Offer, imminent hiring looking for a new agency manager

PAXTON — One of four candidates interviewed for the top job at the Ford County Public Health Department could be offered the job this week and hired within two weeks.

Board of Health Chairman Mike Short of rural Paxton made the projections Thursday, three days after leading a committee of board members and staff to interview four finalists for the public health administrator position — two in person at the health department office in Paxton and two remotely via the Zoom app — for about an hour each.

“We’ve had four very successful interviews,” Short said. “We’re checking references and trying to make sure we get the person who’s going to be the right fit for us and the right fit for the community and the department. No offers have been made yet, but they’ll probably come in the next week.”

If an offer is accepted, the board of health is expected to vote on whether to approve the hiring at its next meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the Gibson Area Hospital Community Education Center, 209 E. 8th St., Gibson City.

The health department has been without a full-time administrator since May 30, when Seth Russell resigned after briefly serving in the interim role following Donny Gill’s unexpected resignation as administrator on April 9. Gill began her employment with the health department on Sept. 25, 2023, replacing Lana Sample, who served as administrator for more than nine years before resigning Sept. 1 and moving from Paxton, Florida.

The four finalists for the position were selected from 18 candidates who submitted resumes by the June 14 deadline. They were interviewed Monday, June 24, by a panel that included Short, Board of Health member Laurelyn Cropek and three health department staff members: Morgan Behrens, financial coordinator; Nancy Mandamuna, environmental health inspector; and Don McCall, adult protective services social worker.

Of the four finalists, Short believes three are already qualified to serve as public health administrators in Illinois, while the fourth may be as well, although “we’re not certain yet” and will have to “verify.” Short said some of the finalists are “highly qualified” and have “public health experience.”

Short said the applicant pool contained more qualified candidates than last fall, when there were the same number of applicants – 18 – but only two interviewed.

“I think the candidate pool was much deeper this time than it was last fall,” Short said. “There were just a lot of good candidates. (…) Overall, I think the pool was much stronger.”

The Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Health Department and for overseeing its administrative and fiscal operations. The Health Department prefers that candidates have a master’s degree in public health or a related field, as well as four years of full-time experience, including two years in the public health field.

In the absence of an administrator, remaining health department staffers have filled the void in the office, with Russell and Sample helping remotely from home while serving as “acting” administrators as needed. Both are paid hourly for work that primarily involves signing documents, Short said.

“So far, everything is going as well as expected,” Short said. “We’re just trying to get by and hopefully someone will be here for a long time to get the ship back afloat and keep it going.”