LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced a leadership change at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, appointing a new acting director as the current department head prepares to step down.
The leadership change comes as current MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel prepares to leave the position at the end of June. State officials say she is departing voluntarily to spend more time with her family after leading the department through several years of major public health and behavioral health initiatives.
Amy Epkey will serve as acting director beginning July 1, according to the governor’s office. She currently serves as senior deputy director for financial operations at the department, where she helps oversee budgeting, contracts, grants, accounting, and other administrative functions for one of the largest agencies in state government.
Epkey has held multiple roles in Michigan state government, including leadership positions at the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, with experience in budgeting, policy, and administration.
The transition puts a longtime state finance and policy administrator in charge of day-to-day operations at MDHHS, which oversees public health, Medicaid, behavioral health services, and other statewide programs.
