North Central Health District

White named new Administrator of Macon-Bibb Co Health Dept

Posted June 27, 2014 by NCHD Admin

Nancy White has been named the new Administrator of the Macon-Bibb County Health Department. White comes to public health with 33 years of healthcare experience that includes clinical nursing, operations, new business development, marketing, and government affairs.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, a Master of Liberal Studies in Professional Communications from Mercer University; and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Macon State College. A registered nurse, she is also a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Prior to joining the Health Department she served for over four years as Director of Oncology Services for the Medical Center of Central Georgia. Before that she worked at Coliseum Health System in a variety of capacities for 18 years, including Director of the Diabetes Management Center and Director of Senior Health Services.

White was elected to Macon City Council in 2006 and was elected two additional times to serve through 2013. In 2008 she was appointed by Mayor Robert Reichert to the Bibb County Board of Health. She also served on the Macon General Employees Pension Board, Public Safety, Employee Development and Compensation, and Appropriations committees.

She is Chair of the Bibb County American Cancer Society Leadership Council and a member of the Macon Symphony Orchestra Board. She is Classifications Chair for the Rotary Club of Macon. She and her husband Jeff have a 20 year old son who will be a college senior; and are active at Christ Episcopal Church.

White is the daughter of Hubert and Bettie Addleton of Macon, career Baptist missionaries to Pakistan. White was born in Pakistan, the youngest of three children, and attended boarding school there growing up.

White said, “In many ways, working for Public Health brings me full circle in my life. As a missionary kid born and raised in Pakistan, I witnessed firsthand from a somewhat primitive level the importance of public health. We had to boil our water, boil our milk, and overcook our meat to avoid life threatening illnesses. Malaria was prevalent. We offered smallpox vaccination campaigns. In America we take public health advances for granted, as antibiotics, good hygiene and immunizations have added decades to our life expectancy – yet we still have public health challenges like obesity, tobacco use, HIV, STD’s, higher than average teen pregnancy rate, access to care and more.”

White sees public health as a community responsibility and will seek support from partner agencies throughout Bibb County.

“Through my role as Administrator, I hope I can effectively communicate how much our local employment rate, income, educational achievement, safety, and environmental quality are impacted by public health. Only when we collectively understand and acknowledge this will we effectively collaborate across all sectors on the investments and priorities necessary for improving our community’s health outcomes.”

White will be assuming the position previously held by Mary Alexander, who is retiring after 34 years of public health work. Alexander has been with the Macon-Bibb County Health Department for 30 years.

White says her interest in public health and years of service on the board of health gave her the desire to apply for the administrator position.

She says, “When the Mayor appointed me to this Board in 2008, I immediately felt an affinity for the work and mission of the Bibb Board of Health. I could not help but be interested when it was announced at the December 2013 Board meeting that Mary intended to retire.”

Alexander said, “I am appreciative to the Board, District Health office and the Bibb Health Department staff for their assistance, encouragement, support and friendship over the years. They are the reason behind any of my successes. I am very excited to leave the Health Department in the capable hands of Nancy White. She has a wealth of knowledge in the health care field and a passion for helping the clients. I expect her to do well in her new role.”

To learn more about the services provided by the Macon-Bibb County Health Department, call (478) 745-0411; visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/mbchealth; or visit our webpage at www.northcentralhealthdistrict.com/bibb.