For Immediate Release:

May 15, 2019

LOS ANGELES – Megan McClaire, Chief of Staff, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, was recognized today by the de Beaumont Foundation as one of the inaugural 40 Under 40 in Public Health. The 40 rising stars of public health were chosen by a panel of judges for their fresh perspectives, creative problem-solving, and innovative health solutions in communities across the country.

“We launched 40 Under 40 to humanize the public health field and show the diversity of the individuals who commit to strengthening the health of our nation’s communities,” said Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. “Public health is different from healthcare, and by elevating the work and voices of these inspiring leaders, we hope to attract and motivate other professionals to bring creativity and innovation to the future of public health.”

Nomination for 40 Under 40 in Public Health were submitted between November 2018 and February 2019. The nomination pool included job titles ranges from health commissioner and director of health equity to doula and epidemiologist. Each chosen honoree has made significant contributions to their community and the field of public health in their respective areas.

“I am honored to be named a de Beaumont Foundation 40 Under 40 in Public Health, alongside 39 other stellar public health leaders building healthier and more equitable communities across the country,” said McClaire.

As Chief of Staff of the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, Megan oversees the Center of Health Equity and Office of Planning, programs rooted in community engagement and cross-sector collaboration to address health equity issues impacting County residents and directs the implementation efforts for priority initiatives within the Department. She is guided by the firm belief that government has the capacity and responsibility to meet the needs of all they serve – this commitment is especially present for communities who have historically been under-resourced. This requires working alongside all communities to shape Public Health work so that collectively dismantling barriers to this mission and focus on impacting healing for all LA County residents continues.

Previously, Megan was at Advancement Project California, a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. In that capacity, she led efforts that used community-driven and data-informed approaches to address social and health inequities affecting California residents. Megan also worked at the Boston Public Health Commission where she developed and led the Health in All Policies and Boston Fit City initiatives - cross-programmatic and inter-agency efforts to incorporate health equity and obesity prevention into city policies and practices. This included the completion of the first City-sponsored health impact assessment (HIA), and an HIA on Boston’s Living Wage ordinance, which demonstrated to city leadership how economic policies serve as a social determinant of health.

Nominees were evaluated by a distinguished panel of professionals from the nonprofit, business, and higher education sectors on their demonstrated leadership, their contributions to their community’s health, and their collaboration with other organizations in public health and other sectors.

For more information about 40 Under 40 in Public Health, including detailed eligibility and selection criteria, visit http://debeaumont.org/40-under-40/

The de Beaumont Foundation creates and invests in bold solutions to build healthier communities. The Foundation advances policy, builds partnerships, and strengthens public health to create communities where people can achieve their best possible health. www.debeaumont.org

The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of over 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,100 employees and has an annual budget of $1 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichea lth.lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lap ublichealth, instagram. com /lapublichealth, facebook.co m/lapublichealth and youtube.com/ Lapublichealth.

---

#####