The search for the next Washington County Public Health director is getting closer following Danielle Pettit-Majewski’s move to Johnson County this August.

County Human Resources Director Amber Armbruster presented the rankings of the 10 applicants she received from each person on the application review committee during the Board of Health’s September 16th meeting. The committee consisted of public health staff Roberta Sloat and Peggy Wood, board members Dr. Christopher Grier and Connie Larson, and interim administrator Chris Estle. Board member Jack Seward Jr. told the board that he used a point system to determine which applicants identified by letter had the highest preference overall, “The letter designated A had 28 points as being the top, the letter G had 12 points to be in the top, the letter H had 12 points to be in the top, the letter B as in boy had 11 points to be in the top, and then the rest of them were either 10, three, four, two or zero. So there definitely were four that were at the top and one was head and shoulders above the rest.”

Sloat commented that there were some very qualified applicants, and that she was shocked that some of them applied given the perception that public health has had since COVID-19. Estle added that the new hire would need to be able to handle the politicization of public health issues as well as recent changes in the department staff over a short period of time. The board discussed who should be on the interview panel, and tomorrow they are holding a special meeting at 7 a.m. to finalize applicants for interviews. Estle’s 28E agreement between Jefferson and Washington counties ends in December.