Celebrating Our Honorees | Montgomery College, Maryland

Honorary Degree Recipients 1996–2019

2011 Honorary Degree Recipients

Mr. J. Henry Montes
Co-chair, Montgomery County Executive’s Latin American Advisory Group

Mr. J. Henry Montes

Mr. J. Henry Montes possesses more than 35 years of experience in the field of public health, most of which dedicated to working with issues and programs in health education and promotion, disease prevention, minority health, and the public health workforce.

Mr. Montes helped develop and publish “Healthy People: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention,” a first of its kind, as well as the first report on the national prevention objectives. He developed the first Hispanic Cancer Prevention and Control program at the National Cancer Institute, and, as associate director for external programs, initiated the Resource Center of the U.S. Office of Minority Health. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he was associate director of minority health for the National Center for Preventive Services and acting deputy director for the Public Health Practice Program Office. After his tenure at the CDC, he became a member of the federal Senior Executive Service. He also worked in the private sector as a program officer for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Now retired from public service, Mr. Montes has been a consultant to various small minority businesses and academic institutions, including the YMCA. His volunteer work in Montgomery County includes serving as a member of the Latino Health Steering Committee and chairing its Latino Data Workgroup. He co-chairs the Montgomery County Executive’s Latin American Advisory Group. He serves on the Board of Directors for Identity, Inc. and served on the Board of Directors of Leadership Montgomery. Governor Martin O’Malley appointed him to the State Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland. He is an active member of the American Public Health Association, where he has served in various capacities. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Council on Education for Public Health, the accrediting body of schools and programs of public health.

Among his many accolades, Mr. Montes received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maryland State Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Hispanic Health Leadership Award from the National Hispanic Medical Association, San Jose State University’s Graduate of the Last Decade, and the Health and Human Services Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award for working with the Border Health Workgroup.

Mr. Montes received a master of public health degree from San Jose State University.