Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Leadership

NCDHHS Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Director Portia Pope, Ph.D., MPA 

Dr. Portia Pope serves as the Director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. She brings over 20 years of experience leading public service programs across North Carolina and California, with a career grounded in advancing health equity and supporting vulnerable populations.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Pope served as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity and previously led the Durham Children's Developmental Services Agency in the Division of Child and Family Well-Being, where she directed federally funded early intervention services for young children and their families. Earlier in her career, she spent over a decade in executive leadership through a federal agency contract, overseeing programs in all 50 states and U.S. territories and managing a $200 million annual budget.

Dr. Pope holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and is a former Woodland Hall Leadership Fellow. She also earned a Master of Public Administration, a Master’s in Early Childhood Education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She maintains national certifications in project management, agile project management, contract management, and Lean Six Sigma, along with an endorsement in infant and early childhood mental health.

Dr. Pope is a visiting scholar and instructor with the University of the Virgin Islands, North Carolina A&T State University, and the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute’s National Center on Program Management. She serves on the Duke University Autism Center of Excellence Community Engagement Advisory Board, the North Carolina Infant Mental Health Advisory Group, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region IV Health Equity Council. In 2025, she received the prestigious Cheryl Boyce Leadership Award from the National Association of State Offices of Minority Health (NASOMH) in recognition of her exceptional leadership, mentorship, and advocacy in advancing health equity nationwide.

Dr. Pope is also a published author in leadership studies and resides in rural North Carolina.