Weld County names Chessher as health department director
Becomes 2nd straight health director without a medical background
The Board of Weld County Commissioners on Wednesday appointed Jason Chessher as the county’s new director of the Department of Public Health and Environment, according to a news release. Chessher, from Garland, Texas, was selected after a nationwide search.
“The decision to join Weld County came easily due to the premier health department that the county operates,” Chessher said in the county’s release. “I’m excited and look forward to joining the Weld County team.”
Chessher was previously employed as managing director of Health and Environmental Services for the city of Garland, Texas’ Health Department, according to the release. Garland had a population of about 242,000 in 2021. Weld’s population is about 340,000.
He’s worked for that department for 22 years, according to the release, starting as an environmental investigator. As managing director, he was tasked with overseeing the city’s health, animal services and sanitation efforts, as well as a regional landfill, according to the release.
Chessher received his bachelor’s in biology from Texas A&M University at Commerce, according to the release, then earned his master’s in environmental science from the University of North Texas.
Chessher becomes the second straight Weld health director without a medical background, following the county’s controversial hiring then abrupt resignation of Mark Lawley, whose background was in fire service at Mountain View Fire Rescue in Longmont. Lawley was selected among hundreds of applicants to replace Dr. Mark Wallace, who resigned in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene O’Hara, former CEO of North Colorado Medical Center and Colorado Plains Medical Center in Fort Morgan, had been serving as interim director since Lawley’s departure.