New Medical Officer Of Health And Chief Executive Officer Chosen To Lead Health Unit

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After one year in acting roles Theresa Marentette and Dr. Wajid Ahmed have been confirmed by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) Board of Health in the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Medical Officer of Health respectively.

After Dr. Gary Kirk, the previous MOH/CEO of the WECHU, left the organization in June 2017, both Marentette and Dr. Ahmed have been acting in these positions while the board engaged in a formal recruitment and review process.

“This announcement marks a significant step forward for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s future. We’re looking forward to having Ms. Marentette and Dr. Ahmed formally begin in their key leadership roles at the health unit.” says Mayor Gary McNamara, Chair of the WECHU Board of Health. “Our board is confident that the experience and skills of both these individuals will serve the residents of Windsor-Essex County well for years to come.”

Theresa has been an employee of the WECHU for the past 27 years, and a member of the senior leadership team for the past five. She has been working as both the CEO and the Director of Health Protection for the past 14 months. Theresa has a Masters of Science degree (MSc) from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor. In addition to CEO, Theresa also serves as the WECHU’s Chief Nursing Officer and is involved in strategic and organizational development in the advancement of professional nursing practice. She is also a member of the Provincial Association of Public Health Nursing Leaders.

Prior to his acting role as the MOH, Dr. Wajid Ahmed served as the Associate Medical Officer of Health for two years at WECHU. In his role as the Acting MOH, Dr. Ahmed oversees public health issues in the region and reports directly to the Board of Health. Dr. Ahmed received his medical training in Pakistan. After practising for several years and completing a Master’s in Health Administration, he moved to Canada for further training in public health. He started his public health education at the University of Waterloo and then joined the Center for Addiction and Mental Health and completed a fellowship in Addiction Medicine.

Prior to joining the WECHU, he completed his Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency training at the University of Ottawa.