Belinda Pettiford receives national leadership award

Belinda Pettiford of the Division of Public Health received the 2005 C. Michael Savage Outstanding Leadership Award from the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) in March. Pettiford is supervisor of the N.C. Perinatal Health and Family Support Unit, which includes three Healthy Start sites. She is also immediate past president of NHSA.

The Savage Outstanding Leadership Award is given to honor an individual who is worthy of receiving national recognition for outstanding leadership and service in the areas of maternal and child health, especially among Healthy Start communities. As the first recipient of this award, Pettiford was recognized for the additional attributes of advocacy for social justice and the common good; administrative and financial management leadership; community organizing; and passionate service.

Her coworkers in Public Health say that Pettiford’s leadership and interpersonal skills, along with her knowledge of issues relating to community health and the well-being of children and families, are exceptional. Belinda has been with the Women’s and Children’s Health Section for 10 years.

NHSA’s members include most of the 96 federally funded Healthy Start projects in the United States. NHSA promotes community-based maternal and child health programs, particularly those that focus on the reduction of infant mortality, low birth-weight, and racial disparities in perinatal outcomes.

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