The following is a press release issued by Mendocino County Public Health:
The Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency is announcing the appointment of an Interim Public Health Director
Mary Alice Willeford, a longtime Mendocino County employee, recently accepted the position. Ms. Willeford has been a county employee for 19 years, notes Dr. Jenine Miller, Mendocino County Health and Human Services Director, OOC. Ms. Willeford has worked at the Public Health Department for the past six years.
“Mary Alice brings over 30 years of fiscal and administrative expertise to her new position. She possesses wide-ranging skills from her many years working in Public Health, as well as nearly two decades working in other county positions,” says Dr Miller.
“Over the last 19 years, I have had the pleasure of working for Mendocino County in two health service departments. I am dedicated to providing services to our community and I’m excited to be part of the Public Health team in this new role. I believe my experience in administration, fiscal, and program management will bring a fresh perspective to the department,” says Ms. Willeford.
Dr. Miller agrees Ms. Willeford’s multifaceted administrative background will be a boon for Public Health.
“There is a notion that a Director of Public Health should always be a nurse or a doctor,” Miller explains. “However, it is a county’s Director of Nursing and Public Health Officer that possess the medical knowledge necessary for guiding and supervising medical staff, as that is their primary area of expertise. Public Health departments depend on strong administrators to help all our departments best serve our community. Mary Alice’s breadth of experience is the perfect match for what we need to augment the team.”
Dr. Miller will work with Public Health to supervise Ms. Willeford, who is beginning her duties on February 21, 2021.
