Jim Adams was appointed Canton City Health Commissioner in 2008 after serving the city as Director of Environmental Health starting in 1985.  Commissioner Adams is experienced in the development, implementation and management of various public health programs.  He has broad knowledge in environmental health, public health, industrial hygiene, epidemiology and public health management.  He is a Registered Sanitarian and prior to moving to the Canton area, he gained experience with Lorain County Board of Health in Elyria, Ohio and the Ohio Department of Health in the Akron, district office. Commissioner Adams oversees the operations of five divisions and nearly 70 staff members within Canton City Public Health.

While serving the city, Commissioner Adams has been trained in Hazmat Response Operations by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Healthcare Leadership and Administrative Decision Making in Response to WMD Incidents by the US Department of Homeland Security.  He is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Stark County, Government Class.

In addition to his responsibilities as Commissioner, Mr. Adams serves in professional roles including Past President of the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners and Past President of the Ohio Environmental Health Association.  He has served as a member of the Ohio State Board of Sanitarian Registration and the Ohio Department of Health Sanitarian Registration Advisor Board.

Commissioner Adams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health from Cleveland State University and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan.