Leadership

Dennis Worsham, Secretary of Health, Washington

Dennis joined DOH as the Secretary on July 7, 2025. He previously served as the deputy secretary for DOH from 2014-2016. Since leaving DOH in 2016, he led King County through the COVID response as Interim Director, and most recently transforming the Snohomish Health District into a full county health department. He has held several leadership roles throughout his 32-year career public health at both local and state levels. He began his career in public health at the Snohomish Health District in the 1990s where he worked as an HIV/STD/hepatitis program manager and health educator.

Worsham also has experience in policy development and advocacy. He has served roles on public health committees and commissions, including as a committee member with Leadership Tomorrow, president and vice president of the Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA), chair and member of the Washington State Public Health Roundtable, and as a longtime member of the Washington State Foundational Public Health Services committee, among other appointments and task forces.

Worsham earned a bachelor’s degree in health services administration at Eastern Washington University.

• Office of the Secretary

Jessica Todorovich, MS, Chief of Staff

Ms. Todorovich serves as the Chief of Staff for the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). A native of Washington, Jessica knew during her undergraduate studies in Politics and History at Whitman College, she would proudly serve in Washington State government. Her love of all things operations and people led her to complete her masters in Human Resources and Organizational Leadership. She is responsible for the daily operations of the agency with a focus on culture, people and service delivery.

She is passionate about breaking the status quo, developing and supporting leaders and fostering a culture of seeing others as people that matter. She has worked in Washington state government for 23+ years and has been with the agency since 2012.

• Executive Office of the Chief of Staff

Lacy M. Fehrenbach, MPH, Chief of Public Health Strategy and Population Outcomes

Ms. Fehrenbach has focused her career on shaping policies and programs that address the upstream social and environmental factors that impact health outcomes and inequities so that all people, families, and communities can thrive. She recently served as Deputy Secretary of Health for COVID-19 response from June 2020 through January 2022. Prior to the pandemic, she served as Assistant Secretary of the Prevention and Community Health division. Before coming to Washington state, she worked on national public health policy in Washington, DC. Ms. Fehrenbach has more than 15 years of public health management and leadership experience, working on an array of issues including health system reform, child and family health, infectious disease, and chronic disease. She holds a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from Texas A&M University, an MPH from the George Washington University and is certified in public health.

• Executive Office of Prevention, Safety and Health

Marya Gingrey, JD, Executive Director of Community Relations and Equity

Marya A. Gingrey, J.D., (she/her), is a lifelong advocate for equity, justice, and community-led systems change who has spent her entire career rooted in the Pacific Northwest. With experience spanning local and state government, education and nonprofit leadership, she centers Tribal Nations, communities, and people with lived experience in shaping policy and practice. Her work focuses on building authentic partnerships, strengthening community capacity, and advancing culturally grounded approaches that dismantle disparities and expand belonging.

She brings a deeply rooted commitment to honoring community wisdom as the foundation for equitable and lasting change. Marya is honored to join the Department of Health team, partners, and community and in our collective effort to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes for all who call Washington home and those relatives who will join us in the future.

Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, State Health Officer

Dr. Kwan-Gett has long focused on bringing together people, systems, and ideas—building collaborative relationships with state and local public health leaders in rural and urban regions on both sides of the Cascades. Previously he practiced pediatrics at Virginia Mason for over 12 years with an emphasis on behavioral health and did volunteer work with refugee communities globally and locally. As a medical epidemiologist at Public Health Seattle & King County, Tao led a team responsible for communicable disease prevention and control. Tao has also served as a faculty member at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where he directed the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP) for two years, engaged in teaching and research, and trained health professionals in cross-sector collaboration and health equity at NWCPHP’s Northwest Public Health-Primary Care Leadership Institute.

Candice Wilson, Executive Director of Tribal Public Health and Relations

Candice Wilson-Quatz'tenaut, a member of the Lummi Nation, is an influential leader dedicated to Tribal sovereignty, public health, and cultural advocacy. She serves as the executive director for the Office of Tribal Public Health and Relations, where she facilitates the importance of government-to-government relations.

Ms. Wilson’s leadership record is extensive, including 9 years on the Lummi Indian Business Council (3 as Vice Chairwoman) and 4 years on the Ferndale School District Board of Directors. Dedicated to education and community wellness, Ms. Wilson serves as a board member for the Northwest Indian College Foundation and the Children of the Setting Sun. A fierce cultural advocate, she was profiled in the Bellingham Alive "Since Time Immemorial" series and co-curated the influential Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Honoring Our Stolen Sisters exhibit.