
King County Board of Health
Setting county-wide policies and regulations to protect and promote the health of King County residents.
In 2023, the Board will expand to include 8 non-elected members and 4 non-elected alternate members to comply with a change in state law. The American Indian Health Commission of Washington State named a member and alternate. The remaining 7 Board members and 3 alternates will represent public health consumers, healthcare, and other community stakeholders. At least one non-elected Board Member must have expertise in environmental health.
Read more about the make up of the Board (PDF)
The Board is currently considering applications for membership they received by June 30th. This fall the Board will send their recommendations to the King County Council, who will appoint members before the end of the year. New members will begin their terms January 1, 2023, and will join elected officials representing the King County Council, Seattle City Council and Sound Cities Association on the reconfigured Board.
Other formats or translation of this web page or any Board materials are available upon request – please email KCBOHAdmin@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-4600.
Lea un resumen de la Junta Directiva de Salud del Condado de King (en el formato de PDF)
Actualmente, la Junta Directiva está considerando las solicitudes de membresía que recibió antes del 30 de junio. Este otoño, la misma enviará sus recomendaciones al Consejo del Condado de King quien designará a los miembros antes de fin de año. Los nuevos miembros iniciarán sus mandatos el 1 de enero de 2023 y se unirán a los funcionarios electos que representan al Consejo del Condado de King, el Consejo de la Ciudad de Seattle y la Asociación Sound Cities dentro de la Junta reconfigurada.
La traducción u otros formatos estarán disponibles bajo solicitud; favor de enviar un correo electrónico a KCBOHAdmin@kingcounty.gov o llamar al 206-296-4600.
What the Board of Health does:
The role of the Board is to advocate for the preservation, promotion, and protection of public health, prevent the spread of disease, set local public health regulations and some fees and licenses, and enforce state and local public health laws. The Board does not have appropriation (budget) authority. The Board takes a racial equity approach to its work, and expects its members to be committed to racial equity and ending the impacts of racism on health.
The Board is responsible for:
Passing rules and regulations pertaining to public health (not health care) most typically around issues relating to the spread of communicable disease, nuisances like rodents, septic systems, and food establishments like restaurants. For example, the Board sets fees that the Health Department charges for restaurant inspections, creates rules to control of rabies in pets, and establishes laws such as regulating e-cigarettes.
Over the years, the Board of Health has enacted countless measures to improve the health and well-being of King County residents, including banning trans fats in restaurants, regulating e-cigarettes and establishing the secure medicine return program.
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Current membership roster of the King County Board of Health
The 11-member board is comprised of three health professionals and eight elected officials who serve terms ranging from one to three years. The Board of Health meets on the third Thursday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Metropolitan King County Council Chambers, unless otherwise specified. The composition of the board will change in January 2023 (See callout box above for a description of changes to the Board).
www.kingcounty.gov/council
Members are appointed for one year terms by the King County Council.
- Joe McDermott
Chair
District 8
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Girmay Zahilay
Vice-Chair
District 2
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Rod Dembowski
Alternate member representing the King County Council
District 1
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Jeanne Kohl-Welles
District 4
Term expires December 21, 2022
www.seattle.gov/council
Members are appointed for one year terms by the Seattle City Council.
- Tammy Morales
Vice-Chair
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Teresa Mosqueda
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Lisa Herbold
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Sara Nelson
Alternate member representing the Seattle City Council
Term expires December 21, 2022
Members are appointed for one year terms by the Sound Cities Association.
- Susan Honda, Deputy Mayor, City of Federal Way
Vice-Chair
City of Federal Way
33325 8th Ave. S
Federal Way, WA 98003
Term expires December 21, 2022 - David Baker, Mayor and City Councilmember, City of Kenmore
City of Kenmore
18120 68th Ave NE
Kenmore, WA 98028
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Heather Koellen, Councilmember, City of North Bend
Alternate member representing the Sound Cities Association
City of North Bend
920 SE Cedar Falls Way
North Bend, WA 98045
Term expires December 21, 2022 - Janice Zahn, Councilmember, City of Bellevue
Alternate member representing the Sound Cities Association
City of Bellevue
PO Box 90012
Bellevue, WA 98009
Term expires December 21, 2022
Health professional members are appointed by the other members of the board to three year terms including two voting members and one non-voting member.
- Bill Daniell, MPH, MD
Vice Chair representing Health Professionals
Voting member, term expires December 31, 2022 - Butch de Castro, PhD, MSN/MPH, RN, FAAN
Voting member, term expires December 31, 2022 - Robin Narruhn, PhD, MN, RN
Non-voting member, term expires December 31, 2022
www.kingcounty.gov/health
- Dennis Worsham, Interim Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County
Executive Secretary and Administrative Officer of the Board
- Joy Carpine Cazzanti, Government Affairs Administrator
Board of Health Administrator
If you have any questions about the Board of Health, please use our online form or call 206-263-0365.
Mailing address:
King County Board of Health
ATTN: Board of Health Administrator
401 5th Ave., Suite 1300
Seattle, WA 98104
Email: KCBOHAdmin@kingcounty.gov