Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hayden-Howard has selected Adrienne Sturrup (pictured above) as the City’s next Director of Austin Public Health (APH). Sturrup, who has served as interim APH director since May 2021, will begin her new position on January 18, 2022.

APH provides Austin and Travis County residents with services to address infectious diseases and environmental threats. The Department educates the community on the benefits of healthy behaviors to avoid chronic illnesses. It has also played a leading role in the City’s fight against COVID-19.

The department also offers:

• Services to help people meet needs across the lifespan, such as immunizations, shelter, food,clothing, and job assistance.
• Screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and
• Nutritional support through the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC).
• Birth and death certificates.
• Inspection and permitting of restaurants and food establishments.
• Outreach and education on topics such as diabetes, tobacco cessation, mother-friendly workplaces, and injury prevention.
• Emergency preparedness programs to help people in need during and after natural and man-made disasters.

“Adrienne and I worked together while I was the Director, and I have the utmost confidence she will continue to lead the Department through the multitude of public health challenges we face as we continue through this pandemic,” said Stephanie Hayden-Howard, Assistant City Manager for Health and Environment and Culture and Lifelong Learning.

“I am humbled and honored to be afforded the opportunity to serve this community in the role of Director of Public Health,” said Sturrup. “APH is a dedicated, mission-driven team that continues to go over and above to protect the health and safety of our residents.”

Sturrup spent the last 27 years working to promote health and wellness in community settings and has a long history of working in leadership roles with many non-profit agencies. She began working for the City of Austin in 2014 as a program manager in Austin Public Health and then served as an Assistant Director. Sturrup has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from Boston University and several certifications in Youth Development, Facilitation, and Group Work.  She has also received training in restorative practices.

The Austin Public Health Director search began in October 2021 after Stephanie Hayden-Howard was named Assistant City Manager in May 2021. As interim director, Sturrup managed the public health emergency response, collaborating with other City departments, local government entities, and community-based organizations on COVID 19 response efforts, and driving work on APH's Equity Action Plan.