BRUNSWICK COUNTY — New Hanover County has lost its health director for its health and human services department, as a neighboring county has hired David Howard.
Howard will be heading to Brunswick County Health and Human Services for his first day as director on Monday, Jan. 23, to oversee public health, environmental health, and WIC/nutrition services.
ALSO: Supervisor wanted former New Hanover County health director out months before pandemic even began
“My familiarity with Brunswick County comes from great working relationships with their team over the years and my long-term residency in the area made the opportunity very exciting to me,” Howard wrote in a press release from Brunswick County.
Howard took over as interim health director of New Hanover’s Health and Human Services Department at the beginning of 2021. He replaced Philip Tarte at the height of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in the county.
New Hanover sent out an announcement in its Covid-19 update Friday, noting the county has moved back to a low level of community spread. A small paragraph at the end noted that Jon Campbell, who was hired in December 2021 to manage the county’s $3.7 million Pandemic Operations Center, was announced as interim director. Campbell, a certified physician assistant, “will continue to lead that operation as part of this new role,” New Hanover County noted in its release.
READ MORE: New Hanover County puts $3.7M toward Pandemic Operations Team to ease burden on public health staff
Brunswick County has gained a leader with 22 years of experience. Howard was the health director in Bladen and Hyde counties prior to joining New Hanover County’s team. He started as assistant public health director for New Hanover in December 2017.
“It’s wonderful to have someone of David Howard’s caliber who is so enthusiastic about leading our health team,” Brunswick deputy county manager David Stanley said in a release. “We already have a great working relationship together through our interactions on mutual issues facing our region. Our staff is looking forward to welcoming David to our team and collaborating on initiatives to improve health outcomes for our residents and environment.”
Currently the co-chair of the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors’ funding/investment committee and a member of the Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board, Howard served on the governing board for the North Carolina Public Health Association from 2018 to 2022. He attended UNCW for his bachelors in business and marketing before receiving a master of public health at UNCG.
“He is also a graduate of the Management Academy of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” the release notes.
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