Five people, including all three incumbents, are contending for three seats on the Jefferson County Health Department’s Board of Directors in the April 2 election.
Incumbents seeking new four-year terms are: Timothy J. Pigg, who is trying for his fourth term; John M. Scullin, a third term, and Dennis M. Diehl, a second term. They are joined in the race by newcomers James Prater and Marc Williams.
Scullin did not return a Leader candidate questionnaire.
Board members are not paid but are given mileage to attend meetings.
PIGG, 56, lives at 2011 Gatewood, Festus. He and his wife, Margaret “Margo,” have two children. He is the director of parks and recreation for Jefferson County. He received a master’s degree in business administration from Missouri Baptist University in 2014.
Pigg served two terms on the Herculaneum Board of Aldermen from 1999 to 2003, was a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee of Jefferson County from 1994 to 2000 and the St. Louis Regional Response System and Metropolitan Medical Response System from 1999-2008.
PRATER, 41, lives at 3916 Oak Crest Drive, in Barnhart. He and his wife, Elizabeth Prater, have two children. He is a virtual chief information officer for Throttlenet, Inc. He is a 1996 graduate of Northwest High School and has an associate’s degree in network engineering from St. Louis Community College.
He has been chairman of the Carson Hill Cemetery board and treasurer for Jeffco Now.
WILLIAMS, 19, lives at 73 North Lake Drive, Hillsboro. He is a dog dryer at Messy Tessy’s pet grooming salon in Hillsboro. He attended Jefferson College before switching colleges.
He lists his experience in student government at Hillsboro High School, in the Boy Scouts and in a successful “lobbying” campaign of the Hillsboro R-3 Board of Education to take action in the aftermath of student suicides.
DIEHL, 69, lives at 31 Hickory Ridge Road, Hillsboro. He and his wife, Linda, have two children and three grandchildren. He is retired after working for 17 years as the director of the Health Department and has worked for 40 years in the public health field. He now works part-time as the executive director of the Missouri Institute for Community Health. He earned a master’s degree in public policy administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1985. He has worked with numerous community organizations, including board memberships with the Jefferson County Community Partnership, the East Central Missouri Area Health Education Center and the Jefferson County Local Emergency Planning Committee.
What are the biggest problems facing the department and how would you address them?
Pigg: Continuing to improve the access to the department’s services through both more locations of programs and improving our online access.
Prater: Meeting the needs of a growing population with the resources available. The Health Department needs to maximize the use of grants as well as state and federal programs to ensure that residents are provided with the best care available. Being able to respond proactively to emerging issues also is a challenge.
Williams: I am campaigning on three big issues:
■ We need to aggressively work to lower the rate of opioid deaths because the county has the second-highest rate of opioid deaths in the state.
■ We need to lower the mosquito population to protect residents from West Nile and Zika.
■ We need to help children who have mental illness to lower the suicide rate in our schools.
Diehl: Public health is population-based, meaning problems in a community are identified by gathering and analyzing data. Historically, issues include high incidence of tobacco use, obesity and lack of physical activity resulting in high rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Currently, opioids and other substance abuse is a problem. Access to care, especially dental care, also is a problem. My priority is that effective education, prevention and treatment programs are available to everyone.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Pigg: Being a part of the health service industry for more than 22 years has afforded me the opportunity to recognize the need to have access to meaningful health care on a regular basis. As a lifelong resident of Jefferson County, I understand the needs of our communities and the importance of having a strong, quality Health Department to provide affordable services. We must continue to be innovative in offering access to services to include a robust online service center, additional physical locations and mobile vans.
Prater: My goals are to combat the epidemic of all forms of drug abuse in the county. This issue affects the individuals themselves, their families and the community as a whole. Mental health also needs to be addressed especially as it relates to youth and the tragedy of suicide. This is a community issue that has impacted far too many people. Lastly, all residents should have access to health care services that are affordable, effective and convenient. I will work to make sure these goals are addressed.
Williams: ■ Lower the rate of opioid deaths.
■ Protect residents from getting diseases from mosquitoes.
■ Lower the rate of suicide in high schools by addressing mental illnesses.
Diehl: During my association with the department, it has done an excellent job of identifying issues and implementing solutions such as the school-based dental van, prescription drug monitoring program and the wellness van. Voters (in April 2016) approved the first increase in the property tax since 1949 and the department has kept promises made by extending office hours, opening an office in High Ridge and establishing many programs. The department is accredited, has an outstanding emergency preparedness program and a dedicated, well-trained staff. My goals are to continue to make this the best local public health agency in Missouri.