The N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) today announced that Laura Gerald, M.D., will be the organization’s new executive director.

Starting on July 1, Gerald will implement the policy directions established by the HWTF Commission to advance preventive health goals in North Carolina and will provide strategic leadership to the organization.

“The board’s decision to hire Dr. Gerald as the new executive director brings the leadership needed to continue moving the Health and Wellness Trust Fund forward,” said Gov. Bev Perdue, former chair of the HWTF. “Since the inception of the fund, we have made significant strides toward a healthier North Carolina.”

Gerald currently serves as senior medical consultant with the North Carolina Foundation for Advanced Health Programs. In this position, she supports the Community Care of North Carolina, where she directed the statewide Asthma Disease Management Program and pilot programs in COPD, sickle cell disease and childhood obesity prevention. Gerald is a pediatrician who also provides clinical coverage at Children’s Health of Carolina in Robeson County.

“We are happy to welcome Dr. Gerald as the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund’s new executive director,” said Dr. Chuck Willson, HWTF chairman. “Our nationwide search led us to many qualified individuals, but Laura’s exemplary credentials and knowledge of our state made her the best person for the job.”

Gerald received a master’s degree in public health from the Harvard University School of Public Health (HSPH) with a concentration in health care management, a medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and Radcliffe College. While at HSPH, Gerald completed the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship Program in Minority Health Policy.

Gerald is a member of the North Carolina Pediatric Society and currently serves as chair of its Council on Government and Academic Affairs. She is also a member of the North Carolina Medical Society, the American Public Health Association and is an American Academy of Pediatrics fellow.

Gerald was born and raised in Lumberton. She currently lives in Raleigh with her husband and two children.

The N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund makes North Carolina stronger, both physically and economically, by funding programs that promote preventive health issues. Created by the General Assembly in 2000 to allocate a portion of North Carolina’s share of the national tobacco settlement, HWTF has invested $199 million to support preventive health initiatives and $116 million to fund prescription drug assistance programs.

For more information, visit www.HealthWellNC.com.