On Jan. 22, the Douglas County Board of Health announced its sole finalist for the public health executive director of the Douglas County Health Department.
Michael Hill will come to the county from San Luis Obispo, California, where he has served as the health agency director since 2018, according to his curriculum vitae.
Previous to his work in California, he worked in public health in Illinois, Texas and Florida during a career spanning nearly 30 years.
Hill received a Masters of Public Health in 2003 and a Masters of Public Administration in 1997, according to his CV.
When an agency’s board of health chooses someone other than a physician as its public health director, the health department is required to also choose at least one physician to advise the director on medical decisions, according to the Colorado Public Health Act of 2008.
“We are very pleased to name Mr. Hill as the sole finalist for this position,” said Doug Benevento, President of the Douglas County Board of Health, according to a news release from the county.
The search for an executive director spanned the nation and brought 40 applicants, according to the news release. Four people were interviewed.
Douglas County voted to split away from Tri-County Health Department and form its own in September of 2021 following months of disagreements with the agency over COVID-19 precautions.