Two NCDHHS leaders, Dr. Virginia Guidry and Scott Proescholdbell, were recently recognized by their peers for their exemplary accomplishments with the Ron H. Levine Public Health Award at the annual North Carolina Public Health Leader’s Conference on March 14 in Raleigh.
The Ron Levine Legacy Award is a prestigious award named for former N.C. State Health Director Dr. Ron Levine. Since 2004, 30 individuals and 85 public health directors have been honored for their distinguished efforts to improve the public health system, expand the scope or capacity of public health services, or build new and lasting partnerships.
The awards were presented by Assistant Secretary for Public Health, Dr. Susan Kansagra. “We are fortunate to have these two remarkable leaders who have made lasting and positive changes for public health," said Dr. Kansagra. "Their work exemplifies the spirit of the Ron Levine Award, and we are grateful for their tireless efforts in advancing the health and well-being of communities across North Carolina."
Dr. Virginia Guidry leads the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch within NCDHHS' Division of Public Health (DPH). She also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in UNC’s Department of Epidemiology and provides expertise on applied epidemiology projects such as wastewater surveillance, occupational health and climate change. Her career is marked by a profound dedication to understanding and meeting the needs of communities, particularly in environmental health.
Under Dr. Guidry's guidance and public health initiatives have helped make significant strides in integrating environmental justice principles into community assessments across several counties, promoting equity and addressing the concerns of impacted communities. Her efforts have led to the development of health guidance on issues ranging from water filtration and testing to the consumption of fish. Her leadership was especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she played a key role in establishing North Carolina as one of eight initial states to implement a comprehensive wastewater surveillance system.
Dr. Guidry received her Master's in Public Health and Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of Delaware.
Scott Proescholdbell is a public health epidemiologist and unit manager for the Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Informatics Unit of DPH’s Injury and Violence Prevention Branch and has more than 20 years of service with North Carolina. He is also on the adjunct faculty with UNC's Department of Epidemiology and partners extensively with the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center.
Proescholdbell’s contributions to public health have included co-authoring more than 80 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, spearheading state laws and enhancing access to resources to combat the opioid epidemic. Notably, his efforts have significantly advanced the state’s injury and violence prevention surveillance, bringing recognition, funding and policy improvements for critical public health issues, such as substance use and violence prevention, both within North Carolina and nationally. Scott was recently elected co-chair of the N.C. Child Fatality Task Force Unintentional Death Subcommittee and is chair of the Injury and Violence Prevention Subcommittee for the N.C. State Trauma Plan Task Force.
Under Proescholdbell’s leadership, the state has seen notable injury and violence prevention advancements. His pioneering work in firearm violence surveillance and the innovative use of NC DETECT data for behavioral health surveillance has set new standards in public health monitoring and intervention.
Proescholdbell received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Flagler University and a Master's in Public Health from Emory University.