Last week, during their regular meeting, members of the Central Nevada Health District offered the position of administrator to Daren Winkelman, who has been serving as the Environmental Health Officer for the district for the past several months.
In his comments approving the offer, Larry Rackley, Pershing County Commissioner and CNHD board member, said, “Mr. Winkelman, in my working relationship with him, knows Rural Nevada. He is already a Health District employee, has experience and knowledge, works well with people; I’ve seen that firsthand.”
Mayor Ken Tedford supported the appointment, saying, “You do know Rural Nevada and empathize with Rural Nevadans and how they feel and their thoughts, especially how they feel about service and one-on-one conversations. The attitude of how we serve is different than in cities, and I think you’re going to do a great job for these four counties and this one City of Fallon.”
Winkelman responded to the vote of approval, saying, “One of the models I use is we’re going to educate before we regulate. It is important as we move forward in this process that everyone who touches the Central Nevada Health District has an opportunity to educate. We have our challenges, but I believe we have more opportunities. We have a great team in place, and I’m looking forward to putting some substance to the ideas you all have created.”
The administrator's position is at step six on pay grade 77, with an annual salary of $115,700, effective since September 18, 2023.
Winkelman replaces Dr. Antonina Capurro, who was appointed in March 2023 and resigned her position on April 27, 2023. Caleb Cage, who worked with the CNHD before its inception, has been the acting administrator since then.
In other business, the Health District approved a data-sharing agreement between the CNHD and the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They also approved an interlocal contract with the State of Nevada to provide a health nurse, ratified an agreement with the Department of Public and Behavioral Health, and approved the agreement for malpractice insurance.
During public comment, Bob Clifford expressed his concern over vaccine mandates and possible mandates related to public health, saying, “The studies and data no longer support the official narrative and recommendations of the Biden Administration, CDC, and other health agencies. Their recommendations are now contrary to the actual science… From what I see, very few, if any, vaccines should be administered from this point forward. And certainly, if offered by this district, it should only be with fully informed consent.”
The Health District meets on the second Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Agendas are available online at ChurchillCountyNV.gov.
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