Chief Public Health Officer

Denise Fair Razo is Chief Public Health Officer for the City of Detroit and oversees the Detroit Health Department. She leads a team of 250 healthcare professionals who protect and promote the safety, health, and well-being of Detroiters. The Health Department operates more than 40 services and programs so that Detroiters can have equitable access to all the elements of a healthy lifestyle so families can thrive and businesses can prosper. Denise was appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan in September 2019. She and her team led the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing outreach in the form of rapid tests, education, and vaccination clinics, in addition to services that protect public health such as communicable disease investigations, environmental health and safety inspection, food safety and programs to support healthy children.

Prior to leading Detroit’s Health Department, Denise was group practice director at Henry Ford Health System with executive oversight for primary care clinics and multi-specialty medical centers. Previously, she served as senior consultant and program administrator for Trinity Health System.

Denise serves on Michigan’s Public Health Advisory Council, appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to represent local public health officials. She also serves on the executive boards of the Public Health Foundation and Detroit Authority. She has been extensively recognized for her leadership of the Detroit Health Department. She was named to the prestigious “40 Under 40” list of Crain’s Detroit Business in 2020, named “Woman of the Year” by The Joyce Ivey Foundation, and a “Woman of Excellence” by the Michigan Chronicle in 2021.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, a Master of Public Health from The University of California at Berkeley, and a Master of Business Administration from the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University. She also is board certified in health care management from the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Denise has a deep personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle. She is an avid long-distance runner and gardener and resides in Detroit with her husband.