Karla Buru
40 Under 40 Class of 2023
Columbia, South Carolina
Chief of Staff
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
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Public health workers are needed in all types of jobs and shouldn't box themselves into certain roles.
Three words to describe me:
driven, resourceful, collaborative
The best part of my job:
Being able to manage day-to-day agency initiatives, while also supporting teams to think strategically about the big picture, and aligning all our work towards the vision of healthy people in healthy communities
Something that would surprise others about me:
I am an official Ultimate Outsider, having visited all 47 South Carolina state parks.
Karla Buru serves as the Chief of Staff for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Dr. Buru has held various leadership positions related to quality improvement, governance, project management, and strategic planning within South Carolina’s state government.
She earned a doctorate in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications, master’s degree in social work, and master’s degree in public health from the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Buru is a graduate of the South Carolina Certified Public Manager Program and is a Riley Fellow. She holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and is a certified Project Management Professional. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Romania, where she later returned as a Fulbright scholar to conduct research.
