TOLEDO, Ohio — After 23 years serving in public health, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department's Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski announced Thursday that he will retire on June 1.
Zgodzinski said it's time to take a step back and recharge, but he said he still has some years left until he'll retire from working entirely. He said he's proud of his time serving, which couldn't have been done without the help from staff and the community.
"I'd like to go out and do some good someplace else and try to again, help people like I've been doing for the past 30 years," Zgodzinski said.
On Friday, the health department announced Shannon Jones will serve as interim health commissioner until a permanent successor is named. Jones has been with the department since 2014 and most recently served as director of health promotion & policy integration.
Zgodzinski has dealt with infectious disease outbreaks like the H1N1 flu pandemic, mpox in 2022 and as well as hepatitis A and norovirus outbreaks. He was also the public face of the county's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for everyone.
"Good, bad or indifferent, we made some really good choices and decisions and we didn't make some good decisions," Zgodzinski said. "But at that point in time, we were doing what was best for this community."
He credited the community's cooperation despite the unknowns of the pandemic during testing, case management and the vaccination process as key factors in mitigating spread.
Zgodzinski said while there have been budgeting concerns in TLCHD, his staff has worked to find solutions.
"I think we've been able to make it a much healthier department and more stable so that we can do great things for the community to come," he said.
Zgodzinski hopes future department leadership can continue to focus on childhood wellness and building up the community's trust in public health.
"We're only here to help the community, we're not here to make issues or to make decisions that are over-arching or concerning," he said. "We're just figuring out how to make the community better."
The search for his replacement is underway. The commissioner must be a licensed medical professional or hold a master's degree in public health or a related field, according to the Ohio Revised Code.