Assessment: Melnick’s departure came amid concerns about leadership, workplace culture

The sudden departure of Clark County Public Health’s director came amid concerns about the department’s leadership and workplace culture.

The county manager sent an email July 23 to Public Health staff announcing that Dr. Alan Melnick, who led Clark County Public Health through the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the largest measles outbreaks in recent state history, would retire Aug. 25.

Melnick did not return to work after the announcement, which followed an assessment of his department. Vanessa Gaston, director of the county’s community services department, reviewed Clark County Public Health’s leadership structure, organizational culture and budget by examining agency documents and conducting interviews with staff and outside organizations. The Columbian obtained her July 1 report and related emails under the state’s Public Records Act.

On July 28, Gaston and Clark County Manager Kathleen Otto shared the results of the assessment in an all-staff meeting.

The assessment raised concerns about Melnick serving as both department director and county health officer. Staff “overwhelmingly” viewed the combined role as ineffective and wanted a department director with strong leadership skills, according to the report.

Melnick had worked for Clark County Public Health since 2006, when he began as the county’s health officer. After the health department consolidated the director and health officer positions in 2013 due to budget constraints, Melnick assumed the combined role. (The Columbian’s attempts to reach Melnick for comment were unsuccessful.)

“Those who work with the health officer position state they want a health officer who uses science and data and doesn’t emotionally react negatively to every situation,” Gaston said in the assessment.

Her central recommendation was to separate the two roles.

The assessment also described the department as “very top-down” and “authoritative,” especially among its leaders and those with multiple college degrees. Employees said they felt micromanaged and operated in a culture of fear and retaliation.

“Staff reported being afraid to speak up because they have been publicly shut down or ridiculed or have seen the same happen to others,” Gaston said in the assessment. “Employees who ask difficult questions or disagree with the leadership team’s decisions are often treated as personnel problems … and become more vulnerable to discipline or layoffs during budget cuts.”

The assessment rattled some department employees.

A Public Health employee sent an email to Otto and Gaston after the all-staff meeting asking if she would lose her job, given the assessment recommended “flattening” the organization and eliminating some positions on the leadership and management teams.

“To put my mind at ease, could you please provide reassurance that we aren’t at risk of losing our jobs?” the employee wrote.

In an email to The Columbian, Otto said the county is currently reviewing the recommendations in the assessment and is considering appropriate next steps.

She said the Clark County Council, which acts as the Board of Health, will consider the appointment of the deputy health officer as the interim health officer on Aug. 26.

While the Board of Health is responsible for appointing the county health officer, the county manager appoints department directors, Otto said.

Leadership response

The assessment drew immediate disagreement from Clark County Public Health leaders.

A day after the meeting, Communications Manager Marissa Armstrong compiled a list of questions and concerns related to the assessment results. Other department leaders — including Racial Equity Director Shanell Brown, Investigation and Response Director Kim Toevs, Environmental Public Health Director Gerry Preston, Community Health Director Andrea Pruett, Administrative Services Director Jeff Harbison and Deputy Director Danette York — emailed feedback and approved the compiled list.

They also considered sending their concerns and questions to the Board of Health.

York emailed questions to Otto and Gaston two days after the report’s highlights were shared with all staff. The email acknowledged that some findings and recommendations resonated with staff but said the report included inaccuracies. No email reply was included in documents released to The Columbian.

York is no longer an employee of the county, Armstrong said.

York’s email questioned why Gaston was selected to conduct the assessment instead of an outside agency or a consultant with a background in public health.

Last year, the Clark County Ethics Review Commission investigated a complaint filed against Gaston by an employee in her department that claimed Gaston violated county policy by failing to disclose a possible conflict of interest in awarding contracts to the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, a local nonprofit.

At the time, Gaston served on the Community Foundation’s board of directors.

The employee also filed a whistleblower complaint with the county claiming Gaston “failed to disclose her conflict of interest to the county council when she ordered the award and execution of a no-bid contract in the amount of $600,000 to the Community Foundation.”

Both the ethics and whistleblower complaints were dismissed.

Otto told The Columbian Gaston “is more than qualified to assess a county department” given that she has 28 years of leadership and management experience.

Gaston was offered a temporary wage increase to complete the assessment, which she declined, Otto said.

In its monthly meetings, members of the Public Health Advisory Council described Melnick’s retirement as “a loss” for Clark County. The council consists of 21 unpaid members who review public health needs and make periodic recommendations to the Board of Health.