WILLMAR — It was announced at Tuesday's Kandiyohi County Board meeting that county Health and Human Services director Jennie Lippert is leaving the county after serving five years in her role. Her last day will be April 21.
In an interview with the West Central Tribune, Lippert said a new opportunity with the Minnesota Department of Health came her way, one she is very excited about.
She will be overseeing the department's family home visiting program statewide. The voluntary program has a public health nurse visiting households with infants and/or young children. It helps provides support and information to parents to help set both the children and the family up for success.
"I've seen the ramifications of families who don't have that support system upfront," Lippert said and she is looking forward to having a bigger impact on a state level to make sure more families get the help they need and want.
In her new role, Lippert will be traveling across the state, visiting with county and tribal public health departments and other partners. She hopes to take the skills and knowledge she gained in Kandiyohi County into the new position, along with bringing along a rural voice to the state level.
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"I feel that will have a huge impact," Lippert said.
Lippert was hired as the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services director in December 2018. She previously worked as the executive director of Ecumen of Litchfield for three years, a nurse clinician with Rice Home Medical for six months and worked for the Benedictine Health System for about one year as a licensed practical nurse/marketing director/staff educator.
The majority of her tenure in Kandiyohi County was taken up by the coronavirus pandemic, which arrived in March 2020.
"I was only in the role for one year when the pandemic hit," Lippert said and it greatly changed the day-to-day operations and more of her job. "I had to overcome obstacles, and there were great accomplishments along the way."
In 2022, Lippert applied for the open Kandiyohi County administrator position and was named one of three finalists. The job ended up going to Kelsey Baker, former Swift County administrator.
Lippert is thankful for her time with Kandiyohi County, and hopes to find ways in which she can still take advantage of the connections she has here.
"It has been an honor and pleasure to be the health and human services director," Lippert said. "I will miss the great people I have been able to collaborate with."
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