Emails show Weld County’s top health official decided to retire days after disagreeing with commissioners

Mark Wallace, executive director of the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment announced his intent to retire after commissioners decided to move to “safer-at-work” after Wallace warned against it. Photo by Kelly Ragan.

After Weld County Commissioners announced their plan to move to “safer-at-work” in April, Mark Wallace went to his cabin for the weekend to gather his thoughts. Wallace essentially cut himself off from the world – no television, social media, phone calls or text messages. Wallace, the executive director of the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, had already warned commissioners against the move, which went directly against Gov. Jared Polis’ orders. Weld wasn’t ready to reopen, he told them, given that the county hadn’t yet met any of the guidelines  for reopening. But commissioners went forward anyway.

Mark Wallace

Five days after Wallace advised against reopening, Wallace told commissioners he wanted to retire. He sent the email from the parking lot of a coffee shop, using the WiFi to get the message out before heading back to Greeley. 

“After much thought and personal reflection, aided by sitting on the deck listening to the river in front of our cabin, it’s clear that what’s best for me and my family is to move quickly toward a retirement date from service to Weld County Government,” Wallace wrote in an email to commissioners April 27.

The NoCo Optimist obtained the email, in which Wallace described his escape to his cabin and his intent to retire, via a Colorado Open Records Act request. Wallace did not return the NoCo Optimist’s request to elaborate further.  

On May 8, Weld County announced Wallace’s plan to retire in a news release, days after the NoCo Optimist broke the story about Wallace’s disagreement with commissioners. 

“Mark’s devotion, drive for perfection, and compassion for others have been instrumental in helping the county Health Department attain incredible success,” Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer said in the release. “We wish Mark all the best. We truly appreciate his work for the county, and we respect his desire to now focus on his family, friends and new opportunities down the road.”

Wallace’s career in Weld began in 1995. He served as the county’s public health medical advisor for five years before he took on the role of director of the health department in 2000, according to the release. 

Despite the long tenure, his advice didn’t seem to hold much sway. 

On April 22, Wallace told commissioners Weld hadn’t met the foundational threshold for flat or declining cases for 14 days called for by federal, state and local guidelines. 

“I have serious heartburn looking at our data in Weld County,” Wallace wrote. 

Weld County Commissioner Mike Freeman – who represents northern Weld, including Windsor, Severance and north Greeley – said in an interview April 24 commissioners made the move partly because it seemed the governor was picking winners and losers. 

Freeman said the county wasn’t opening businesses, just like it hadn’t closed any. People were going to open their businesses anyway, he said, and the guidelines the county issued were intended to help people do so as safely as possible. 

But as commissioners gave the county the green light to open, Weld was a COVID-19 hot spot. And it still is. 

It’s seen outbreaks in nursing homes, such as Centennial Healthcare Center and Fairacres Manor, and several large employers, such as JBS, a meat packing plant in Greeley, and Leprino Foods Co. in Fort Morgan.

According to state data, seven JBS employees have died due to COVID-19. Photo by Kelly Ragan.

In an unprecedented move, JBS shut down for several weeks as pressure mounted from the Weld County Department of Health and Environment and the state health department. But the plant reopened April 24.

At least 280 JBS employees have tested positive for the virus, and seven JBS employees have died due to the virus, according to state outbreak data.  

The Colorado National Guard and Colorado State Patrol manned testing sites at Island Grove Regional Park beginning April 24, as the state moved to conduct targeted testing in Greeley. The tests were available to any Weld resident with COVID-19 symptoms – unlike other local sites that require a doctor’s referral.  

State officials were aiming to run 300 samples per day from the event. But they fell short by 529 tests. 

Public health directors outside the county noted Wallace was in a bind. 

Mark Johnson, executive director at Jefferson County Public Health, spoke to MarketWatch about the situation. 

“When (Wallace) told them to move slower, they blew him off,” said Johnson in an interview with MarketWatch. “He was put in an untenable position. He could not do public health.”

Since then, Weld has begun to reopen. 

Under state guidelines, dine-in services still aren’t allowed – yet at least two Weld restaurants have opened their doors for just that. 

Greeley’s own The Charro, 2109 9th St., garnered statewide attention for the Mother’s Day crowd that gathered to eat at the restaurant. 

Grubby’z, 206 Main Ave. in Pierce, also opened its doors.  

Allen Buckendorf, owner of Grubby’z, told The Greeley Tribune they were following the county’s safer-at-work guidelines. 

 The Bar.Ber Shop also opened early. 

Despite the state order, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment hasn’t appeared to take any action against the businesses. 

As it stands, Weld is up to 2,300 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 120 confirmed deaths, according to county data.

Across Colorado, at least 1,062 people have died due to COVID, according to state data.