At a meeting of the Randolph County Board of Health earlier this year, Linda S. Sanders was named as the new administrator/director of the Randolph-Elkins Health Department after the retirement of Ronald E. LaNeve, executive director.
Sanders has been an employee of the Health Department for more than 46 years and had served as an assistant to the executive director for more than 19 years. She has extensive experience in the operation of a local health department and has served as a member on several state and local boards and committees throughout the years. She also serves as the agency's finance and human resources director.
Sanders presently serves as the regional administrative/finance lead for the SPHERE Threat Preparedness Region, is a member at large on the Board of Directors for the Association of Local Health Departments, is a member and secretary of West Virginia Local Health Inc., and also serves as a member of West Virginia Public Health Partnership. She is secretary of the Professional Clerical Section and treasurer of the Administrative Section of WVPHA. She is on the board of directors of North Central West Virginia Community Action Association, Good Shepherd Ministries and Randolph County Domestic Training and Referral Program and presently serves as president.
Sanders has completed several trainings and classes on leadership and board membership. She has participated in strategic planning sessions for boards, is a trained facilitator, a certified Covey Trainer and completed the requirements for the federal Grants Management Certificate Program.
"I appreciate this opportunity the board of health has given me to continue in a leadership role and help our agency prepare for the future," Sanders said. "The administrative staff and I are working on an internal assessment of strengths and weakness to help prepare the agency for accreditation within the next five years. We also will be doing a Community Health Needs Assessment in the next few months."
With assistance through a program sponsored by Southeast Public Health Training Center called "Management On The Road," the agency will be partnering with the FRN to develop a Public Health Business Plan to target health problems in the community caused by drug abuse.
