photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Outgoing Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health director Dan Partridge speaks at his retirement reception Thursday, June 15, 2023. Partridge has served in the role since January of 2007.

Outgoing Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health director Dan Partridge had plenty to reflect on as he neared the end of his last day of work before retirement.

After all, he’s led the health department for well over 16 years since starting in the role in January of 2007, and more recent years have included the complicated task of successfully navigating a global pandemic. Thursday marked, in Partridge’s words, the end of a journey that’s been thousands of days in the making.

“… Each one of you has been part of a 6,006-day walk through public health in my time here at the health department,” Partridge told a room full of City of Lawrence and Douglas County leaders, health department colleagues and friends and family gathered to celebrate his retirement.

Partridge’s message to the community at that reception was to continue creating “ripples in a pond” that will become waves and lead to more strides in the county’s efforts to advance public health.

The current chair of the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Board, Erika Dvorske, lauded Partridge for doing just that himself. Dvorske said she remembered Partridge early on in his time with the health department wanted to pursue creating a community health plan. In the years since then, the health department’s achieved that goal multiple times over.

Others like LMH Health CEO Russ Johnson and the Rev. Verdell Taylor, a former Lawrence-Douglas County Health Board chair, recognized Partridge for his role in helping the county navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Outgoing Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health director Dan Partridge and the Rev. Verdell Taylor, a member of the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Board, embrace during Partridge’s retirement reception.

“Taking the health department through the pandemic with this community has been exemplary,” Johnson said in a pre-recorded video shown at the reception. “I think in many ways, Lawrence will be seen as one of the best communities that handled this difficult pandemic, and that was under your leadership.”

Another health board member, Shanda Hurla, highlighted Partridge’s desire to build connections.

“I’m grateful for Dan and his service to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health,” Hurla said. “I’m grateful for his perspective, his vision, his leadership and his intentional nudges that advance health for all.”

As the Journal-World reported, Jonathan Smith was tabbed as the health department’s next permanent director and will start in the role July 26. Between now and then, Sonia Jordan, the health department’s director of informatics, will serve as interim director starting Friday.