Mayor Lyda Krewson Appoints Health Department Director

Mayor Lyda Krewson has appointed Dr. Fredrick Echols as the new director of the City’s Department of Health. He is the first medical doctor to serve as Health director since 2007. Echols, 37, will officially join the City’s Health Department on February 19.

He is currently serving as director of Communicable Disease, Vector and Veterinary Programs for the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, where he is responsible for overseeing daily operations, strategic planning, fiscal management of a multi-million dollar budget and program development and implementation.

Prior to starting his position with St. Louis County, Echols served as chief of Communicable Diseases for the Illinois Department of Public Health and as a physician in the U.S. Navy, where he managed a staff of medical and ancillary personnel.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Echols,” Mayor Lyda Krewson said. “His medical background, his expertise in public health and his management experience, make him a perfect fit to lead our
Health Department.” Echols holds a bachelor’s degree in biology/pre-med from Clark Atlanta University and a medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine.

He is a current member of the American Public Health Association, Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the American Sexual Health Association and several other professional organizations and national work groups.

Echols will earn $151,814 in yearly pay. He steps into a role currently held by Jeanine Arrighi, who took over as acting commissioner/director in July 2018 when former commissioner/director Melba Moore left City government.