Jeff Hamm
The County announced Health Agency Director, Jeff Hamm's resignation

County Health Agency Director Resigns, Effective in April 2018

Author: Administrative Office
Date: 11/27/2017 1:59:07 PM

The County has announced the resignation of Health Agency Director Jeff Hamm, who will stay on through April 2018.


The County of San Luis Obispo and its Health Agency Director Jeff Hamm have amicably agreed to part ways, effective April 7, 2018. In closed session today, the County Board of Supervisors approved a separation agreement regarding Hamm’s resignation.

“We can’t thank Mr. Hamm enough for his decades of public service, his significant contributions as Health Agency Director over the past 11 years, and for graciously agreeing to stay on through April during the recruitment process,” said County Administrative Officer Wade Horton.

The County will soon open a nationwide search for a new Health Agency Director who can continue addressing our community’s challenging health system problems and concerns, including the mental health treatment of County jail inmates, the growing statewide mental health crisis and its effects on our community, and upcoming changes to the County’s animal shelter and services. As part of the separation agreement, the Board agreed to pay Hamm six months’ salary (about $102,600) as well as his accumulated vacation and sick leave, calculated per County Code, on or before April 30, 2018.

“It has been my great honor to serve the people of San Luis Obispo County for 36 years and lead the Health Agency for 11 years, but I’m looking forward to retirement and the next phase of my life,” Hamm said. “Our community is facing a growing number of health care system challenges and I agree with the Board that the Health Agency needs a fresh perspective to address them.”

Hamm has worked in public service for more than 36 years. He started his tenure with the County in 1981 and worked for four years as an environmental specialist. He then went on to become an emergency services coordinator in the Office of Emergency Services and soon took on the role of principal administrative analyst in the County Administrative Office under the CAO.

After 10 years in that role, he became the deputy director for the Health Agency before moving on to work for the San Luis Obispo Superior Court as its Assistant Court Executive Officer. He was then hired as the Health Agency director in 2006.