Barbara started her career in 1981.  Mrs. Pullen-Smith worked as a Health and Human Services Specialist for the General Baptist State Convention.  In this position, she developed and implemented health promotion and disease prevention programs in Black Churches in NC using the lay health advisor model.  Her other community-based works included serving as a District Representative for the American Cancer Society in 1984.  In 1985, Ms. Pullen-Smith started her career with the state as the first consultant for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program in the Division of Maternal Child Health.  In this capacity, she assisted 33 projects throughout NC in the areas of community organization, coalition building, program development and evaluation.In 1990, Ms. Pullen-Smith was hired as the Program Coordinator for the Local Health Services in the Division of Adult Health (now Division of Public Health).  On February 1, 1993, she became the first Director of the OMHHD and she currently holds that position.  She provides leadership and develops initiatives to improve the public health system’s ability to respond to the specific needs of racial and ethnic minorities.  Ms. Pullen-Smith works closely with the programs in the Department of Health and Human Services, local health departments and other public and private agencies and organizations, including minority community-based organizations, in a collaborative and advocacy role to insure the minority health issues are addressed.