Board member joins health department staff

10/28/2005

The Toledo-Lucas County health department has hired one of its own board members to become director of environmental health at the department.

Alan Ruffell, 54, has served on the health board since 2002. He was manager of landfill operations for Toledo, a post he held since 2000. He replaces Mike Oricko, who in July was named Fulton County health commissioner.

Mr. Ruffell, who lives in Sylvania, was chief of environmental health for the Toledo Health Department for 11 years before it merged with the Lucas County Health Department in 2000.

He will be paid $69,875 annually.

The environmental health department oversees a variety of functions, including restaurant inspections, swimming pool inspections, and disease outbreak investigations.