ABOUT OUR BOARD OF HEALTH
The article below details what a Board of Health is, How it is Composed and the Terms that the Board Members serve. This article comes from the General Statutes of North Carolina.
Explanation of the Board of Health from North Carolina General Statutes
North Carolina General Statute 130A-37. District board of health
(a) A district board of health shall be the policy-making, rule-making and adjudicatory body for a district health department and shall be composed of 15 members; provided, a district board of health may be increased up to a maximum number of 18 members by agreement of the boards of county commissioners in all counties that comprise the district. The agreement shall be evidenced by concurrent resolutions adopted by the affected boards of county commissioners.
(b) The county board of commissioners of each county in the district shall appoint one county commissioner to the district board of health. The county commissioner members of the district board of health shall appoint the other members of the board, including at least one physician licensed to practice medicine in this State, one licensed dentist, one licensed optometrist, one licensed veterinarian, one registered nurse, one licensed pharmacist, and one professional engineer. The composition of the board shall reasonably reflect the population makeup of the entire district and provide equitable district-wide representation. All members shall be residents of the district. If there is not a licensed physician, a licensed dentist, a licensed optometrist, a licensed veterinarian, a registered nurse, a licensed pharmacist, or a professional engineer available for appointment, an additional representative of the general public shall be appointed. If however, one of the designated professions has only one person residing in the district, the county commissioner members shall have the option of appointing that person or a member of the general public.
(c) Except as provided in this subsection, members of a district board of health shall serve terms of three years. Two of the original members shall serve terms of one year and two of the original members shall serve terms of two years. No member shall serve more than three consecutive three-year terms unless the member is the only person residing in the district who represents one of the professions designated in subsection (b) of this section. County commissioner members shall serve only as long as the member is a county commissioner. When a representative of the general public is appointed due to the unavailability of a licensed physician, a licensed dentist, a licensed optometrist, a licensed veterinarian, a registered nurse, a licensed pharmacist, or a professional engineer that member shall serve only until a licensed physician, a licensed dentist, a licensed optometrist, a licensed veterinarian, a registered nurse, a licensed pharmacist, or a professional engineer becomes available for appointment. The county commissioner members may appoint a member for less than a three-year term to achieve a staggered term structure.
(d) Whenever a county shall join or withdraw from an existing district health department, the district board of health shall be dissolved and a new board shall be appointed as provided in subsection (c).
(e) Vacancies shall be filled for any unexpired portion of a term.
(f) A chairperson shall be elected annually by a district board of health. The local health director shall serve as secretary to the board.
(g) A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
What Are The Responsibilities Of A Board of Health
It is the responsibility of the Foothills Health District Board of Health to be the policy-making, rule-making and adjudicatory body for Rutherford and McDowell Counties.
HOW ARE BOARD VACANCIES FILLED?
Vacancies that arise will be filled for any unexpired portion of a term. Commissioner members from Rutherford and McDowell counties will meet and recommend a replacement.
A representative of the general public may be appointed due to the unavailability of a licensed physician, a licensed dentist, a licensed optometrist, a licensed veterinarian, a registered nurse, a licensed pharmacist, or a professional engineer and may serve until a licensed physician, a licensed dentist, a licensed optometrist, a licensed veterinarian, a registered nurse, a licensed pharmacist, or a professional engineer becomes available for appointment. The Commissioner members may appoint a member for less than a three-year term to achieve a staggered term structure.
Current Board Of Health Members
| Position | Member | County | |
| Commissioner | Chris Allison | McDowell | |
| Public | Leon Godlock | McDowell | |
| Pharmacist | Julie Harris | McDowell | |
| Dentist | James G. Gaskill, DDS | McDowell | |
| Registered Nurse | Shirley Garcia | McDowell | |
| Registered Nurse | Becky Young | McDowell | |
| Commissioner | Greg Lovelace | Rutherford | |
| Engineer | Kim Warner | Rutherford | |
| Public | Gina Harrill | Rutherford | |
| Public | Rutherford | ||
| Public | Dr. Jerald DeLaGarza, MD | Rutherford | |
| Public | Amy Jenkins | Rutherford | |
| Public | Martha Robinson | Rutherford | |
| Veterinarian | Dr. Christopher N. Buchanan | Rutherford | |
| Public | Susie Bostic | Rutherford |