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County narrows health officer search to final candidates; staff and commissioners to meet finalists
Summary
The county reported 20 applicants for the health officer position, narrowed to six for initial interviews and with a planned second round in early November; the board asked that the second‑round candidate meetings include broader staff meet‑and‑greet opportunities and invited board leadership to participate in the process.
Kalamazoo County administration provided a progress report on the search for a new county health officer and director at the Oct. 21 meeting.
Process to date
- The position was publicly posted for 30 days and drew 20 applications.
- A 13‑member search committee of administration staff and community partners screened applicants and selected six for the first round of interviews.
- The committee will conduct second‑round interviews in November (target date: Nov. 6) and plans a meet‑and‑greet for department leadership and mid‑management. Administration said it would expand the meet‑and‑greet opportunity to allow all health‑department staff to meet the top three finalists if the board desires.
Why this matters
The health officer is a board‑appointed position that requires state approval; commissioners said they want an inclusive process that gives department staff a voice while preserving the board’s authority to appoint the final candidate.
Board engagement and next steps
- Several commissioners asked for greater board engagement during round‑two interviews; Chair Streps indicated she would be willing to join the second round and provide feedback to the search committee.
- Deputy Administrator Smith said the top candidates would be contacted immediately after round‑one and the committee will try to lock down a November 6 second‑round date dependent on candidate availability. Administration expects to bring a final recommendation to the board later in November or December.
Speakers
- Deputy Administrator Smith — described the search timeline and committee composition. - Chair Streps and several commissioners — asked for board involvement in second‑round interviews and for a full staff meet‑and‑greet if feasible.
