FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: November 7, 2007
Contact:
Vivian Muzyk
(919) 828-1819
Photo of Cilenti available upon request
Public Health Leader Joins N.C. Healthy Start Foundation Board
Local Leader joins efforts to reduce infant death and improve women's health
(Raleigh, NC) –The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation announces the appointment of new board member Dorothy Cilenti. Cilenti brings more than 20 years of public health experience to the Foundation's board of directors. In her new role, Cilenti will support the nonprofit's mission to reduce infant mortality and improve the health of women and children across the state.
Cilenti has long been an advocate and policymaker for public health services in the state. Currently, she is the Deputy Director for Management and Operations at the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the University of North Carolina, School of Public Health, in Chapel Hill.
Prior to joining UNC in September, Cilenti served as the Health Director in Chatham County for three years and as the Health Director for Alamance County for two years. In Alamance County, she provided leadership for many public health programs and was instrumental in the development of the Alamance Infant Mortality Coalition.
Cilenti has held several leadership positions with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in Raleigh over the years, including serving as the head of the Maternal Health Branch, the Deputy Section Chief for the Women’s and Children’s Health Section, and the Deputy Director for the North Carolina Division of Public Health.
"We are delighted to be able to draw upon Ms. Cilenti's talent and vast experience as a leader in public health," says Janice Freedman, the Executive Director for the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation. "She has long been dedicated to our mission, and her overall commitment to excellence will be valuable in helping us improve the health and well-being of women and infants across North Carolina."
The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation, a
nonprofit organization established in 1990, conducts
ongoing public education campaigns, advises state and
local policy makers, and provides technical assistance
and professional training focused on reducing infant
death and illness and improving the health of women
and young children in N.C.
