Citing a lack of faith from the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors, the county health director announced she will be resigning in the middle of January to take a state position.
Asante Shipp-Hilts, who came to the Department of Health in May 2011 and became the director a year later, informed members of her staff Thursday that she would be leaving the county in mid-January to become the officer of public health practice for the New York State Department of Health.
Ms. Shipp-Hilts cited actions by the county Board of Supervisors as the impetus for her decision.
A motion was made, but not acted upon, to ask Ms. Shipp-Hilts for her resignation after the report on alleged harassment and intimidation in the county workplace was released.
"I thought it was totally unfair," she said Friday afternoon.
The "deferential" treatment and lack of appreciation by supervisors "led me to make the decision to go somewhere else."
It was not a decision she made lightly, she added.
"I'm saddened to go."
She said she wanted to stay "but not at the expense of this mistreatment toward myself."
She did appreciate the support from the Board of Health.
"I haven't seen the same from the Board of Supervisors," Ms. Shipp-Hilts added.
She said she informed members of the Board of Health first about her decision to leave.
At the November 15 meeting of the county board, Board of Health members Betsy Bernocco and Dr. Joseph Luz responded to the motion that asked Ms. Shipp-Hilts for her resignation.
Members of the board of health held a special meeting earlier this month and made a motion expressing their total confidence in the integrity of Ms. Shipp-Hilts and reaffirmed their support for her.
Ms. Bernocco told supervisors that the Board of Health is in charge of hiring and firing the director. Supervisors would have to deliver their charges against the director and the BOH would have to hold a public hearing before taking any action.
At their November meeting, supervisors held a half hour executive session to discuss the matter. No action was taken after the closed-door session.