HOWELL — After months of discussion, the Livingston County Board of Commissioners voted on Monday to appoint Matt Bolang to replace Dianne McCormick as Livingston County’s health officer.
The county personnel committee, acting as a committee of the whole, interviewed four candidates on October 31.
On Monday, commissioners chose two of four interviewees for consideration: Bolang and Thomas Latchney, former Livingston County Health Department environmental hygienist from 2014 to 2020.
“I think we named the two best people, personal opinion,” Commissioner Martin Smith said.
Smith said he was impressed with Latchney’s resume, but noted he had no budgeting or management experience. He added, however, that he would like to see Latchney in a senior assistant role.
Commissioner Brenda Plank nominated Matt Bolang while Commissioner Doug Helzerman nominated Latchney.
In the end, the board picked Bolang, 6-3, with Plank, Carol Griffith, Martin Smith, Carol Sue Reader, Mitchell Zajac and Jay Gross voting for Bolang while commissioners Wes Nakagiri, Helzerman and Jay Drick voted preferred Latchney.
Bolang holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources with a concentration in Resource Ecology Management from the University of Michigan. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in public administration from Central Michigan University.
Bolang has worked for the county since 2001, first as an environmental specialist and water resources coordinator before becoming the county’s environmental health director in 2014.
He was promoted to a joint position of deputy director and director of environmental health in 2019.
McCormick retired on July 1, and the board has been discussing how to fill the position since then. The former manager had recommended Bolang’s hiring.
The council approved the job description in July for a new director, which states that “under the direction of the county administrator, (the health officer) is responsible for the overall health program development function of the county and supervising the services and operations of the department”.
The summary also states that the health worker “enables the delivery of public health services in the community in accordance with the Michigan Public Health Code and enforces federal, state, and local health and sanitation laws and regulations. population and the environment”.
