The formal search to fill the commissioner’s position at the Fayette County Health Department is expected to begin soon. This comes following the announced resignation of Dr. Joel McCullough.
Dr. McCullough’s resignation is effective the end of this month. Longtime Fayette County Health Department administrator Jessica Cobb is serving as interim chief administrative officer.
“The search may take a little longer. Something that they’re going to put a lot of time and thought in obviously to conduct a thorough search and get a candidate who will hopefully be here for some time,” said Cobb.
Former Health Commissioner Kraig Humbaugh retired at the end of 2021, staying on for six additional months during a period of coronavirus.
Cobb said her role will be to keep things moving.
“My role is more about the administrative day-to-day operational type duties that we need to keep performing as opposed to any medical authority because I’m not a physician or a doctor or anything. So, I will not be making any medical decisions and we’ll have a medical director for that.”
Dr. McCullough came to Lexington after serving as a public health director in Spokane Washington. He began his job in Fayette County in mid-February. A consulting firm is expected to begin a national search in mid-August.
