Mike Byrns, a candidate from Rhode Island, has been chosen to interview for the position of public health director at La Plata County. The board members have decided to proceed with his recruitment and if he decides to withdraw, they will start over with their search.
After Tara Hardy withdrew her application for personal reasons, Byrns remains the only candidate left in the running for the job. The board will interview him in person later this month and hold a public meet-and-greet event as part of the process. Byrns has also informed the county that he is a finalist for another position, so if he withdraws from that, they will restart the recruitment process.
Byrns currently serves as an assistant director of health at Rhode Island Department of Health in Providence where he is state’s leading toxicologist. The decision to continue recruiting him was made during a special meeting following an executive session aimed at creating a backup plan in case he drops out, so they can quickly move forward with hiring another candidate.
The public meet-and-greet event with Byrns is scheduled for April 24 at La Plata County administration building in Durango. The board wants to make sure they have a plan ready to fill the position swiftly if Byrns decides not to go ahead with it.
