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Notable Neighbor: Zack King lends support to community in role at Catawba County Public Health

Hickory Daily Record - 1/22/2018

CATAWBA COUNTY- Zack King describes his work days as atypical.

"98 percent of my job is meeting with people to talk about great ideas, and the other 2 percent is filling out the paperwork to make it happen," he said.

As the community outreach manager for Catawba County Public Health, he helped re-launch Catawba County Health Partners as LiveWell Catawba last October, and since then, the coalition is expanding programs and working on brainstorming new ones.

"My job isn't to have the answer," King said. "It's to support the answer."

LiveWell Catawba and it's community partners are working to improve the health in the community with programs like CATCH: Coordinated Approach to Child Health.

CATCH teaches kids the importance of exercise and healthy food choices and is in every school in the county.

"Unfortunately in our community, like others across the nation, not every health decision is a choice," King said. "A lot of it has to do with access."

And that's what LiveWell does. It strives to improve access to exercise and healthy foods across the county, like helping farmers markets be able to accept SNAP/EBT.

King first became interested in public health while at the University of South Carolina, where he started out pre-med and studying Spanish but realized that wasn't the right fit for him.

He dropped the pre-med and continued to study Spanish, unsure what his next steps should be.

Thinking public policy might be the right fit for him, he took a few classes along with a public health elective.

"I fell in love with (public health)," he said.

He learned a person's health is influenced by more than just genetics or choices.

"A big portion of your health is shaped by your behavior, but another big part is your environment, like poverty, education, role models growing up, emotional support and access to care," King said. "That's where I really got exposed to the idea of what a community can do to help create opportunities for people to live the best life that they can."

After graduating with a bachelor's in public health, he earned a master's in public health from the University of Georgia.

Although he was born in Hickory, King grew up in York and Rock Hill, S.C., and is a die-hard Gamecocks fan, but his North Carolina roots also make him a Panthers and Hornets fan.

King met his wife Parkes, who is a teacher a Jenkins Elementary School, at USC. They married in 2016 and have a Boykin Spaniel named Millie.

Moving back to Hickory in 2015, King's first job title at public health was community health analyst.

He said his job today is a lot like it was then, but as a leadership role.

Aside from his job, King plays active role in the community.

He's a part of the Positive Parenting Support Council, the economic development strategy committee, board member for the Council of Adolescence, board member for the Arts Council and board member for the Catawba Valley Community Foundation.

In his free time, King loves going to the beach, the lake and concerts.

His taste in music varies.

Growing up, his parents loved beach music and bluegrass and that's carried over into his life.

"My first concert was a James Taylor concert," King said.

He loves Beyonce, Jimmy Buffet and Darius Rucker. He also loves Spanish music like The Gypsy Kings

In his personal life, King and his wife are youth advisors at First Presbyterian of Hickory.

"They're incredible people," he said. "They're one of the reasons I'm so pro reimagining Hickory and getting people to live here and stay here? the young people who live here are incredible."

King said the best part of his job is the people.

"They are incredible people with incredible ideas," he said.

One of his main goals is for the word of what LiveWell Catawba does to spread.

"With our faith communities we do a walking devotional series," he said. "Any congregation is welcome."

To find out more about LiveWell Catawba and how to get involved, visit livewellcatawba.org.