RALEIGH, N.C. — Another face from North Carolina is on the national stage. 
 

What You Need To Know

  • Dr. Mandy Cohen has been appointed to be the next director of the CDC
  • Cohen served as secretary of the NCDHHS from 2017-2021
  • Dr. David Wohl endorsed Cohen as a strong, effective communicator
  • Wohl is an infectious disease expert in the UNC Health system

 

Dr. Mandy Cohen is the newest director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The presidential appointment comes nearly two years after stepping down as secretary of the state health department in North Carolina. 

Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert for the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, calls the president’s choice a smart decision.

“I think Dr. Cohen is just an incredible leader, and we have had much success in this state. That success is rooted in the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services, which has done a really fantastic job,” Wohl said.

Wohl tracked many of the viral habits of COVID-19. He said Cohen is a compassionate, hard-working collaborator who will be a strong public health messenger.

“We need someone who is effective. We need someone who leads, and I believe she is quietly effective as a leader,” Wohl said.

Wohl emphasized, it’s important to remember Cohen is the designer of the state’s COVID-19 strategy.

“What I like about what Dr. Cohen did during the pandemic phase we just passed through here in North Carolina, she was a straight shooter. She got up at the podium. She told you what you needed to know,” Wohl said.

Cohen’s appointment as CDC director comes at a critical time. Wohl said turning science into sound decisions for the public to understand is something Cohen does well.

“I think that’s a really important point. I think that there’s been trial by fire here and that is what maybe made her attractive to the people advising the president,” he said.

He also sees Cohen’s appointment to lead the CDC as an endorsement of public health agencies in North Carolina.

“We should be very proud that, that’s being recognized and that the leadership that we have here in North Carolina is now going to be used to help our country, and our public health responses and disease prevention. This is a feather in North Carolina’s cap,” Wohl said.

Cohen takes over for Dr. Rochelle Walensky, whose last day as director of the CDC is June 30.

Cohen is the second presidential appointment during Gov. Roy Cooper’s time in office. 

Michael Regan, the current leader of the EPA, was once the head of the Department of Environmental Quality in North Carolina.