DATE: November 18, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Confirm Appointment of the Director of the Department of Public Health
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Confirm appointment of Humero ‘Joe’ Prado, effective November 24, 2025, to the position of Director of the Department of Public Health pursuant to Fresno County Charter Section 16.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will confirm Humero ‘Joe’ Prado as the Director of the Department of Public Health. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose not to confirm the appointment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Sufficient funding is included within the Department of Public Health’s Org 5620 FY 20225-26 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to Section 16 of the Fresno County Charter, with your Board’s approval of the recommended action, the appointment of Joe Prado to the position of Director of the Department of Public Health by the County Administrative Officer will be confirmed.
Joe Prado, who has been serving as the Interim Director since August 2025, has been chosen as the most qualified candidate for this pivotal role in Fresno County. His selection is a testament to his extensive experience and the esteemed reputation he has built over 20 years of dedicated service within the Department of Public Health.
Mr. Prado's journey began at Fresno State, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He launched his career with the Department of Behavioral Health in 1997 as a Community Mental Health Specialist. In this role, he provided crucial case management services to jail inmates, ensuring their appropriate discharge into mental health care, conducted studies on jail recidivism rates to evaluate program effectiveness, and offered case management to children and families across both rural and urban areas of the County.
Throughout his remarkable 28-year career with the County, Mr. Prado has held various public service roles, including Staff Analyst, Senior Staff Analyst, Senior Administrative Analyst, Principal Staff Analyst, Division Manager, and currently, Assistant Director of Public Health. His unwavering commitment and proven leadership make him the ideal choice to lead the Department of Public Health.
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander