County to name another interim health officer

For the second time this year, the Ozaukee County Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday recommended the appointment of an interim director of the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department.

The health department’s business manager, Kimberly Buechler, will be named interim director if the committee’s recommendation is approved by the County Board on May 5. The appointment will also need to be approved by Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.

Beuchler would replace Tyler Weber, who was named interim leader of the department in February after Kirsten Johnson left the post to become commissioner of health for the City of Milwaukee.

Weber said in an interview this week he is leaving to take a comparable position with another health department in the state.

“It’s been an exciting opportunity, but it also came with a heavy responsibility, especially in a pandemic,” Weber said of his tenure with Ozaukee County. “I was proud to support the Health Department team.”

  A resident of Colgate, Beuchler has served the department as business manager since February 2017, coming from an office manager position at Sandmasters, Inc. in Saukville.

Buechler has a bachelor’s degree in information resources from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in public administration from Valdosta State University in Voldosta, Ga.

“She meets all the qualifications for the State of Wisconsin,” said County Administrator Jason Dzwinel. “We’re pretty confident with the management team we have in place.”

Buechler could not be reached for comment.

Weber joined the department as senior public health strategist in November 2019 and transitioned to a new role as community health director in October 2020.  

Dzwinel told the Health and Human Services Committee that the county is “actively recruiting” for a permanent public health officer, a process that’s hoped to be “wrapped up in the next three months or less.”

In other news, Weber told committee members 50.1% of Ozaukee County residents have had their first Covid-19 vaccinations and that 37.6% have completed their vaccination series. Of county residents age 65 and over, Weber reported 86.1% have received their first Covid vaccination.