County Hires Experienced Leader as Health Agency Director
Author: Administrative Office
Date: 5/1/2018 9:24 AM
The County of San Luis Obispo will have a new award-winning Health Agency Director starting on May 21.
The County Board of Supervisors approved an employment agreement today with Richard “Michael” Hill, who currently serves as the Executive Director and Public Health Administrator for the McHenry County Department of Health in Woodstock, Ill.
“Mr. Hill’s education and experience in the health industry, and his proven leadership in building consensus and collaboration, make him a great fit for this position,” said County Administrative Officer Wade Horton.
As the Health Agency Director, Hill will oversee six direct reports who manage a team of approximately 550 employees and a budget of more than $100 million, which includes the Behavioral Health Department, the Public Health Department, the Animal Services Division, and the Office of the Public Guardian. He will report to the County Administrative Officer and serve as a member of the County’s executive management team. He fills the position left vacant after former Health Agency Director Jeff Hamm resigned on April 7.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to work and live in a beautiful place like San Luis Obispo County,” Hill said. "I look forward to working with staff, elected officials and the community to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to enjoy good physical and mental health; and I am proud to be a part of all of the great things we can accomplish.”
Hill is a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience in both the public and nonprofit health care industries. Prior to serving as the Public Health Administrator for the McHenry County Department of Health for the last four years, he served as an executive of several nonprofit health organizations and as the Public Health Director for the City of El Paso, Tex.
Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in public health. He also received the Secretary of Health’s special recognition for leadership in Florida’s response to Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi in 2005.
