Sabrina Novak, who became interim administrator for the Hamilton County Health Department in September, has officially taken over as Hamilton County's top public health official, according to a Tuesday news release from the department.
Novak replaces veteran administrator Becky Barnes, who retired this fall after a 41-year career at the department. Novak has been with the health department for more than 15 years as an environmental scientist, emergency response coordinator and director of administrative services, according to the release.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sabrina has been serving as logistics chief, responsible for planning, coordinating and overseeing the community mass testing and vaccination sites. She has been working with community partners to ensure they have personal protective equipment, testing kits, vaccines and other resources for pandemic response," the release states.
Novak was recently appointed by Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger with approval from the county commission.
Novak's appointment comes as the Tennessee General Assembly tries to change the law around how county health department leaders are chosen. Coppinger said the decision to name Novak administrator came before those bills were finalized.
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"I had the opportunity to work real closely with Sabrina over the past year-and-a-half, and it became clear to me that she was the best fit for that position," Coppinger said. "I really look forward to great things that she'll do there. She's been an integral part throughout this pandemic."
Before joining the health department, Novak earned her master's degree in environmental science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2004 and worked for the Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute.
"I love the work of public health and what it stands for, which is to serve the community while focusing on the overall wellbeing of its citizens," Novak said in the release.
Contact Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @ecfite.