CHARLOTTE, N.C._With the coronavirus pandemic expected to linger through the summer, Republican National Convention officials announced Thursday the hiring of a veteran health expert with national security experience to help ensure convention safety.
Dr. Jeffrey Runge, a former medical director for the Department of Homeland Security and one-time clinical research director at Carolinas Medical Center, was named the convention's Senior Adviser for Health and Safety Planning. The convention, scheduled to begin Aug. 24, is expected to bring 50,000 people to Charlotte.
"We've said from the start that we are committed to hosting a safe and successful 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte, and Dr. Runge's background and expertise will be instrumental as we continue to map out our plans that ensure the health safety of all convention participants and the Charlotte community," convention President and CEO Marcia Lee Kelly said in a statement.
"We recognize this hasn't been done before, but we remain committed to leading the path forward so that we can safely reopen America and create a five-star event for attendees and guests this August."
Many North Carolina businesses are expected to begin a slow reopening on Friday, though restaurants and bars could remain closed for most business for weeks.
Kelly told reporters last month that "public safety is paramount," even if delegates have to wear masks and social distance in the arena. Organizers are flexible, she said, but forging ahead.
"Four months from now is like a world, a universe, away," she said. "We are moving full steam ahead to ... a historic convention."
Runge has a long resume.
He's co-founder of Biospatial, a company that provides "operational intelligence and situational awareness of threats to health and safety at the local, state and federal levels." The company was an offshoot of his work with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
He's also an adviser to the Chertoff Group, a consulting company headed by former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Runge, in addition to being the department's former Chief Medical Officer, was the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs in the Bush administration.
"We think that his role will naturally evolve," said convention spokeswoman Tatum Gibson. "But we feel confident that it'll allow us to make the convention as safe as possible for all attendees."
