DuPage County Health Department Director Karen Ayala retiring June 3

With the COVID-19 pandemic behind her, Karen Ayala plans to retire from her job heading up the DuPage County Health Department.

Ayala announced her retirement plans during the DuPage County Board meeting March 28. Her last day will be June 30.

“She will probably be remembered for being the face of what the health department did during COVID,” said DuPage County Board member Sam Tornatore, who also heads the DuPage County Board of Health.

“Outstanding,” Tornatore said when describing Ayala. “We’re going to miss her terribly.”

Ayala said she and her husband plan to move to Texas, where they bought a ranch property, this summer. She said she is unsure if she will continue to work in the field of public health.

Ayala, 62, joined the DuPage County Health Department in 2007 and has been serving as executive director since 2014.

Though the pandemic put Ayala and the health department in the spotlight, she has worked to address a number of public health issues, including the opioid crisis, mental health care, pool safety and equity in health care services. Ayala said she has worked with her team to increase the health department’s operational reserve funds and create an infrastructure account to address capital needs.

She was quick to add that she did not accomplish anything alone.

“I had the opportunity to lead a fantastic team of extraordinarily talented people,” she said.

During the March 28 county board meeting, Ayala and other officials presented early plans for a behavioral health crisis hub to help better address mental health care needs.

Ayala, who started in social work and went on to get her master’s degree in public health after working with the Winnebago County Health Department, said leading the health department for the state’s second-largest county has been an amazing opportunity.

County officials credited her for her leadership during the pandemic.

“How she got us through COVID, I’m not quite sure, but she did, and she did it quite well,” DuPage County Board Chairwoman Deborah Conroy said.

Health departments across the state found themselves the center of attention as Illinoisans dealt with the pandemic, a shutdown and masking requirements. Board of health meetings went from being largely ignored before the pandemic to meetings that drew intense public scrutiny. Ayala said she focused on embracing the fact that people were engaging with the health department.

“Even if I didn’t agree with them, I worked very hard to listen and understand the rationale behind their concerns,” she said.

She’s hopeful the pandemic helped increase awareness about public health.

“I think people increasingly realized that we are so interdependent upon each other for so many things ... and I think that is so true for health concerns,” she said.

Tornatore said the DuPage County Board of Health already has started a search for a new director. Ayala said she will assist in the search, which will include internal and external candidates. Tornatore and Ayala are hopeful a new director will be named in time for a transitional period before Ayala’s last day.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230328/dupage-county-health-department-director-karen-ayala-retiring-june-30