Linda Vail to step down as Ingham County's health officer in February
Linda Vail, who led Ingham County's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will step down from the job in February.
Vail, 61, submitted a letter to Bryan Crenshaw, chairperson of the county's Board of Commissioners, on Aug. 16 declaring her intent to leave the position and retire.
"It's time," Vail said Tuesday morning. "I gave six months' notice though because it is a process for hiring a new health officer."
Vail said county officials are expected to formally accept her resignation this week. Her resignation letter is listed on the agenda for Tuesday night's Board of Commissioners' meeting.
Vail was hired in Ingham County in 2014. She previously worked as health officer in Kalamazoo County, after a stint as a bioterrorism and emergency preparedness coordinator for the Kalamazoo County Health Department.
Vail, a trained microbiologist with a background in disease research, held the role of the county's chief health officer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vail said she began thinking about retirement before COVID-19 arrived in Michigan in March 2020. Leading the county's health department, which has nearly 400 employees and a budget of about $55 million, through the pandemic was rewarding, but challenging.
"Two-and-a-half, going on three, years now of COVID takes a lot out of you," she said. "The last two or three years has basically taken about 10 out of me. That was a lot of hours and a lot of work. I've got grandchildren, I've got a family. They all kind of took a backseat at times during these last couple of years. It's time for me to put that first."
Crenshaw said Vail discussed her intention to retire before she submitted her letter to officials.
"She has been at the forefront of keeping us informed of what's been going on, what the mitigation strategies were with COVID-19 and ensuring that county residents were safe," he said.
The county will conduct a nationwide search to fill the position and assemble a committee to interview candidates and recommend someone to the full board, Crenshaw said.
He's hopeful the process will be complete by the end of the year. The new Health Officer would then work with Vail for a month before her retirement in mid-February, Crenshaw said.
Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Linda Vail to step down as Ingham County's Health Officer in February
