Mesa County Department of Health hires new Executive Director

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - After several months without a permanent executive director, the Mesa County Department of Public Health has hired a new director.

The Board of the Mesa County Department of Public Health unanimously voted to hire Xavier Crockett. Crockett will start work on December 11, 2023. He will be paid $180,000 a year. He received a Master of Science in Disaster Medicine and Emergency Management from Philadelphia University and is pursuing a Doctorate of Public Health at Walden University. According to Mesa County Public Health, he is expected to complete his doctorate by Nov. 2023. Once completed, he will receive a $5,000 raise. The board also agreed to pay Crockett up to $15,000 in relocation expenses.

The previous director of Mesa County Public Health, Jeff Kuhr, resigned from the position after reaching a settlement with Mesa County Commissioners. The County Commissioners accused Kuhr of poor record keeping after entering into contracts without competitive bidding. He was also accused of purchasing alcohol and gift cards for employees with taxpayer money.

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