About the Presenter

As Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health), Dr. Plough is responsible for the leadership and management of the public health preparedness activities to protect the 11 million residents of Los Angeles County from natural disasters and threats related to emerging infections and bioterrorist events. Dr. Plough coordinates activities in emergency operations, infectious disease control, risk communication, planning, and community engagement.

Prior to this appointment, Plough served as a vice president at The California Endowment. He was Director and Health Officer for the Seattle and King County Department of Public Health. He was also Director of Public Health for the Boston Department of Health and Hospitals and served as chairperson on the Committee on Chronic Disease, American Public Health Association, Medical Care Section. Dr. Plough is a professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health & Community Medicine in Seattle and has held academic appointments at the Harvard University School of Public Health, Tufts University Department of Community Medicine, and Boston University School of Management.

Plough's distinguished career includes many awards recognizing exemplary public service and leadership, service on numerous boards of directors of nonprofit organizations, an extensive body of scholarly publications and book chapters, and extensive engagement in the media through opinion articles and television appearances on public health issues ranging from bioterrorism to community empowerment.