Butler County Board of Health appoints new health commissioner

The Butler County Board of Health appointed Erik Balster as its new health commissioner by a vote at its Oct. 21 meeting.

Balster will replace Michelle Burch, medical director for the Butler County General Health District, who has served as interim health commissioner since Jenny Bailer, the county’s health commissioner since 2016, retired in August.

Leon Simpson, president of the Butler County Board of Health, said the board is excited to bring on Balster.

“We are enthusiastic about starting this next chapter with Erik leading the Health District out of the pandemic,” Simpson said. “Public health officials throughout the state speak high praise for Erik, and we look forward to him bringing his experience to Butler County.”

Balster received his bachelor’s degree in zoology from Ohio State University and his master’s in public health from Wright State University. He has since worked in public health as an epidemiological investigator for the Ohio Department of Health and a registered sanitarian and emergency response coordinator for the Warren County Health Department.

Since 2013, he has served as the Preble County Health Department’s health commissioner. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Balster was elected president of the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners.

Balster shared Simpson’s enthusiasm for joining the Butler County Board of Health. In his position, he hopes to look at how utilizing technology can help public health.

"I am really excited to work with the staff,” Balster said. “As we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m eager to work on modernizing public health with a focus on how technology can better serve the community and improve health outcomes.”

Balster will begin serving as health commissioner on Nov. 29.

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