The Dallas County Public Health Department is in transition after Shelley Horak, director of the department, tendered her resignation Sept. 9. The resignation became effective last week, according to the Dallas County Human Resources Department.
The reason for Horak’s departure after three years in the public health department’s leadership role has not been disclosed, but as recently as Aug. 16 the “Board of Health members expressed their support of Ms. Horak and her leadership in the department,” according to board minutes.
Roger Zobel, chair of the Dallas County Board of Health Chair, said the board is “in the process of looking for an interim director right now, and that will probably last about six months. That gives us time to do a proper job search for a replacement director for Shelley, who has submitted her resignation.”
Zobel said he was aware Horak is “working on her doctoral degree and has some other things going on” but did not otherwise identify the reason for her departure as a county employee.
“We thank her for her service,” said Dallas County Board of Supervisors Chair Mark Hanson, “but the board (of health) felt they needed to make a change. It was the employment decision made by the board of health, and we accepted that resignation three weeks ago or thereabouts.”
Dallas County Environmental Health Department Director Ted Trewin, whose position is also hired by the board of health, said Horak was “definitely getting a lot of different people here going the same direction and with that same kind of enthusiasm, and hopefully that won’t back down any and we’ll keep growing anyway either with the interim director or with the new director, when they decide on one.”
At the county board of health’s Sept. 13 meeting, Home Health Department Supervisor Rhonda Shoafstall will direct the department’s home health programs, with Community Health Coordinator Jennifer Walters carrying the ball on the public health side and Executive Assistant Suzanne Hagerty carrying out the director’s clerical duties.
The health board met Sept. 20 and again Sept. 21, but the minutes from those meetings have not been made public.
The next meeting of the Dallas County Board of Health is Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Dallas County Human Services Campus, 25747 N Ave., the site of the former Dallas County Care Facility.
