KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Assistant Johnson County Manager Joe Connor announced he will retire Dec. 20 after nearly 40 years of public service in Wyandotte and Johnson counties.
Connor worked as the assistant county manager in Johnson County for almost five years after spending more than three decades working in Wyandotte County.
Among the jobs he held in Wyandotte County were director of public health and assistant county manager, according to a news release from Johnson County's Public Affairs and Communications Department.
“I have greatly appreciated Joe’s focus on building relationships within and outside the organization, his depth of understanding about how county governments operate and his commitment to serve the community,” Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson stated in the news release.
With his experience leading a public health department, Connor was valuable in the efforts to develop policies in Johnson County during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connor led a team that quickly opened a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.
The county's director of the Department of Health and Environment praised Connor as a pivotal piece in the COVID-19 response for Johnson County and the region.
“His steady leadership, relationships with Johnson County staff and partners throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and collaborative nature were key to the many successes we had in an otherwise devastating pandemic,” Hunt stated in the release. “Our community is undoubtedly better off thanks to Joe and his efforts.”
The county is conducting a national search for Connor's replacement.
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