Mumford named senior assistant to state health director

Patriotic Employer Award presentation

Dr. Rick Mumford is the new senior assistant to the state health director.

Mumford’s promotion, announced April 14, puts him in charge of rebuilding operational capacity and helping the Division of Public Health respond to the many demands that come to the division on a daily basis.

“As many of you know, Rick has recently returned from serving on active duty in the U.S. Army, including a tour of duty in Iraq,” said State Health Director Dr. Leah Devlin. “As we welcome Rick back home to his family and to our public health family, I am excited to have Rick take on this challenging new role. This will enhance the division’s responsiveness to major public health issues.”

Mumford’s promotion “presents an opportunity to enhance the division’s responsiveness to major public health issues and could not have been more timely and appropriate,” Devlin said. His primary responsibilities will be to bring a focus to the division’s work on eliminating health disparities as well as the area of workforce development /diversification.

In addition, Dr. Rebecca King, who served as acting chief of the Oral Health Section, has been named section chief, concurrent with Mumford’s appointment.
“Our N.C. Oral Health Section continues to lead the nation in many areas of dental public health programming and service,” Devlin said. “I am extremely proud and thankful to our Oral Health Section staff.”

“Please join me in welcoming Rick to this new role and in thanking him for his service to our country,” Devlin said.

Mumford served in Iraq with the medical company of the 30th Brigade Combat Team, 230th Support Battalion. As brigade dental surgeon he treated U.S. soldiers, coalition forces, detainees and civilians at the unit’s base, about 13 miles from the Iranian border in Balad Ruz. His duties included service as the company’s medical triage officer, training medics on mass casualty exercises. He was in Iraq through an activation of elements of the National Guard’s 230th Support Battalion based in Goldsboro.

At a ceremony during a meeting of the Public Health Management Team on May 16, Mumford presented Devlin with a framed Patriotic Employer Award certificate from the National Committee for the Support of the Guard and Reserve. The award, requested through a submission by Mumford, acknowledges an employer’s contributions to national security and protection of liberty and freedom by supporting America’s National Guard and Reserve force.”

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Last Modified: May 31, 2005