Department Leadership

Kim Van Pelt – Director

Kim Van Pelt became director of the Snohomish County Health Department on October 20, 2025.

She previously served as Deputy Director for Programming and Development at the Pima County Health Department in Arizona. Her work there included oversight of community engagement, health prevention and promotion, public policy, health equity, maternal and child health, built environment, community mental health, substance misuse, injury and violence prevention, and workforce development programs in a county with more than one million residents.

Prior to her role with the Pima County Health Department, Van Pelt spent six years as Chief Regional Officer for First Things First, a statewide organization in Arizona that funds early learning and health programs focused on helping young children grow and thrive. She’s also held roles focused on health policy and advocacy, planning and evaluation, and community outreach and engagement in the public and nonprofit sectors. Van Pelt is award-winning in her work on community advocacy and championing children’s health initiatives. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from the Nelson A. Rockefeller School of Public Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany, along with bachelor’s degrees in economics and history from Arizona State University.

James Lewis, MD, MPH - HEALTH OFFICER

Dr. Lewis has been the health officer since August 2022.

He has worked in public health at the state and local level. Previous roles include medical epidemiologist with Public Health – Seattle & King County, as well as medical director for the Surveillance for Healthcare Associated and Resistant Pathogens Patient Safety (SHARPPS) Program and medical epidemiologist consultant for the Vaccine Preventable Disease and Respiratory Pathogens Program with the North Carolina Division of Public Health. 

Dr. Lewis earned his Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Preventive Medicine. He is an adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.