Graham Briggs stepping down as Director of Olmsted Co. Public Health

(ABC 6 News) – The Director of Olmsted County Public Health Services announced he is leaving the position to pursue other opportunities.

OCPHS made the announcement Wednesday that Graham Briggs will be stepping down after three years.

Briggs joined Olmsted County in June 2018 with more than 20 years of experience in Public Health. During his tenure, Briggs oversaw the passage of the county’s ordinance changing the age for tobacco use to 21 years, a move subsequently adopted by the state of Minnesota. He was recognized with the “Emerging Public Health Leader of the Year” award in 2019 by Minnesota’s Local Public Health Association, comprised of all local public health directors statewide. His focus on building community relationships and data-driven decision-making was critical while the county began the largest mobilization in its history as COVID-19 emerged. He has spent the last 22 months overseeing the county’s response to the pandemic and one of the most challenging periods of its existence.

“Graham remains a trusted leader for our entire community,” said Olmsted County Administrator Heidi Welsch. “Not only did he lead our county’s COVID response efforts, but he also oversaw other essential public health activities that continued throughout the pandemic.”

OCPHS will begin its search for a new director. For the time being Associate Directors of OCPHS Denise Daniels and Michael Melius will be stepping into the role.

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