COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The Columbus Board of Health announced Tuesday the appointment of Dr. Mysheika Williams Roberts as the new commissioner of Columbus Public Health.

Dr. Roberts is the first African-American to hold the position. She will begin the new role on December 1.

Roberts has served as medical director and assistant health commissioner since 2006.

The current health commissioner, Dr. Teresa Long, will retire at the end of November after 31 years with Columbus Public health, including 15 years as health commissioner.

“I have worked with Dr. Roberts for more than 10 years and am excited by the experience she brings to the position,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “Her leadership abilities, her tenure with the city and her collaborative spirit make her well-suited to address the health needs of Columbus as our next health commissioner.”

“I am honored for this opportunity and the confidence the Board of Health and Mayor Ginther have placed in me,” said Dr. Roberts. “I look forward to working with my colleagues at Columbus Public Health, our numerous external partners and the residents of Columbus, as we protect health and improve lives.”

Prior to Columbus Public Health, she served as an epidemic intelligence service officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also served as the medical director of the Eastern Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic at the Baltimore (Maryland) City Health Department, and was a clinical instructor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Dr. Roberts earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Maryland, a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts-Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley.