers to post their sessions, ensuring that the calendar remains a comprehensive resource for our community. If you would like to post events, please contact us at naqc@naquitline.org.

Recruitment for the study at the University of Michigan will begin in Summer 2026. The study will recruit 1,200 quitline callers across 6 states to participate in the study.

Partnering on the Wellcentiv Study strengthens NAQC’s commitment to modernizing quitline services and addressing persistent disparities in commercial tobacco use and treatment outcomes, particularly among populations disproportionately impacted by menthol cigarette use.

NAQC support for this project includes quitline partner engagement, community partnerships, and facilitating the dissemination of project updates to a national audience. As the study progresses, NAQC will connect researchers with state quitlines and public health partners, develop annual learning opportunities, and share updates highlighting lessons learned and emerging best practices.