Dr. Kimberly Scott appointed Mecklenburg health director

MECKLENBURG COUNTY

Dr. Kimberly Scott takes the oath of office as Mecklenburg County public health director. Scott, who succeeds Dr. Raynard Washington, had been interim director since January.

Dr. Kimberly Scott has been upgraded to Mecklenburg County’s public health director.

Scott, who was appointed interim director since January, was appointed to permanent status by County Manager Mike Bryant. She succeeds Dr. Raynard Washington, who was appointed New Jersey health commissioner by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

“I’m honored for the opportunity to serve as Mecklenburg County Health Director and work toward our collective vision of assuring the health and safety of our diverse and changing community today and for our future generations,” Scott said in a statement. “We have a talented and dedicated public health team that I’m excited to continue to work with, alongside partners, community organizations, and residents.”  
Public Health is one of four departments in Mecklenburg’s Health and Human Services Agency, employing nearly 1,000 people. The department provides clinical services, investigating potential cases of infectious diseases, conducts restaurant inspections and staffs Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with nurses. 

“Dr. Scott is a proven public health leader with a deep understanding of the health needs and challenges facing our community,” Bryant said. “In her role as interim director, she has helped guide the County through challenging outbreaks of measles and cyclosporiasis while continuing the department's efforts to improve the health and quality of life for all residents. We conducted a national search, and the best candidate was right here.”   

Before her appointment as interim director, Scott was assistant director of the Population Health Division since 2022, where she was responsible for resources to design, implement, and evaluate programs and initiatives. She was also tasked with building relationships between the health department and community partners, increasing access to local health priority data, and overseeing the Offices of Chronic Disease Policy and Prevention, Violence Prevention, and Health Equity. 

Scott has more than 15 years of experience as a public health practitioner at nonprofits, local government and academic settings, including Live Well Wake Manager in Wake County; vice president of community health at Horizons Community Solutions in Albany Georgia, and health educator at Georgia Public Health. She was also a data collections specialist at National Children's Study, a federal research project that examined how biological and environmental factors impact children’s health and development.  

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