10/13/2026
2026 ATHENA SPOTLIGHT: KATE OTT
For Kate Ott, leadership is about helping people discover what they are capable of — and then giving them the opportunity to do it.
As Director of Ontario County Public Health, Kate brings decades of nursing, education and public health experience to a role that touches nearly every aspect of community well-being. Her work encompasses everything from communicable disease and rabies prevention to chronic disease, childhood lead poisoning, maternal and child health, emergency preparedness and more.
Kate’s path to leadership has taken many turns. After beginning her career as a nurse, she moved into public health, became a Public Health Educator and later Director of Preventive Services before being appointed Public Health Director in 2023. Along the way, she led through H1N1 and COVID-19, developed community health education programs, helped guide countywide health assessments and strategic planning, and continues to prepare her department for the future.
But perhaps the part of leadership Kate takes the greatest pride in is developing the people around her.
She has encouraged staff — particularly women — to pursue leadership training, further their education and take on projects that push them beyond their comfort zones. Most recently, she guided three staff members through the process of writing a complex HUD grant themselves. The team ultimately secured funding, but Kate says the growth she saw in her staff throughout the process was just as rewarding.
She also welcomes students into the department, mentors public health fellows and currently serves as a mentor to a deputy public health director in a neighboring county.
Her leadership is rooted in a simple belief: helping others reach their potential is worth the investment — even if it means they eventually outgrow their current roles and move on.
Join us in celebrating Kate Ott, a 2026 ATHENA Leadership Award honoree, at the 41st Ontario County ATHENA Awards on November 5.
