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Final Program


Final Program

Azia M. Harris-Martin, MPH (she/her/hers)

Chief Program Officer
Wayne County Health, Human, and Veterans Services , MI

Azia Harris-Martin is a native of Detroit and a leader in public health innovation, currently driving transformative change as part of Wayne County, Michigan’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services (HHVS). She joined HHVS as Chief Programs Officer in March 2024. As the head of the Well Wayne Program & Development Office, she leads strategic program management, funding expansion, and multi-sector partnerships to enhance public health equity and infrastructure. She oversees a $60M investment in public health infrastructure, an initiative conceived by County Executive Warren C. Evans and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. These projects fall under the Well Wayne Initiative, including the Wayne County Air Quality Project in partnership with JustAir, launched last year. Additionally, under her leadership, the Well Wayne Initiative has secured over $1.5M in additional funding, eliminated over $20M in medical debt for 40,000+ residents, provided over 1,000 pairs of glasses to Wayne County students, expanded harm reduction efforts, and launched initiatives that strengthen community resilience.

Beyond her leadership in public health, she is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Health Infrastructure and Learning Systems program at the University of Michigan Medical School. Her research intersects Disaster Science and Implementation Science, analyzing inter-organizational collaboration in disaster preparedness. With over five years of experience in healthcare, including roles at Emory Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealth Group’s Care Delivery Business, Optum Health, she is committed to bridging academia and practice to drive policy advancements, emergency response improvements, and interdisciplinary mentorship in public health and disaster management.

In her spare time, she loves volunteering with The Pretty Brown Girl Club, catching up with family and friends, and caring for her 14-year-old Yorkie, Zeus.

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