Friends, colleagues to remember Craig Michalak at Thursday gathering

Photograph of Craig Michalak

Craig L. Michalak, administrator of the North Carolina Local Health Agency Accreditation Program, managed by the North Carolina Institute for Public Health (NCIPH), within the UNC School of Public Health, died on Monday after a valiant fight with leukemia. He was 59.

An informal gathering to share memories of Craig will be held Thursday, Aug. 23, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at NCIPH offices at 400 Roberson St., Carrboro, in conference room 46. Funeral details and memorials will be announced when available.

Craig came to UNC, along with his wife, Sarah, in 2005. With an MBA from the University of California at Los Angeles, administrative experience at the University of Utah and the University of California system, and several years in business, Craig was a perfect fit to establish and administer the state’s first ever local health agency accreditation program.

“He understood what an institution was all about, and he understood the business of running an institution like a public health department,” said Rachel Stevens, senior advisor to the NCIPH director and clinical professor of public health nursing. “He had such a great spirit, and he learned so quickly. In no time, he had made so many friends in public health all across the country.”

“Craig was a dear friend and a valued colleague,” said Dr. Edward Baker, NCIPH director. “So many of us benefited from his selfless service to public health in North Carolina and across the nation. Craig creatively built and managed the North Carolina Local Health Agency Accreditation Program, the first such program in the United States. The program he helped to build will serve as a lasting legacy to his dedicated service, and it will stand as a model for others across the nation to emulate.”

Craig came to NCIPH and the School’s Public Health Leadership Program from the University of Utah, where he was director of administration, technology and finance for academic outreach and continuing education, and then associate executive director for career and organization education. Earlier in his career, he worked at the University of California as director of administration for a large teaching and research department and served as chair of UC’s nine-campus academic business officers group. He also was active in the private sector as a business leader.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah C. Michalak, who is a professor and associate provost for Libraries and University Librarian, two sons, Rusty and William, and his mother and sister. Donations may be made to a memorial fund established in his name through the University Library system. A memorial service is being planned.