Allegan County Appoints New Health Officer

Allegan County is not as contentious as their northern neighbor:

https://news.yahoo.com/allegan-county-board-hires-health-075612788.html

Allegan County Board hires new health officer Jacqueline Billette
By Mitchell Boatman, April 27, 2024

ALLEGAN — The Allegan County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Jacqueline Billette the county's next health officer on Thursday, April 25.

Billette’s appointment is subject to final approval from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, per state law. County Administrator Rob Sarro indicated the county expects quick approval and believes Billette could start as early as Monday, April 29.

Sarro said the county “kept (the state) in the loop” during the hiring process.

Billette, a native of the Traverse City area, comes to Allegan County from the Central Michigan District Health Department, which serves six counties: Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Osceola and Roscommon.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and a master’s in public health. Billette told commissioners Thursday she pursued public health because she “felt a need to help my communities any way I could.”

In answering questions from commissioners Thursday, Billette indicated a desire to focus on community education and building relationships.

“Education is a large portion of what we try to focus on in public health, giving people the tools to make informed decisions on their own personal lifestyle."

Billette added transparency, clear communication and listening to concerns will be important moving forward.

Former health officer Angelique Joynes resigned in January, following 10 years in the role.

Sarro said the county received "north of 20 applicants” and interviewed five or six of them. The interview team included Sarro, the county’s human resources director, and Commissioners Dean Kapenga and Scott Beltman.

“I would characterize it as a very thorough and healthy process,” Sarro said.

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The process included application reviews and multiple rounds of interviews, with questions sourced from officials and staff in round one and potential public health scenarios in round two.

“I’m thrilled to have a candidate in front of us who rose to the top through all that,” Kapenga said.