New leaders have been named this week to two of the area’s top public health agencies. Grand Traverse County commissioners voted Wednesday to select Mike Lahey to lead the Grand Traverse County Health Department, while Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority board members voted Thursday to hire Lynda Zeller to be their next CEO.

County commissioners interviewed three candidates Wednesday for the position of health officer, the lead role at the Grand Traverse County Health Department (GTCHD). Wendy Hirschenberger retired earlier this year following more than a decade in the role. Mike Lahey, previously GTCHD’s deputy health officer, has been serving as interim health officer. Lahey was interviewed for the permanent role along with Prevention Network Executive Director Rashmi Travis and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Healthcare Preparedness Program Specialist Jessica Bell, both of Lansing. All three finalists were vetted and confirmed as eligible for the position by MDHHS.

Both County Administrator Nate Alger and county commissioners found all three finalists to be well qualified, with Chair Scott Sieffert calling them “great candidates.” But Sieffert appeared to speak for the board – which unanimously selected Lahey – when he called the interim health officer the “clear choice” for the position. “Mr. Lahey has already been doing the job, he has the relationships,” Sieffert said. “We have some heavy lifts that we’re going to do, and he’s already ahead of the curve.”

Lahey addressed some of those lifts in his interview, including rolling out a new county septic ordinance and navigating looming state and federal funding cuts. He also spoke about Grand Traverse County’s growing population and his concerns that community “gaps” in coverage will continue to widen, something he said GTCHD could help address. In the wake of a pandemic “that shook our country and our communities to the core,” Lahey said it’s important for GTCHD to strengthen community trust and clearly promote its mission and services, noting that public health is at an “inflection point” in the nation.

“We're never going to ‘win’ public health,” Lahey said. “We're going to continue to advance it with the resources that we have to do the best for our community.”

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority (CMH) board members interviewed two candidates Thursday for the position of CEO, which was posted earlier this spring. Consulting firm The Meyers Group assisted a search committee in screening applicants and winnowing the field to finalists Phillip Hunter and Lynda Zeller. Hunter, a licensed psychologist, is the director of the crisis residential unit at Common Ground in Pontiac and has worked as a clinical manager/supervisor and practicing therapist in multiple settings.

Zeller was most recently a regional director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration under U.S. Health and Human Services. She was previously a senior fellow at the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and deputy director for the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration at MDHHS. Zeller served as health services administrator for the Bureau of Health Care Services under the Michigan Department of Corrections and has a master of public administration/healthcare degree from Western Michigan University. She shared that she has a sibling with intellectual disabilities, giving her firsthand insight into services.

Board members were impressed by both candidates, with several indicating they wished they could marry Hunter’s enthusiasm with Zeller’s deep well of experience in behavioral healthcare. Zeller’s extensive experience – and her working relationships with legislators and healthcare professionals across the state of Michigan – ultimately won over the board, who noted CMH is at a critical juncture and needs a steady hand given potential major industry shakeups ahead. Zeller addressed those “unprecedented times” in her interview, including coming changes to Medicaid and a push in Michigan to privatize community mental health services.

“Every day will require careful listening, critical thinking, careful analysis, and balancing competing needs and resources,” she wrote in her cover letter. “While this is a time of significant change at the state and federal level, I believe this also brings unique opportunities.” Zeller said that while the “Northern Lakes continuum of services must be available to the people of all six counties, an effective CEO also understands there are unique challenges in some counties and communities that may require consideration and adjustment prior to any recommended action or policy change.” Zeller told board members she had no interest in retiring anytime soon and envisioned herself being at CMH for at least 5-10 years, if the position worked out.

CMH board member Mary Marois said Zeller was someone who had “repeated successes” throughout her career and had “proven herself over and over and over again to be a true advocate for people,” saying she could take CMH “to a place that we’ve probably never been.” Other board members agreed Zeller could provide “foresight,” “stability,” and the ability to navigate “challenging times” ahead. While some CMH employees watched the interviews on livestream and weighed in with support for Hunter, citing his positivity and enthusiasm, Kevin Tyler of The Meyers Group said CMH’s leadership team also met the finalists and believed Zeller’s “experience and knowledge of Michigan” made her a “better choice at this time” for CMH. Board members voted to offer Zeller the position, with a final background check and contract negotiations to follow.