Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County's top health leader retiring

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Santa Clara County’s top public health official, who led the county’s proactive COVID response, announced her retirement Tuesday.

Santa Clara County Public Health Director Dr. Sara Cody will retire in April after 12 years in the position and more than 25 years in public health.

‘Time to pass the baton’

What they're saying:

"Serving the community in this role has been an extraordinary privilege, and I am grateful for the support and guidance I’ve received along the way, from community members, staff, and county leaders," Cody said in a statement."Now is the right time to pass the baton to the next set of public health leaders."

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Among the first to sound the alarm 

What we know:

Cody was at the helm of the county’s response to COVID and initiated the nation’s first stay-at-home order after Santa Clara County recorded the country’s first deaths from the virus. Neighboring Bay Area counties soon followed.

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee praised Cody’s leadership.

"She fearlessly led us through the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic with facts, data, and transparency, earning the trust of community and saving thousands of lives," Lee said.

Cody joined the Santa Clara County Public Health Department in 1998 as the communicable disease controller and deputy health officer, overseeing investigations of reportable diseases and outbreaks, planning for public health emergencies, and responding to SARS. She was promoted to county health officer in 2013 and became the department’s director in 2015.