UPDATE MARCH 29, 2022:
Pierre resident Joan Adam has been appointed to serve as the South Dakota Secretary of Health, effective immediately (March 29, 2022).
Adam has been serving as Interim Secretary since January.
Adam has served as Division Director for Administration, where she oversaw the SD Public Health Laboratory, Correctional Healthcare Services, the Offices of Vital Records and Health Statistics, and Health Information Technology. Prior to that, she worked as a program administrator in health promotion and disease prevention, including as a Division Director.
Adam says she’s honored Governor Kristi Noem trusts her to lead the Department. She says it’s a privilege to work alongside the state’s dedicated public health professionals and looks forward to continuing the mission of the department which is to protect and improve the health of every South Dakotan.
Adam also a member of the Pierre School Board. She has announced her intention to seek re-election to that position.
Joan and her husband Karl live in Pierre where they have raised their five children. Their family also includes a son-in-law, daughter-in-law and one grandson.
DECEMBER 11, 2021:
South Dakota Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon will be stepping down from her position to join the private sector. Her last day as Secretary will be Jan. 7, 2022.
Secretary Malsam-Rysdon has been the Secretary of the Department of Health since 2015. She previously served as senior advisor to Governor Daugaard, Secretary of the Department of Social Services, Deputy Secretary of Social Services, and Director of the Divisions of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services. Prior to working for the state of South Dakota, Kim worked to help people with disabilities live and work in their communities.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to lead the Department of Health the last seven years, and for Governor Noem’s leadership, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon. “The employees of the Department of Health are some of the best public servants in the state, and I am grateful for their hard work on behalf of people in South Dakota.”
Pierre resident Joan Adam, current Division Director for Administration at DOH, will serve as the Interim Secretary of Health. Joan has worked for the Department for a combined twenty years. She has served as Division Director for Administration since 2010, where she oversees the SD Public Health Laboratory; Correctional Healthcare Services; the Offices of Vital Records and Health Statistics, and Health Information Technology.
Joan and Karl, her husband of 32 years, live in Pierre, SD, where they have raised their five children. Their family also includes a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and one grandson.
Comments