Kansas City names violence prevention leader, first Black woman, to health director post
Kansas City has appointed Dr. Marvia Jones, a specialist in violence prevention, to head the city’s health department.
She will be the first Black woman to take on the role, the city announced Friday.
Jones joined the Kansas City Health Department in 2019 the agency’s violence prevention and policy manager. She previously worked on programs and policy development at Communities Creating Opportunity, a social justice advocacy organization.
City Manager Brian Platt, who made the appointment, said in a statement that Jones’ expertise will “bring a renewed commitment to sustainable violence prevention programs that Kansas City residents are looking for.”
She’s lived in Kansas City for most of the last 12 years and attended the University of Kansas where she earned her master of public health and her Ph.D. Jones also completed a fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control.
Her appointment follows the August retirement of Rex Archer, who led the department for 23 years.
“My vision for the department is to continue to develop innovative and responsive strategies for public health needs that center the many different communities we serve, even if this means taking a look outside of traditional measures,” Jones in a statement.
“Community engagement is integral to public health because it demonstrates to residents that they have value, and that their voice is respected. Community engagement centralizes residents as partners.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city and region will look to Jones as they work to “mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
“Dr. Marvia Jones is the right person to lead Kansas City’s Health Department as we continue our work to build a City for the future: a City committed to equitable healthcare delivery, violence-free neighborhoods, and healthy homes for Kansas City families in all zip codes,” Lucas said.
She will begin in her new role on Feb. 14.
