Raynard Washington, Ph.D., MPH

Raynard Washington, Ph.D., MPH currently serves as Public Health Director for Mecklenburg County (NC) Public Health, where he is responsible for leading more than 900 interdisciplinary public health professionals who work daily to protect and promote health among county residents with an emphasis on improving health equity. Prior to this role, he served as the Deputy Health Director, overseeing internal operations, and leading many aspects of local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before moving to Charlotte, NC, Dr. Washington served as Chief Epidemiologist and Deputy Health Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. There he made significant progress in expanding and integrating public health data systems, led the development of the city’s community violence prevention strategy, and completed the first-ever regional Community Health Assessment in partnership with nine healthcare systems covering a five-county region. Dr. Washington earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh.