Executive Team
The JCDHE executive team oversees all department operations. If you wish to contact a member of the executive team, send an email to jcdhe@jocogov.org or call 913-826-1200.
D. Charles Hunt
Director of Health & Environment
Charlie Hunt has served as Director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment since April 2023, after serving as Deputy Director since rejoining the department in June 2021. Previously, Charlie served as a Senior Analyst at the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) and worked primarily on population health strategies. He also was Deputy Director of the Center for Sharing Public Health Services, a national initiative managed by KHI and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Charlie previously held several positions in state government, including serving as State Epidemiologist and Director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Charlie started his career at JCDHE in the mid-1990s, first as a communicable disease investigator in what was then the Health Education Division.
Charlie earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Kansas.
Dennis Kriesel
Deputy Director of Health & Environment
Dennis Kriesel became Deputy Director at the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment in September 2023. Before this he served as Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments from March 2019 until August 2023, and before that worked for over 16 years at the Kansas Association of Counties in various positions. Dennis holds of Bachelor in Arts from the University of Kansas, where he majored in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University.
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As Deputy Director, Dennis partners with the Director and Executive Team in essential leadership, strategic planning and organizational development, and performance management activities. He provides more detailed oversight functions for the childcare licensing division, the community health division, the environmental division, the health services division and the public health emergency preparedness program.
Mary Beverly
Environmental Health Services Division Director
Mary Beverly serves as Environmental Health Division Director for the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment and has been with the department since April 2018. Mary has worked as a public health professional for nearly 24 years in Florida and Kansas combined and has experience in managing teams in environmental health, disease investigations, emergency response, and community health projects.
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Mary currently works to support an environmental health team of 16 staff in the areas of administration and permitting, air quality, aquatics, onsite septic, solid waste management, sustainability and environmental public health education. Mary and her team work to protect public health and the environment through education and outreach on environmental health and sustainability.
Mary holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in public health. She is a graduate of the University of West Florida, Kansas Leadership Institute and the University of Virginia School of Business – LEAD program. She is an instructor for the Johnson County Government’s LEAP (Leadership Empowers All People) team in “emotional intelligence” and past “work of leadership” courses. Mary also serves as a county staff contributor to the JoCo Solid Waste Management Committee, the JoCo Sustainability Committee, the JoCo Development Network Council, DHE Health Equity team and the Environmental Justice Subcommittee. Mary also holds a certificate from Cornell University in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
Stacie Province
Health Services Division Director
Stacie Province began her work at the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment as a Tuberculosis Nurse Case Manager from 2012-2017. She served as the department's Clinical Services Program Manager from 2019-2021 and the Health Services Division Director from 2021-present. Stacie has a Master’s Degree in Nursing Executive Practice and Healthcare Leadership (MSN) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) from Research College of Nursing. She is certified in Infection Control and Prevention (CIC) and Executive Nursing Practice (CENP).
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In addition to her nursing degrees, Stacie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care from Johnson County Community College.
As Health Services Division Director Stacie, along with her Assistant Director, oversees the operations of Clinical Services, Immunizations, Laboratory Services, Disease Investigation and Tuberculosis Case Management. Other duties include grant management, budgetary oversight and participation in multiple internal and external committees focused on family planning, maternal child health, immunization practice, community partnerships and organizational improvement.
Previous roles include Respiratory Therapist at Baptist Medical Center, staff nursing at the Midwest Center for Eating Disorders and the Brookside Emergency Department, Infection Control Management at Advent Health Shawnee Mission and nearly 10 years in the insurance industry.
Eldonna Chesnut
Child Care Licensing Division Director
Eldonna Chesnut, RN, BSN, MSN has served as the Division Director of Child Care Licensing since 2001. She has a master’s degree in nursing administration (MSN), a bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) and a graduate certificate in Public Health Ethics.
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In her role as Division Director of Childcare Licensing she listens to the concerns of providers, advocates for them as appropriate, and she and her staff offer education for providers on regulation and compliance. She ensures quality education courses are offered by her staff and promotes partners education courses. Additionally, she hosts monthly provider calls for childcare providers in Johnson, Miami and Franklin counties to keep them updated on information and regulatory changes. She also shares resources and brings in guest speakers that will be helpful to the childcare providers in her counties.
Eldonna is a member of the inaugural class of Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute and served on their advisory board after program completion. Eldonna serves as the JCDHE representative to many department committees. She is active in Kansas Public Health Association and American Public Health Association, serving in leadership roles in both organizations. She also serves on the Council on Education for Public Health, the Johnson County Public Health Leadership Council, the Early Childhood Recommendations Panel, the Child Care Aware of Kansas board, the Kansas Public Health Workforce Development Coordinating Council and the KC Metro Early Education Taskforce.
Barbara Mitchell
Community Health Division Director/Public Information Officer
Barbara Mitchell has worked at the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment since 2000. Currently, she serves as the Community Health Division Director and Public Information Officer.
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As the Community Health Division Director, she supervises the initiatives, programs, projects and events of the division, manages grant and county budgets, assists with the community health assessment /health improvement process, and builds community partnerships and collaborations. She also manages media requests, writes press releases and writes/coordinates department communications. She began her career at JCDHE as a Health Educator.
Previous employment includes serving as a Program Director at the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City and as an Associate Program Director at the American Heart Association (CT).
Barbara holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Fordham University, New York, NY, a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University, Hamden, CT and an Associate’s Degree in Human Services from Norwalk Community College, Norwalk, CT.
Elizabeth Lawlor
Epidemiology Division Director
Elizabeth Lawlor is the Director of Epidemiology at the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, where she has worked since 2015. Elizabeth obtained her master’s degree with a concentration in public health, microbiology, and emerging infectious disease from the George Washington University.
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In her role she oversees a team of epidemiologists who collect and analyze data to inform policies, strategies, and interventions that improve our community’s health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth led Johnson County in all aspects of the epidemiologic response, including marshaling the resources of over 60 staff, including epidemiologists, case investigators and contact tracers, along with advising county and school policymakers on COVID-19 data and prevention strategies.
In addition to her role at JCDHE, Elizabeth also facilitates workshops throughout the country for the FBI and CDC teaching local law enforcement and public health practitioners how to conduct joint investigations in the event of bioterrorism and other suspicious outbreaks. In 2021, Elizabeth was named by de Beaumont Foundation as one of the top 40 public health leaders under 40. Prior to her current role, she served as a population health epidemiologist at JCDHE and an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Thomas Dugan
Business Operations Division Director
Tom joined the Department of Health and Environment in January 2023 and oversees the department's budget, accounting, payroll, customer service, billing, medical records and general administration. Tom has a background in budget management, performance management, grant writing and grant management.
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Before joining the Department of Health and Environment, Tom was the Grants Manager for Johnson County Government and then the Director of Finance for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Tom earned a Master of Business Administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University, as well as a professional certificate in Public Performance Management from Rutgers University.
Debra Kellison
Organizational Development Division Director
Debra is the Division Director of the Organizational Development Division and has served in public health since 1997. Debra earned an Associate degree in nursing at Kansas City Kansas Community College followed by a Bachelor’s degree in nursing at Webster University and completed a Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Kansas.
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In her role as the Organizational Development Division Director, she focuses on improving the department’s competency, capability, and capacity through the alignment of strategy, structure, people, rewards, metrics and management processes. Debra is responsible for leading accreditation efforts, strategic planning and performance management activities, coordinating the quality improvement program as well as supporting the workforce development program.
Debra has served in public health since 1997, starting out with a focus on direct patient care in women’s health, STD/HIV and prenatal clinics. Debra contributed as a program manager in clinical services for 14 years before progressing to her current role as a division director.
Joseph LeMaster, MD, MPH
Medical Director/Local Health Officer, Johnson County, Kansas
Dr. Joseph LeMaster joined the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment in 2014. He is the Medical Director for clinical services delivered by JCDHE. He is also the Local Health Officer appointed by the Johnson County, Kansas Board of County Commissioners.
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Joseph LeMaster, MD, MPH is a full Professor and Director of the Research Division of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) in Kansas City, Kansas. He grew up in Nampa, Idaho and received his undergraduate education at Northwest Nazarene University (Psychology) and Boise State University (Health Sciences). He attended medical school and completed residency training at the University of Kansas Medical Center. After completing a Family Medicine residency at John Peter Smith Hospital, from 1990-2000 he served as a physician and health system leader in hospitals and community health projects under the United Mission to Nepal, based first in Okhaldhunga District then in the capital city, Kathmandu. He received his MPH from the University of Washington in 2002, with a focus on epidemiology. Since returning to the University of Kansas in 2011, he has worked with non-profit organizations and patient groups to engage primary care practices to implement practice-improvement interventions in the routine delivery of primary care, with a special emphasis on the needs of those with limited English proficiency. He is a practicing family physician in the University of Kansas Health system, with an emphasis on the care of refugees.
Education and Training
- BA, Psychology, Northwest Nazarene College, Nampa, ID
- BS, Health Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID
- MPH, Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Residency, Family Medicine, John Peter Smith Hospital, Fort Worth, TX
Licensure, Accreditations and Certifications
- American Board of Family Medicine
- Medical Doctor, Kansas Board of Healing Arts
- Medical Physician & Surgeon, Missouri Board of the Healing Arts
Diane Peterson, MD
Chief Medical Examiner, Medical Examiner's Office
Dr. Diane Peterson serves as the Johnson County Chief Medical Examiner/Coroner. She began this role in January 2019 and subsequently led the development of the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office, as the County transitioned from the coroner system to the medical examiner system for death investigation.
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Dr. Peterson received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Kansas State University and her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at the University of Alabama – Birmingham in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and remained there for her fellowship in Forensic Pathology. Prior to joining Johnson County, she was at the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office in Kansas City, Missouri for eight years, including three years as Chief Medical Examiner.
Dr. Peterson has presented lectures at national meetings and co-authored abstracts and scientific articles on multiple topics within the areas of forensic pathology and toxicology and other sciences. She is on clinical faculty at several universities and medical schools. She educates undergraduate, pathology assistant, and medical students in addition to pathology residents and fellows on proper death certification and multiple other forensic topics.
Dr. Peterson remains a resource for coroners and physicians in Kansas and Missouri for questions or issues on death certification, death investigation, and other forensic-related topics.
Bryan Beaver, MD, FAAEM, FAEMS
EMS System Medical Director, Office of the Medical Director for EMS
Bryan Beaver MD, FAAEM, FAEMS became the medical director for the Johnson County EMS System in February 2024. He is responsible for overseeing all clinical aspects of the EMS System including patient care protocols, credentialing programs, performance improvement/QA/QI, provider education, as well as providing medical oversight for the 911 Emergency Communications Center.
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Dr. Beaver received his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 2012 and completed his internship and residency in emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winstom-Salem, NC. Dr. Beaver also completed a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Dr. Beaver holds a faculty appointment as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where he oversees the EMS Fellowship Program. Dr. Beaver also serves as an EMS Physician Advisor with the University of Kansas Health System. In addition, Dr. Beaver serves as the Medical Director for HealthStarOne Critical Care and Specialty Transport as well as for the Bonner Springs Fire Department and the Edwardsville Fire Department.
Dr. Beaver is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and subspecialty-boarded in Emergency Medical Services (EMS).