Dr. Danny Avula is leaving his position as director of Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) to accept Governor Glenn Youngkin’s appointment as Commissioner of the Department of Social Services. Starting next week, Dr. Melissa Viray will become the Acting Director of Richmond and Henrico Health Districts.
Dr. Danny Avula has been the Director of RHHD since March 2016 after serving as Deputy Director between 2009-2016. In January 2021, he was temporarily appointed by Governor Ralph Northam as COVID-19 Vaccine Coordinator for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Avula also continues to practice clinically as a public health physician specializing in pediatrics and preventive medicine and is an affiliate faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Governor McAuliffe appointed Dr. Avula to the State Board of Social Services in 2013, and he served as Board Chair from 2017 to 2019. He is a recent recipient of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Community’s Humanitarian Award, a 2019 Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year honoree, and was named Style Weekly’s “Richmonder of the Year” in 2020. Dr. Avula completed his medical residencies at VCU and Johns Hopkins University, where he also earned his Master of Public Health degree. He attended VCU medical school and completed his undergraduate education at University of Virginia.
“I’m incredibly excited to serve Virginia in this new capacity with the Department of Social Services; so much of the support that ultimately impacts families’ health and resilience lies within DSS,” explains Dr. Danny Avula. “That said, it’s bittersweet to close out my time with Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. It’s been life-giving to see the dedication of my team and all they’ve been able to accomplish; I’m in awe of them and am proud to have worked alongside them. Richmond and Henrico communities are left in capable and caring hands.”
Dr. Melissa Viray is becoming Acting Director of RHHD after having served as Deputy Director of RHHD since 2017. Before working for RHHD, Dr. Viray served as the Deputy State Epidemiologist for Hawaii Department of Health. She has also previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and as a medical epidemiologist. Dr. Viray completed her adult infectious diseases fellowship at Washington University in Saint Louis, her internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, her medical education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and her undergraduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I know that all of RHHD staff join me in congratulating Dr. Danny Avula and in expressing gratitude for his leadership. His leadership has been transformative in RHHD becoming the agencies they are today,” says Dr. Melissa Viray. “I am honored and humbled to serve our communities as Acting Director. I’m also incredibly grateful for the incredible group of leaders I get to work with everyday; this is truly a team effort and a collaborative leadership model.”
About Richmond and Henrico Health Districts: RHHD are sister public health agencies serving Richmond’s and Henrico’s communities. Our mission is to expose and address the root causes of health disparities, protect health by preventing the spread of disease, and build health equity by partnering with communities and working collaboratively across sectors.
