Stokes County’s health director resigns - Josh Swift takes new position in Wilmington

(By Leslie Bray, The Stokes News) - Stokes County has been without a county manager since Bryan Steen’s departure on Dec. 10 and now, local residents will lose another leading county employee. Stokes County Health Director Josh Swift is resigning to take a new position in New Hanover County, specifically in the city of Wilmington, N.C. His last day in Stokes is Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Swift has been hired as the Deputy Health Director for New Hanover. “It’s an advancement even though the post is not health director,” Swift said, explaining that the department in Wilmington has 220 staff members compared to 45 employees in Danbury.

He will not enter that position until later in February and plans to take much of the month to make the long move and welcome his second child into the world. The baby is due any day now.