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Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) is pleased to announce that Stacie Saunders has been selected to serve as the Buncombe County Public Health Director.
Mrs. Saunders has extensive public health experience and comes to Buncombe County from Alamance County, NC, where she is the Public Health Director. She is the president-elect of the NC Association of Local Health Directors and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
HHS Director, Stoney Blevins, states, "We are very pleased to bring Mrs. Saunders to our county to lead our public health programs. She is well recognized across North Carolina as a leader in public health and she has the technical and relational skills to lead our county’s public health program now and into the future. Mrs. Saunders was chosen for the position from a very competitive field that included more than 60 applicants from across the United States. We are excited to welcome her to Buncombe County.”
Saunders is a native of southwest Virginia and is looking forward to living in western North Carolina. Of the transition, she says, “ I am happy to find my way back to this beautiful area and excited to serve the people who live, learn, and work in Buncombe. I look forward to exploring the health priorities and opportunities for better health in Buncombe and I also look forward to exploring the natural beauty of the area." Saunders moved to North Carolina in 2005 and has adopted the state as her home since. She and her husband have two ever-active and adventurous children who keep them busy with school, sports, and other activities.
Mrs. Saunders will begin her role as Buncombe County’s Public Health Director on August 3, 2020.