Anthony L-T Chen, MD, MPH, director of health, has named Frank DiBiase as the new director of the Environmental Health Division of Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. The national search to replace Steve Marek, who led the division for 35 years, resulted in a highly competitive selection process.
Collaborative leadership and a focus on eliminating barriers to make it easier for the public, including regulated communities, to make decisions that support public and community health, will be a focus of DiBiase’s leadership, according to Chen.
“Frank has demonstrated an ability to align people—staff, agency partners and community members—around the goal of improving the health of our community,” said Chen. “He helps us to remain focused on listening to and understanding the needs of our customers so we can better serve them while carrying out our public health mission.”
DiBiase has served the Health Department for 23 years, including the last five years as the assistant director of the Environmental Health Division, where he has had a leadership role in strategic planning and quality improvement efforts, budgeting, communication and community outreach, and key stakeholder relations.
Other roles have included five years of regulatory experience in the solid waste program as well as 13 years of service spanning community outreach and engagement, prevention strategies, and grant development to initiate programs such as Clean Air for Kids and Clean Water Loans.
DiBiase has a Bachelor of Science degree from State University of New York and a master’s degree from University of Alaska. He lives in the Gig Harbor area with his wife and three daughters.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division helps our communities become healthier places to live, learn, work and play through its work to improve natural and built environments. The Division performs this role by ensuring that water is safe to drink, food in restaurants and schools is safe to eat, air is safe to breathe, and more people have access to healthy foods and healthy environments.
