This news item expired on Wednesday, April 29, 2015 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Buncombe County Health and Human Services is pleased to announce Jan Shepard as the new public health director. Shepard takes the reigns from Gibbie Harris who retired after six years of admirable public health leadership.
Shepard comes to Buncombe County from neighboring Madison County where she worked at the health department for five years. In her first two years at Madison County, she began her public health career as a preparedness coordinator with a focus on community resiliency. After that time, she was appointed as the health director and now brings her knowledge and expertise to Buncombe County.
“We believe that the training and experience that Jan brings will strengthen our HHS Leadership Team,” said Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director and Assistant County Manager Mandy Stone. “Jan embodies exemplary leadership qualities and brings with her, from her previous role as a health care administrator, extensive knowledge of effective health care business practices that can be applied to public health.”
Shepard will work in partnership with Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Mullendore to provide vision, direction and oversight for core public health services moving forward. Core public health services include Immunizations and Foreign Travel Vaccines, Family Planning, STD Clinic, the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC), the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP), TB Skin Testing, Disease Control, Environmental Health Services, Nurse Family Partnership, and Birth and Death Certificates.
Both she and Dr. Mullendore will serve on the Health and Human Services senior leadership team, continuing the valuable work of protecting and promoting the health of our community.
“I feel honored to have been selected for this important role in Buncombe County. It is exciting to be involved with the integration work of a Health and Human Services agency,” said Shepard. “This is cutting edge work and will benefit all citizens in our county.”
Prior to public health, Shepard had a long career as a health care administrator and for over 25 years, worked in health care settings, including hospitals, long-term care and assisted living facilities. She has comprehensive knowledge of Risk Management, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Community Health Assessment and Quality Improvement in both individual health care and population (public) health settings.
Shepard has a history of community engagement throughout her career. As part of her previous role in health care administration, Shepard participated in local work such as the United Way, Rotary Club and Local Emergency Planning Committees. Most recently, in Madison County, she served on multiple advisory and governing boards for local non-profit and government agencies for both county specific agencies and for those part of the Western North Carolina region.
Shepard was raised in Northeastern Ohio and relocated to North Carolina in the late 1970’s, where she settled in the Asheville area and lived until the mid-1990s. In 2002, she and her husband bought property in the area, built a home and returned to live permanently in Western North Carolina in 2008.
Shepard has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree of Science in Business Administration.