HOLLAND The leader of the Ottawa County Department of Public Health is planning to retire in the spring.

Lisa Stefanovsky, who has been the OCDPH health officer since 2006, has submitted a plan to retire to the county board, effective March 31, 2023.

The news comes just weeks after a successful primary election for members of Ottawa Impact, a far-right group that organized in response to county health orders.

Stefanovskys retirement agreement was approved by the finance and administrative committee of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 16. It will go before the full board at its Aug. 23 meeting.

A reason for her retirement was not stated during the meeting.

I have been planning to work until next April and am announcing my retirement now to allow time to recruit and hire a new health officer and to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of public health operations, Stefanovsky said in the statement.

Signs are held protesting a local K-6 mask mandate during the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 24, 2021, in West Olive.

Part of Ottawa Impacts campaign platform was fighting against COVID-19 orders from the health department, the last of which expired in February.

According to several officials who spoke to The Holland Sentinel earlier this year, the groups agenda includes, among other things, eliminating the countys DEI office, firing the countys public health officer, drastically reducing the health departments budget and having more oversight over the county clerks office specifically how elections are conducted.

Eight candidates endorsed by the group won their primary election for the board of commissioners, which oversees the health department and its funding. Due to a lack of primary challengers, at least six will win a spot on the board, enough for a majority on the 11-member commission.

County Administrator John Shay told the board hiring a health officer can be a lengthy process. Any hire must be approved by the state.

The county will look to post the position immediately upon official approval, Shay said. If a new health officer is hired prior to Stefanovskys retirement, she would remain on staff in an administrative role through March 31.

If the board were to fire Stefanovsky prior to March 31, she would receive a severance of three months salary. By the time Ottawa Impact candidates are on the board, there will be less than three months left of Stefanovskys employment with the county.

Ottawa Impact has been linked to lawsuits against the county regarding the mask mandate, most notably one seeking an injunction to suspend Stefanovskys August 2021 mask mandate for pre-K-6 classrooms and challenging the board of commissioners position that it didnt have the authority to undo the mandate.

The case was dismissed in December 2021, and is currently pending appeal.

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County health officer announces retirement weeks after primary - Grand Haven Tribune