UW News

August 7, 2008

Jack Thompson leaves public health leadership post

Jack Thompson, director of the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP), has stepped down from this leadership position, effective July 15.

In making the announcement, UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine Dean Patricia Wahl said that under Thompson’s eight-year leadership, the NWCPHP has become a vital resource to state and local health departments in Washington and the six-state region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming) that the center serves.

“Jack has built up the center both financially and programmatically, and it has become a key resource for training, technical assistance, and support for its partners in the public health practice community, especially in preparedness and capacity building,” Wahl said.

Thompson will continue to be active in both the center and in the Department of Health Services, as well as in the MHA, MPH and Community-Oriented Public Health Practice programs.

Dr. Susan Allan will succeed Thompson as director of the center. Allan has worked as a public health practitioner for 23 years, including 17 years as health director of the Arlington County Department of Human Services in Virginia, and for three years as public health director and state health officer in the Oregon Department of Human Services.

The NWCPHP, part of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, works with state and local health agencies and tribal health organizations, primarily through a regional network, to develop and implement a long-term, integrated approach to workforce development. The six-state network assists NWCPHP in setting goals and priorities and also provides mutual resources and support for its members.

A reception to mark the leadership transition will be held on Thursday, Aug. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in University Tower, 4333 Brooklyn Ave. NE, floor T-22, North Training Room.

For more information, contact Trudy White, sanjose@u.washington.edu, 206-616-2931.