Thurston County's public health director resigned on Friday after just 17 months on the job.
Following a nationwide recruiting process, the county hired David Bain to serve as director of Public Health and Human Services in December 2022. He submitted his resignation to County Mayor Leonard Hernandez on Friday, according to a press release.
“While I am sad to see David leave the county, I am grateful for his leadership and service to the county, especially as we continue to work through the COVID-19 recovery period,” Hernandez said in a prepared statement.
The release said Bain has chosen to “pursue new opportunities” outside the county. Jennifer Freiheit, deputy director of PHSS, has agreed to serve as interim director for the time being, according to the report.
“The leadership team looks forward to supporting Dr. Freiheit and all of PHSS' hardworking employees through this transition,” Hernandez said. “Their work is essential to our community.”
Bain and Freiheit started at about the same time and have worked together ever since, according to the release. The county reportedly offered Freiheit the deputy chief position after going through the same nationwide recruiting process that selected Bain.
This is the second time in the past three years that a PHSS director has resigned. Former PHSS Director Sheri Slaughter announced her resignation in December 2021, citing personal reasons.
Slaughter left his role in January 2022 after leading the police department through the early days of the pandemic. The county had initially hoped to name Slaughter's replacement in early 2022, but it took a lengthy, nationwide recruiting process to find a replacement.
It's unclear whether a similar process will be followed following Bain's resignation, with the announcement saying only that the county is evaluating the police department's future actions.
According to Bain's LinkedIn profile, he previously worked for the Washington State Department of Health for more than four years and the Georgia Department of Public Health for nearly seven years.
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