Wes Gray Named Pitt County, NC Public Health Director
Appointment effective October 16, 2023; Deputy Health Director also named
PITT COUNTY, NC – The Pitt County Board of Health announces that Wes Gray was named Public Health Director during the September 12 board meeting. He succeeds Interim Director, Teresa Ellen, who has served in the role since April 10, 2023. The appointment is effective Monday, October 16, 2023.
Pitt County Public Health also announces Angie Manning was named Public Health Deputy Director effective June 28, 2023.
Gray has been employed by Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health Department since 2017 serving as Health Director. Previous work experience includes Human Services Planner/Evaluator II with Albemarle Regional Health Services in Elizabeth City, N.C., and related positions with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
“The Pitt County Board of Health is very excited to appoint Wes Gray as our new Health Director. Wes is abundantly qualified with a great public health education and excellent experience directing public health activities for a neighboring three-county district. He's going to make a great Health Director for the people of Pitt County,” says Dr. Herb Garrison, Chair, Pitt County Board of Health.
“I thank Teresa Ellen for serving as Interim Director and am pleased there will be no disruption in services to the public during the transition to the Board of Health’s permanent appointment,” says Janis Gallagher, Pitt County Manager.
The primary purpose of the Director of Public Health is to manage and guide the affairs of the Pitt County, N.C. Health Department. In this capacity, the Director formulates division policies and priorities; provides programmatic and administrative consultation and technical assistance to the
Deputy Secretary Health Service. As Director of Public Health, the individual is responsible for the formulation and implementation of Pitt County’s public health standards and policies in accordance with the State.
Of the appointment, Gray states, “I am honored to have been selected as Health Director by the Pitt County Board of Health. My goal will be to continue to provide excellent service to our patients and customers and to fulfill our mission to protect, promote and assure the health of all people in Pitt County. This includes controlling the spread of communicable disease, reducing the impact of chronic illnesses, addressing infant mortality rates and working with community partners to achieve our shared health goals and priorities."
Gray received a Master of Applied Science in Spatial Analysis from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, M.D. Additionally, he earned a Master in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Master in Public Administration from East Carolina University and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University.
Gray currently serves as a Governor’s Appointee on the NC Child Fatality Task Force, Board Member of the NC Alliance of Public Health Agencies and various roles in 10 public health related organizations.
Angie Manning has been employed by Pitt County Government from 2004 - 2017 in various positions in Environmental Health and then as Environmental Health Director from 2021 - 2023. She also served as Director of Environmental Health in Wilson County, N.C. from 2017 - 2021.
Manning received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. She currently serves on the External Advisory Board for East Carolina University Environmental Health Program, as Site Visitor for the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board and is the Former Vice President for the North Carolina Environmental Health Supervisor’s Association.
“In my tenure with Pitt County Government, I’ve built relationships of trust with Environmental Health’s community partners. I look forward to serving Pitt County residents through the broader reach of all Public Health programs and services as Deputy Health Director,” says Angie Manning.
For more information, please contact Pitt County Public Information Office at 252-902-2955.
The Mission of Pitt County Government is to enhance the health, safety, and well-being of our community by advocating for and providing quality services in a friendly and cost-effective manner. Learn more: www.PittCountyNC.gov
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Media Contact:
Dawn C. Jones
Director, Public Information & Media Relations Past Releases:
dawn.jones@pittcountync.gov | (252) 902-2955 www.PittCountyNC.gov/PIO