SALT LAKE COUNTY — Dr. Angela Dunn, who led Utah's efforts during much of the COVID pandemic, will be leaving her position as executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department to work for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dunn will still be help the county as it faces public health threats, as her role at the CDC will be to ensure state and local health departments nationwide have the resources they need to effectively investigate and respond to outbreaks.
"The hardest part about leaving Salt Lake County is leaving the honor of working side-by-side with each and every one of the Salt Lake County Health Department staff," said Dr. Dunn.
"I am fortunate to have such a passionate, talented, and dedicated team here at Salt Lake County. Despite being exhausted mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, the team wanted to use the pandemic to improve their public health practice. They found the strength and will to persevere, supported by a strong and resilient leadership team."
Dunn joined the Salt Lake County Health Department in June 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, and received both considerable praise for her leadership in the community, though also faced criticism from those who believed quarantines and vaccinations were unnecessary.
But county leaders believe her guidance was key to helping Salt Lake County navigate through the worst of the pandemic.
“The Board expresses our thanks to Dr. Dunn for her exceptional service to our community,” said Dan Eckersley, Chair of the Salt Lake County Board of Health.
“Her passion for public health has left a lasting impact on the department and Board, and we commend her leadership, expertise, and commitment to improving health outcomes for everyone in Salt Lake County.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson shared these sentiments, saying, “It’s been my pleasure to work with Dr. Dunn. Her ability to make critical decisions, grounded in science and compassion, has been invaluable to our community during challenges such as the COVID pandemic and beyond.”
Her last day at Salt Lake County will be February 16, after which a search for her replacement will begin immediately.
Prior to joining Salt Lake County, Dr. Dunn was state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health and an epidemic intelligence service officer for the CDC, where she responded to the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
