Arnold Perkins, Treasurer
Retired Public Health Director
Alameda County Department of Public Health

Arnold Perkins is the Retired Director of the Alameda County Public Health Department in Oakland, California, a position that he held from 1994 – 2005. His background includes such varied positions as high school teacher, counselor, and principal; nonprofit organization executive director; family counselor and advocate; foundation program officer; college professor and administrator; and restaurant owner and operator. He is an experienced speaker and facilitator, especially in the areas of organizational change, team building, creative leadership, community development, and group dynamics.

As director of the Alameda County Health Department, which had a budget of $99 million and more than 500 employees, Mr. Perkins provided leadership and management of the department’s administrative, program, and policy activities. He led the department through a major organizational shift that reflected a broad vision of public health with a social determinant of health and community development orientation. He believes that public health is a force for social change that must be integrated into the community and be responsive to its needs.

Mr. Perkins has led the development of ten community health teams throughout Alameda County. Through these teams, community health nurses, health educators, nutritionists, and other health professionals work in the community, offering individual and population service delivery as well as community capacity building.

Mr. Perkins has received many awards and recognitions for his community work from groups including the United Way of the Bay Area, the Center for Independent Living, and The San Francisco Foundation. The Alameda County Health Department, under Mr. Perkins’ leadership, was honored at the School of Public Health’s 8th Annual Public Health Heroes Gala on March 19, 2004. In 2007, Mr. Perkins was honored with The San Francisco Foundation’s Koshland Award, made to an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment to improving human relations in the Bay Area.