It's that time of year again when we shine a light on the unseen guardians of our community's health and safety. This Registered Environmental Health Specialist Week, we're taking a moment to celebrate one of Wake County's dedicated experts, Naterra McQueen, who has been fiercely ensuring the county's environmental health standards are met since 2005.
As an Environmental Consultant and health inspector, McQueen has devoted her career to a once imagined dream, to steadily uphold the well-being of Wake County - known for its rigorous health standards. She told Wake County News, "I always wanted to be a health inspector, and Wake County has always been known for its high standards. I wanted to work with the best." Her professional journey, commenced with a degree in Human Sciences, specializing in Food Science from North Carolina Central University.
Each day, McQueen's schedule packs in inspections across a variety of establishments, from restaurants to childcare centers. With over 35 inspections per month, each day is a quest to maintain safety and uphold standards. In her work, McQueen emphasizes the collective goal of ensuring the community's safety, saying in a statement obtained by Wake County News, "I try every day to make sure the citizens of Wake County are eating in safe establishments, that our childcare centers are safe and that every facility I inspect is meeting the standards."
Her approach extends beyond mere checks and balances. It's about building a bridge of trust with operators, to ultimately safeguard the community. "But over time, as trust builds, they see we have the same goal—keeping people safe," McQueen explained. Naterra takes pride in the tangible fruits of her labor, finding it rewarding when improvements are made post consultation, boosting a facility's health scores, as reported by Wake County News.
