On January 6, 2025, Abby Carter Emanuelson will become the next executive director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health. Abby’s skills, expertise, and deep commitment to NCAH’s mission, vision, and values make her the ideal leader to guide NCAH into its next chapter.
Serving as executive director of NCAH for nearly a decade has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together and remain deeply passionate about our mission. However, the past few years have been personally challenging, and it is time for me to step away and focus on my family.
I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to lead this incredible organization and for the unwavering support of our staff, board, and partners. To each of you who have walked alongside me on this journey, thank you for your dedication, kindness, and shared commitment to creating healthier, more equitable communities across North Carolina.
As I reflect on my time with NCAH, I am proud of the progress we have made toward reducing health disparities and preventing chronic disease, including:
- Securing $31.75 million in funding for tobacco use prevention and cessation programs
- Distributing more than $2.5 million in subgrants to support healthy food access, including more than $1.2 million directly to school nutrition programs
- Permanently eliminating the reduced-price lunch copay in North Carolina
- Securing nearly $150 million for programs that expand access to healthy food
- Serving as the fiscal agent for Care4Carolina and supporting its successful campaign to expand Medicaid in North Carolina
- Enacting statutory changes to protect students from being penalized due to unpaid meal debt and capping indirect costs for school nutrition programs
- Convening the Healthy Food Retail Task Force, which developed eight policy recommendations to address food insecurity
- Establishing NCAH as an independent 501(c)(3)
These achievements are not mine alone but the result of tireless efforts from the remarkable individuals and organizations that make up NCAH’s community.
Looking ahead, I have full confidence in Abby’s leadership and know that NCAH’s future is bright. I will forever cheer on this organization, alongside our outstanding team—Marianne, Katie, and Alecia—and our dedicated board, contractors, and partners. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredible journey.
With gratitude,
Morgan Wittman Gramann