Leon Co. Health Resource Center Director honored

(College Station, TX) — Col. James Wallace, executive director of the Leon County Health Resource Center, was honored June 21 for his impact on the health of rural communities through his work with the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) School of Rural Public Health Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) and the Brazos Valley Health Partnership. Texas A&M University System Chancellor, Dr. Mike McKinney, and his wife LouAnn McKinney, hosted the retirement luncheon.

“You have sharpened our faculty, staff and students’ skills in working effectively with our community partners,” stated Craig Blakely, Ph.D., M.P.H, Dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health. “The impact of your work will be perpetuated for years to come.

“In my experience working with communities across the nation for nearly thirty years, Col. Wallace is the archetype of a community leader. His commitment, insights, expectations and wisdom benefit his community’s health directly,” said Jim Burdine, Dr.PH, Assistant Dean of Public Health Practice at the HSC-School of Rural Public Health and Co-Director of the CCHD. “Through Leon County’s modeling of successful programs to other communities, literally tens of thousands of folks are benefiting from his leadership.”

LouAnn McKinney is chair of the Leon County Health Resource Commission, which oversees the development and maximization of health resources in the county.
The CCHD is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Prevention Research Center that supports prevention research and training on methods for improving population health status building upon community-based participatory research methods and a strategy of community health development.