Billie Walker
Gary L Herman
Billie Walker has been appointed to serve as Health Director of the Alexander County Health Department. She was named Interim Health Director in May following the retirement of Leeanne Whisnant.
Walker has worked her way up the ladder at the health department since 2003 when she was hired as a part-time Bioterrorism Coordinator. Soon thereafter, she was named the Communicable Disease Nurse, and became Director of Nursing in 2008. Walker was promoted to Assistant Health Director in 2019.
“I am honored to have been selected for this role and consider it a privilege to work every day with such an incredible group of public health professionals,” Walker said. I look forward to continuing the work and mission of the Alexander County Health Department, which is to promote, protect, and ensure the health and well-being of every citizen of Alexander County.”
County Manager Rick French said he is proud of Walker’s accomplishments over the years and is especially thankful for her dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.“Billie displayed exceptional leadership skills during the pandemic. It was a very stressful time, especially for the health department as they worked to keep everyone informed and healthy during this difficult time,” said French. “She has truly earned the title of Health Director.”
A native of Alexander County, Walker is a 1993 graduate of Alexander Central High School. During her secondary education, Walker said she already knew she wanted to be a nurse after taking health occupation classes at ACHS. She attended Catawba Valley Community College while working as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) at Catawba Memorial Hospital. She attained her nursing degree from CVCC in May 1999. Walker served as Infection Control Nurse at Valley Nursing Center for 1½ years, and then applied for her first job at the health department.As she advanced professionally, Walker continued her education as the succession plan evolved at the health department. She began classes at Gardner-Webb University in 2013 and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The local Health Director position requires a master’s degree, so Walker continued her studies at Gardner-Webb and attained her Master of Science in Nursing degree in 2018. “This was a very strenuous time in my life as I juggled full-time work while raising a family and going to school at night,” Walker related. “I’m proud of my personal and professional achievements as I have worked hard to earn this position with the Alexander County Health Department. I will strive to provide top-notch services for our citizens and a healthy work environment for our employees. I’m very thankful for this opportunity.”
For more information about the Alexander County Health Department, visit https://alexanderhealth.org or call (828) 632-9704.