The Arapahoe County Board of Health is going to expand next year, moving from a five-member board to seven, starting on Jan. 1.

With board members Nancy Sharpe and Nancy Jackson terming out at the end of 2023, the county is accepting applications for four total board seats.

The Board of Health oversees Arapahoe County Public Health, which began operations at the start of 2023 after the Tri-County Health Department dissolved after the pandemic when Douglas County opted out of the partnership.

The foundational Board of Health is currently made of up five members who were appointed with staggered terms.

At a study session on July 31, the Board of Health recommended a board expansion in order to add more diversity to the board.

“We’re the third largest county in the state,” Sharpe, a former county commissioner, said. “We can look for more opportunity to bring people onto the board and have more expertise or diversity in knowledge and expertise on the board.”

On Sept. 12, the commissioners unanimously approved the expansion to seven members.

The members will serve staggered terms, with no more than two elected officials on the board and at least one board member being an elected official with a county perspective.

District 2 Commissioner Jessica Campbell-Swanson thanked the board members, especially Jackson and Sharpe, for laying the groundwork of the board and leading it to its expansion.

“I'm really glad that we're doing that and can create that opportunity for more seats and perspectives at the table for the most diverse county in the state,” she said. “One with rural, urban, (agricultural), suburban areas. I think it's a really positive move and I hope everybody applies.”

Applications for the Board of Health seats are open through Oct. 6. Applications are available online at https://arapahoegov.com/boh.

Applications include several questions and an option to upload a resume, county staff said on Sept. 12. The county will schedule interviews in October and hopes to appoint its new members by the end of the year.

All applicants must be residents of Arapahoe County.

Ideal candidates should possess expertise in public health, environmental health, nonprofits, business, organizational development, health education, medicine, serving on boards, finance, a passion for community engagement or lived experience in public health topics.