Nancy Kautz, community outreach coordinator director of Ashe Healthy Carolinians, will breathe a little easier in 2009 as the organization has hired a new program coordinator to oversee information sharing amongst county agencies.

Janet Braithwaite began her orientation with AHC on Dec. 22. She will assist Kautz in ensuring that local organizations, agencies and taskforces are “in the know” in terms of information sharing. That will improve the ability of these groups to offer solutions to issues surrounding Ashe County’s physical and mental well being.

Prior to Braithwaite’s current position with AHC, she worked with Hospice of Ashe, Alleghany, and Wilkes counties as a marketing director.

Braithwaite’s initial training was in the fields of English education, computer sciences and mathematics. She worked as a contract database programmer before taking positions with Hospice and AHC.

Braithwaite has resided in the Ashe, Grayson and Watauga area since 1977 and says she is looking forward to working with the numerous organizations that comprise the mental health sector of Ashe County.

Although Braithwaite has called the northwest mountains home for the past 30 years, she has lived all over the United States due to the fact that her father was in the Air Force.

She said she became a permanent resident of the area as soon as she “found out it existed.”

With the excitement surrounding her new position with AHC, Braithwaite stated that she is looking forward to working with Kautz and is “well aware of the good work she has done.”

In order for the organization to remain an integral piece in providing solutions to the county’s health issues, AHC will focus on breaking issues down into smaller pieces so the community can better understand the problems the county faces today, Braithwaite said.

This will be emphasized during the Feb. 19 Annual State of Health Quality Life Community Forum.

In her leisure time, Braithwaite enjoys the outdoors as she avidly hikes and walks area trails. Braithwaite also enjoys needle work and often crochets and stitches when time permits.

It is the vision of AHC that a healthy Ashe County shows value for all by providing social, physical, economic, emotional and spiritual environments that supports health, healing and happiness through open, active, collaborative communication with its entire people.