Tonya James
Florida Department of Health in Taylor and Wakulla Counties
Mrs. James has served with the Florida Department of Health since 2000 and assumed her current role as the administrator for Florida Department of Health in Wakulla and Taylor counties in 2021. Prior to her position as administrator, Mrs. James served as Assistant Administrator from 2014 through 2021.
In the 21 years of service with the Florida Department of Health, Mrs. James has held several other positions including community health manager, as well as a tobacco prevention specialist and family support with Healthy Families and Healthy Start.
Mrs. James currently serves on the Wakulla Extension Board of Directors, Wakulla Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Healthy Start Board of Directors, Wakulla Transportation Disadvantage Board, and Big Bend AHEC Board Directors.
Mrs. James is an active member of Wakulla Wellness Task Force, Taylor Community Health Improvement Task Force, Taylor County Shared Services, Taylor County Chamber of Commerce, Wakulla Rotary, and Taylor Rotary. She served as past president, vice president, and treasurer of the Wakulla County Coalition for Youth.
Mrs. James received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Liberty University and a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling in Addiction and Recovery in 2016. In 2018, she was chosen to be a participant of and successfully graduated from the Public Health Leadership Program offered through the University of South Florida in 2019.
Mrs. James strives to articulate the vision and mission of the Florida Department of Health to employees and community members. Her goals for the institution are to lead the way to healthier counties in which she serves, to create a climate that encourages and promotes employee excellence, and to address the public health needs of the community stakeholders through strategic planning.
Her professional philosophy is to meet people where they are in the workplace and the community. She makes it her duty as an administrator to lead by example as well as to provide staff with the tools and training to represent the DOH in a positive and professional manner in the community.
A Letter from Our Administrator
Thank you for seeking help from your local health department. At the Department of Health in Wakulla County, we realize that our entire purpose is to help improve the health of the residents and guests of our county. I think you will find that your health department is staffed with a dedicated group of professionals committed to our mission to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
– Tonya James, Administrator