Suzanne “Suzy” Jed, RN, MSN, has been hired as the new SLO County Director of Public Health. Submitted photo
The County Supervisors have selected a new director of public health, filling the shoes of the former director who guided SLO County through the Coronavirus Pandemic years before retiring earlier this year.
County Executive Officer, Matthew Pontes, asked Supervisors to approve an employment contract for “Suzanne [Suzy] Jed, RN, MSN, to serve as the County of San Luis Obispo’s Director of Public Health, effective Aug. 2.”
Jed replaces the retired Dr. Penny Borenstein, who announced her retirement last March after 18 years, and whose last day was July 3.
But Jed comes in to fill a new position after the County shuffled around the titles and responsibilities under the Health Department’s umbrella.
As the search for Borenstein’s replacement got started the County was busy “restructuring the Health Agency that established the Department of Public Health as a standalone department effective July 1, 2026,” Pontes said.
That meant restructuring the leadership of the Health Department as well. “The former Public Health Administrator/Health Officer position,” Pontes said, “was retitled as Director of Public Health to reflect its responsibility as the department head with operational, fiscal, and administrative oversight of the Department. Under the new organizational structure, the Director of Public Health reports directly to the County Chief Executive Officer [Pontes], while the County Health Officer continues to perform the statutory public health authority functions required under County ordinance and state law.”
Under this new structure, hiring a new public health director fell to CEO Pontes, instead of the health department director.
Jed has a lot of experience both in the U.S. and abroad. Pontes said, “Suzy brings more than 20-years of executive-level public health leadership experience to the County of San Luis Obispo, with a demonstrated record of managing large scale global health programs, strengthening health systems, and driving organizational transformation.
“Throughout her career, she has led complex, multi stakeholder initiatives across the United States, Africa, Latin America, and Asia, with expertise spanning infectious diseases, maternal and child health, emergency preparedness, workforce development, and strategic program management.”
Much of her experience was working for the Federal Government and the much-maligned “U.S. Agency for International Development” or USAID in the Dominican Republic where she managed a budget of over $20 million a year.
“A family nurse practitioner by training,” Pontes said, “Suzy began her career as a National Health Service Corps Scholar at a rural Federally Qualified Health Center, later transitioning into clinical management of Infectious Diseases.
“She has held leadership and consulting roles with the USAID, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the University of Washington, the University of Southern California, the University of Nevada Reno, the World Health Organization, and other international health organizations. She is a graduate of Wheaton College, IL (BS) and Vanderbilt University (MSN).”
Of note, Jed “served as the president’s emergency plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) country coordinator in South Africa, providing executive leadership for a 5-year, $2.2 billion HIV and tuberculosis program that served more than 5.7 million people.”
Jed said, “My family and I are elated to join the incredible community of San Luis Obispo County. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute my experience and expertise to continue and enhance the strong work of the public health department in close collaboration with community partners to promote and protect the health and wellbeing of individuals in San Luis Obispo County.”
Dist. 4 Supervisor and Board Chairman, Jimmy Paulding said, “We’re pleased to welcome Suzy Jed to San Luis Obispo County and are confident that her impressive experience leading public health initiatives will help strengthen our ability to protect the well-being of our residents, prepare for future challenges, and build healthier communities throughout our county.”
CEO Pontes said, “Suzy’s extensive public health leadership experience, combined with her collaborative approach and commitment to improving community health, make her exceptionally well-suited to lead our Department of Public Health.
According to Pontes’ report to Supervisors Jed will start at Step 6 in the salary range for her position (from $206,606 to $276,910 a year), so her beginning salary is some $263,000 a year, “with an estimated benefits package of $176,964. The total compensation package is approximately $440,687.”
