Dr. Iulia Vann nominated as new Allegheny County health director

Allegheny County could soon have a new health director after a six-month search.

Dr. Iulia Vann was nominated by the Allegheny County Board of Health Monday in an unanimous vote from the nine-member board.

Vann, a Romanian native, has served as public health director for Guilford County, N.C., since 2020. Guilford County, home to Greensboro, is the third largest county in the state and has about 555,000 residents.

She said she looks forward to bringing her experience to Allegheny County and building communities where everyone is safe and thriving.

“I’m no stranger to complex and multi-faceted public health challenges, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished in Guilford County during my tenure,” Vann said.

Moving to Allegheny County will be considered a promotion for Vann, as Allegheny County is home to 1.2 million residents. The Allegheny County Health Department is responsible for a myriad of health issues like food service inspections, air pollution monitoring, water testing, maternal and infant care, and other initiatives.

Board member Dr. Edith Shapira said Vann is up for the task of Allegheny County’s top health official.

Shapira said Vann managed 450 employees and a budget of $55 million in Guilford County. She praised her experience managing the pandemic in North Carolina, and noted her administration was recognized by North Carolina in 2021.

“She is smart, personable and good at developing a wide network of qualified professionals,” Shapira said.

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said Vann was chosen by a passionate search committee, which gathered input from dozens of community leaders and the public.

“Dr. Vann’s passion for protecting public health and track record of taking on big challenges is exactly why we want her to be the next director of the Allegheny County Health Department,” Innamorato said.

Vann will need approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Health before she starts.

County officials expect her to gain approval from the state and start in about five weeks. Her salary will be $275,000, said county officials.

Vann has been in the U.S. for the last 11 years. She obtained a doctorate of medicine from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania. She received a master’s in Public Health Analysis and Management from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., in 2014.

The appointment comes after an extensive search that started at the beginning of this year. Shapira said the county reviewed 20 qualified applications, and conducted several interviews. The board chose from four finalists.

The health board has not selected a permanent health director since Dr. Debra Bogen was named in 2020. Bogen left the role to become acting state health director in 2023. Shapira said the board chose to wait until 2024 to nominate a permanent replacement since former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald was leaving office.

Health board chair Lee Harrison noted the weight of the board’s decision Monday.

“It is a big deal,” he said to applause from the board members.

The county’s acting health director, Patrick Dowd, is leaving the post on July 9. He has served in the role since January. Dowd will become CEO of Pittsburgh’s Environmental Charter School.

Dr. Barbara Nightingale, deputy director for Clinical Services at Allegheny County Health Department, will serve as acting health director in the five-week interim between Dowd’s last day and Vann’s first.

Zachary Barber, a clean air advocate for PennEnvironment, spoke at the board meeting and said the new director will come in at an important time as the region continues to struggle with poor air quality.

He said the Biden administration has established new rules that can help the health department ratchet down air pollution.

“We hope the new health director will rise to the occasion and take advantage of these new opportunities,” Barber said.