Brian Byrd
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court this week appointed former Fort Worth City Councilman Brian Byrd as the Tarrant County Public Health Director.
Byrd will assume his duties July 1. He replaces Vinny Taneja, who resigned earlier this year. Tom Stallings, deputy county administrator, had been serving on an interim basis.
Byrd, 53, a native of Tarrant County is a practicing physician who founded and served as CEO of Texas Family Medicine, a primary care physician group for nearly a quarter of a century, and currently serves as medical director for Palm Primary Care.
“Brian Byrd is an inspired choice for the new director of Public Health for Tarrant County,” said Tarrant County Precinct 1 Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks in a statement. “He’s got the requisite knowledge about the community and the confidence of the people of Tarrant County to lead that department to its next level of excellence. I thank Dr. Byrd for being willing to step up and make himself available for this next great task ahead of him.”
As a former Fort Worth City Council member, Byrd was instrumental in coordinating resources to the Las Vegas Trail area and the creation of the new Como Community Center for the Como neighborhood.
One of the collaborative efforts Byrd helped orchestrate in the community was the involvement of local organizations, including Cook Children’s Health Care System and JPS Health Network who are currently building a new Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center.
Byrd stepped down from the council in 2021 to run for mayor, a race Mattie Parker ultimately won.
“I want us to have the best public health department on all fronts, that is well-integrated into the community, leads with compassion and data while improving the health outcomes of all Tarrant County residents,” Byrd said.
Said Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez: “Dr. Byrd has the technical knowledge, the executive leadership experience, and a proven track-record that I know will add tremendous value to the Tarrant County Public Health Department. I am confident that Dr. Byrd will help create the world-class health department that our communities deserve.”