The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's search of a new CEO is on schedule.
Current CEO Theresa Marentette announced plans to retire back in April with June 30 set as her last day on the job.
On Friday, Board of Health Chair Gary McNamara says the health unit's hiring panel has interviewed 25 potential candidates and a decision is expected in the first week of June.
"A mix of internal and external, but some as far away as the Northwest Territories and some of the western provinces," he says. "It's been a good cross section of folks."
McNamara expects the successful candidate to begin working directly with Marrentette on a transition immediately.
"What we really note as a board is continuity in the level of leadership that's been brought forward by Theresa," he added.
He says the COVID-19 pandemic has set the bar high for her replacement.
"Theresa's been an absolutely terrific leader under some hellish conditions," he says. "If folks didn't know what the role of public health is in our communities, I can tell you they know now."
McNamara says the board will hold off on announcing its choice until late June. The successful candidate will officially step in for Marentette on July 1.
She told AM800 News she had been eligible for retirement for more than a year, before making the decision to call it a career in April.
Marentette's career in healthcare spans 38 years.