Jeff Coefield is a servant leader and a father who currently serves as the Business Manager of the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO). He grew up throughout the Carolinas as an Army Brat and as an adult traveled and worked throughout the East and Southeast US, encountering many types of people along the way. His 20+ year career spans both the private and public sector, the past 13 of those years here in Charlotte.
The pandemic made his role in the MEO more crucial. Resources were stretched by a sharp increase in overdoses and COVID-related deaths. Creative solutions were required because remote work posed challenges to team coordination and communication.
The George Floyd incident triggered a time of introspection along with memories of past encounters with law enforcement. Coupled with the isolation of the pandemic, he began to question the very essence of his existence as a Black man. This challenge led to personal growth and renewed connections with family that included establishing a family prayer line.
“And it just really kind of made me question, you know, what is the very being of my existence as a black man?”
