The Canary Coalition, a state-wide air quality advocacy group based in Sylva, this month elected four members to its board of directors who have professional experience in dealing with the health impacts of air quality.

• Dr. Emily Diznoff, a physician at Asheville Family Medicine, was voted for a second term on the board. Her interests include the interaction between health and the environment.

• Dr. Marsha Hammond, a licensed psychologist in Asheville, was elected for her first term. As a former respiratory therapist she worked with people with life-threatening asthma and hopes to interface the Canary Coalition with medically-oriented entities such as the American Lung Association.

• Jean Larson is a nurse from Madison County and is a co-chair of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville Social Action Committee where she emphasizes health impacts of air quality.

• Ted Campbell is a hydro-geologist with the N.C. Division of Water Quality in Asheville. Previously, he worked for the U.S. Geological Survey conducting environmental contamination studies.