Buncombe County Names Nathan Greene as Preparedness Officer

Buncombe County Health and Human Services is very pleased to announce Nathan Greene as the new Public Health Preparedness Officer. Nathan brings nearly three decades of service in Emergency Services to this position. Building on years of experience and education in Emergency Services and Emergency Management, with a degree in Emergency Services Administration, Nathan will focus on building a culture of preparedness in Health and Human Services.

This announcement could not be more timely as September is National Preparedness Month. Public Health Preparedness is a foundational element of Public Health, with benefits to our community as seen through the COVID-19 response. The goal of Public Health Preparedness is to protect populations through systems that strengthen our capacity for community resiliency through planning, mitigation, response, and recovery. Some examples of this work include assessing and developing plans and programs that address emerging issues in public health including communicable disease, sheltering, functional needs, and environmental health. 

Nathan is excited about the opportunity to take on the role of Preparedness Officer, saying, “While I never saw myself in Public Health, through the COVID-19 response, I realized the important role that Public Health plays in keeping our community safe. I truly look forward to bringing together both disciplines to create a more robust local preparedness program that operationalizes preparedness into our daily work to build a more proactive stance for a range of responses.”

To learn more about the importance of public health preparedness, click here.