Parson taps longtime veteran to lead Missouri health department
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson tapped a 22-year veteran of the Department of Health and Senior Services to lead the department Tuesday.
Paula Nickelson will replace Richard Moore as acting head of the department. Moore became acting head last month after the resignation of former director Donald Kauerauf.
Kauerauf resigned last month after protests from people angry about his support for coronavirus vaccines. He was forced to leave office after a Senate committee refused to advance his nomination. The department's general counsel, Richard Moore, has been acting director since Kauerauf resigned.
The rejection drew blowback from Parson, putting him at odds with some conservative members of the Senate, including Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove.
"Today, we are excited to announce Paula Nickelson as the new DHSS Acting Director," Parson said in a news release. "Paula was a key player in Missouri's COVID-19 response efforts and has been a valued member at DHSS for more than 22 years. We are confident in her abilities and proud to welcome her to our Cabinet as we move forward from the COVID pandemic and prepare for what comes next in public health."
Nickelson has worked in maternal-child health, chronic disease prevention and emergency preparedness and response while with the health department, according to the news release. She was involved in Missouri's response to the H1N1 flu and to the 9/11 terror attacks, Parson's office said.
"We will be focusing on the state’s leading causes of morbidity and mortality; prioritizing health equity; and ensuring updated data systems, performance management, and operational excellence tools are in place so we can serve Missourians in the best ways possible,” Nickelson said in a prepared statement.
Nickelson earned a bachelor of science in psychology from the University of Central Missouri and a master of education in counseling psychology at the University of Missouri.
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