I'm not sure that I can go after you.
Good almost afternoon, everyone.
First I want to thank Mayor Wilson for her confidence and
trust and for the opportunity to serve the people of Seattle
and King County in this role.
If you don't know, the public health director role
is a dual role, and so I sit on the mayor's cabinet
and the King County executive's cabinet.
I'm honored to stand here alongside
all of the fellow department directors
as we take this oath of service.
I also want to thank the city council,
County Executive Zahilay, the King County Council,
the public health staff who have supported me
through this process, community partners,
my family, especially my husband, who's here
and has done a lot of daddy daycare lately.
Friends, I have one of my friends who I've known
for over 20 years, Miriam from college,
and Anais, who's a native Seattleite,
who I've known since medical school.
both of them convinced me to move to Seattle, and
everybody else who has supported me throughout
my career and during this transition.
Public health is fundamentally
a team effort, and I recognize that no one
reaches a moment like this alone.
After four separate confirmation hearings,
Yes, four.
I can confidently say I have had ample opportunity
to discuss public health.
While I may not recommend that experience recreationally,
I'm grateful for the thoughtful questions, the engagement,
the dialogue, because they reflect something important.
People in this region care deeply about public health and
the communities that we serve.
Today is both a professional milestone and a deeply
personal moment for me.
I grew up in a family that relied on many of the same
public systems and safety net services that support
millions of Americans today, including public health clinics.
Those experiences shaped my understanding of what public
service can mean in the life of a child and a family.
They taught me that health is much more than health care.
It is about whether people have access to opportunity, safe
housing, quality education, nutritious food, economic
stability, and communities where they can thrive.
Those experiences ultimately led me to a career in
medicine and public health.
Throughout my career, whether serving as a physician,
educator, public health leader, health department
executive, I have been guided by a simple belief.
A person's health and life expectancy should not be
determined by their race, income, zip code, language,
or the circumstances in which they were born.
Public health exists to create the conditions that allow
all people to live healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives.
Public Health Seattle and King County has long been
recognized as one of the leading public health
nation's agencies in the nation if not the best one.
Its history is one of scientific excellence, innovation, and
a steadfast commitment to health equity.
I am humbled by the opportunity to
help carry that legacy forward.
We are entering a period of both challenge
and opportunity.
Across the country, as we've all seen,
public health agencies are navigating significant
uncertainty. We continue to face behavioral
health and substance use crises, persistent health
inequities, emerging infectious disease threats,
climate related health impacts, and increasing
demands on our public health infrastructure.
We're also operating in a rapidly
changing federal environment and questions about future
funding streams, evolving policy priorities, and
the long-term sustainability of many public health
programs. Yet public health has always done some of
its best work during moments like these.
These challenges remind us
why public health matters.
They remind us that strong local public health
systems are essential to protecting communities,
preparing for emergencies, advancing health equity, and
ensuring that every resident has the opportunity to
live a healthy life.
My vision is for a public health system that is trusted,
data-driven, community-centered, and responsive to the evolving
needs of our residents.
A system that embraces innovation
while remaining grounded in science.
A system that listens to communities,
partners across sectors, and recognizes that health is
shaped not only in clinics and hospitals, but also in schools,
neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes.
Most importantly, I want Public Health Seattle
and King County to remain a place where every resident
knows that their health, dignity, and well-being
matter. As I take the oath today, I do so with humility,
gratitude, and a deep sense of responsibility.
To whom much is given, much will be required.
I pledge to listen, to learn,
to lead with integrity, and to work every day in the service
of the people of Seattle and King County.
Thank you for this opportunity.
I look forward to the work ahead.
Thank you.
All right.
And Sandra, Dr. Sandra Valenciano.
Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I, Dr. Sandra Valenciano.
Swear that I possess.
Swear that I possess all of the qualifications prescribed all
of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter
and the Seattle Municipal
Code and the Seattle Municipal Code for the position of for
the position of the public health Seattle and King County
as the director of public health Seattle and King County.
Yes, yes, yes.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
And the Constitution of the State of Washington.
And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself.
As the Director of the Seattle and King County
Public Health Department.
As the Director of Public Health Seattle and King County.
Thank you.
Congratulations. Thank you.
Thank you.