Johanne E. Morne, MS (she, her, hers) is currently the Acting Executive Deputy Commissioner for the NYS Department of Health. In this role, Ms. Morne is responsible for the administrative, operational, and programmatic oversight of the Department. Prior to this position, Ms. Morne served as the Deputy Commissioner, Office of Health Equity and Human Rights for the New York State Department of Health (Department). Ms. Morne was appointed in August 2022 to establish the new Office and serve as a member of the Department’s Executive Leadership Team. Ms. Morne has been with the Department for 16 years. Most of those years were in the AIDS Institute, serving as the Director from 2016 - 2022. Ms. Morne has long history of working in public health. Prior to coming into state government Ms. Morne worked in community-based settings that provided access to care and support to individuals under and uninsured. Regardless of her title, her priorities remain the same – the advancement of equity, social justice, and trauma informed care. Her best advice is only a brief two words - ‘be nice’.