Stephanie Johnson resigns after two and a half years in the role
Stephanie Johnson
Stephanie Johnson resigned from her position as Clay County’s public health director on Friday, Aug. 7.
In a news release from the Clay County manager’s office, Johnson indicated she was taking a new position.
“An opportunity for me has come about that will allow me to continue addressing the social determinates of health on a larger and more broad capacity with a special focus on law enforcement diversion programming along with recovery and treatment options for those that struggle with substance misuse,” Johnson said in the prepared statement.
She went on to say, “I am excited for the opportunities that are forthcoming and I am thrilled at the opportunity to watch this organization grow from the solid foundation that I have laid and the staff that I have encouraged along the way.”
Relocating from Spring Lake, N.C., Johnson was started work here in April 2018 after the county consolidated services. She was at the helm through this year’s COVID-19 pandemic. On two occasions, she and the team at the health department provided a quick response to testing at the Clay County Care Center where 170-plus staff members and residents were tested facility-wide. All of those tests came back negative.
Commission Board Chairman Rob Peck expressed gratitude for Johnson’s service.
“ On behalf of the board of commissioners, we want to thank Stephanie for her service to the citizens of Clay County, particularly her leadership during the preparation and implementation of the county-wide COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan,” he said. “We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Johnson’s resignation is effective immediately. In the meantime, County Manager Debbie Mauney said there are no plans to hire an interim director.
“Contingency plans are in place and team members have been delegated responsibilities to ensure a smooth transition while the search for a new public health director begins in the coming weeks and to maintain overall operations of the Clay County Health Department, including our ongoing management of COVID-19 and assisting and supporting the safe and smooth opening of our Clay County Schools,” said Mauney. “Stephanie has been an asset to Clay County. With her department, we have full confidence in our team to continue to step up and deliver first class service to our citizens.”
The public health director position starts at $75,000 per year and applications are being accepted through Aug. 28. Applications are available online at: www.clayconc.com and submitted to Clay County Human Resources, PO Box 118, Hayesville, NC 28904. Responsibilities and qualifications for the job appear in the classified section of this week’s newspaper as well.