Zaborac Retires from County Health Department

After a 38-year career in public health, including 20 years of service to Clay County Public Health Center, Director of Public Health Gary E. Zaborac has announced his retirement at the end of 2023. Zaborac’s twenty years of service as health director mark the longest term of service by any health director in CCPHC’s 70-year history.

Clay County Public Health Center, Director of Public Health Gary E. Zaborac

When Zaborac was appointed director by the Board of Trustees in 2004, he was immediately tasked with moving the department into an updated and more efficient building. The new, and current, building at 800 Haines Drive in Liberty opened in 2007. Other milestones for CCPHC during Zaborac’s tenure include becoming one of the first 100 accredited health departments in the nation in 2015, being a key part of the founding of the Northland Health Alliance, and most recently, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine administration.

“Gary is an influential and collaborative leader who has made numerous contributions to public health during his expansive career. He has led with grace through numerous challenges,” said Kathy Ellermeier, chairperson of the CCPHC Board of Trustees. “Gary is leaving lasting and indelible fingerprints on the public health system and he will be greatly missed.”

Zaborac graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in microbiology, but as his career pivoted into public health, he also earned his master’s in health services administration from the University of St. Francis. His first role in public health was as an environmental health sanitarian at Peoria City/County Health Department doing restaurant inspections, private sewage disposal systems, private water wells, lead abatement program, and rodent control. However, his desire to make an impact on a larger policy and systems level led Zaborac to later become health director at two local public health departments in Illinois before eventually landing in Clay County, Missouri.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to serve the people of Clay County as the Director of Public Health at Clay County Public Health Center for the last 20 years,” said Zaborac. “My family and I remain extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

 Zaborac will continue serving in his role through December 31, 2023. A celebration of Director Zaborac’s career will take place at Clay County Public Health Center on Thursday, Dec. 14 from 4-5:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.