Nate Wilson is the Quality Assurance (QA) Program Manager for Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (KDPH) Division of Public Health Protection and Safety. He earned his PhD in Research Methods and Evaluation from the University of Kentucky in November of 2024. He also holds a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in biostatistics. Nate has served in a variety of roles for KDPH, including as an epidemiologist and Rapid Response Team Coordinator in the Food Safety Branch. In these roles, he developed Kentucky’s first centralized food complaint system, which has been praised for its effectiveness in identifying foodborne outbreaks.
As the QA Program Manager, he is responsible for ensuring that the department’s regulatory programs meet the highest standards of quality and effectiveness. Nate manages a team of evaluators who work with various programs in the department, including Kentucky’s Harm Reduction Program. In 2023, the QA Program implemented Kentucky’s first statewide needs assessment of harm reduction services. A second needs assessment specific to first responders was conducted as part of the First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) grant awarded by SAMHSA. In collaboration with Kentucky’s Harm Reduction Program and the Division of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Nate is leading a scientific study of syringe service program utilization for Kentucky’s metropolitan areas. Nate works closely with stakeholders across Kentucky to advance equity in the delivery of public health services to the Commonwealth. In 2025, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Public Health Association.