Local health department leader named to national board for health officials

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

Paul Pettit, the director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, has been newly elected to the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ Board of Directors for a three-year term as a Director for Region 2, representing local health departments in NJ, NY, PR, and the USVI.

Paul Pettit

NACCHO is the voice of the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. Pettit’s term began on July 1, 2022.

“Being elected to serve on the NACCHO board is a very humbling and exciting opportunity,” Pettit said. “I’ve had the privilege to serve as a local public health director for over 14 years in the communities where I live.

Pettit has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester in Environmental Health, a Master of Science degree in Strategic Leadership from Roberts Wesleyan College and a certificate in Public Health from the University at Albany.

He has worked in public health for over 23 years, starting as an environmental health technician and advancing to the public health director role for Orleans County in January 2008. In 2012, he also became the public health director for Genesee County through a collaborative cross-jurisdictional sharing arrangement between the two counties. This unique CJS partnership was supported and developed with assistance from the Center for Sharing Public Health Services.

“Local public health is where we see the true impact of our work and have the direct interaction with our residents,” Pettit said. “Serving on the board will allow me to represent my colleagues in Region 2 and work collaboratively with my fellow board members and the staff of NACCHO to continue the advocacy work for funding and services that will directly impact and improve the lives of those in our communities.”

In addition to serving on many local, regional and state Board of Directors, Pettit is a past president of the New York State Association of County Health Officials. He was recently appointed to the New York State Rural Health Council, and he is very active in statewide public health and policy advocacy. He is also an adjunct professor, teaching various public health classes at both SUNY Brockport and the University at Buffalo.

“I am very pleased that Paul Pettit’s colleagues around the country have voted to have him join our board,” said NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman. “He is a past president of the New York State Association of County Health Officials and is especially active in public health policy and advocacy. We greatly appreciate the experience and insight he will bring to our organization’s leadership.”

NACCHO is governed by a 20-member board consisting of local and tribal health officials who are elected by their peers, as well as one ex-officio member representing partner organizations.

As the governing body, NACCHO’s Board of Directors establishes the association’s strategic direction and initiatives, sets the annual legislative agenda, approves official policy statements, ensures that annual goals are met, and provides financial oversight.

The Board is NACCHO’s public face and represents members in matters of policy, public health practice, and collaboration with health partners in the public and private sectors.

For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.