Joni Reynolds is the Director of Health and Human Services for Gunnison County, Colorado. In early March 2020, Joni was appointed as the primary Incident Commander for the County’s COVID-19 response. By guiding the team with a steady hand, she has led an incredibly successful response to this wide-ranging and evolving emergency.
Joni’s vast knowledge and experience in managing public health challenges were instrumental for the county’s COVID response. She enlisted a team of experts to assist in the management of this challenging emergency. Joni actively listened to all points of view and was comfortable synthesizing that input into timely and decisive action plans. She was wise enough to study and rely on the best available science and evidence to inform her choices. As information evolved, Joni was excellent at changing strategy based on analytical evidence.
Joni orchestrated a strategy that focused on keeping nursing homes and schools safe, using hospital resources appropriately, mobilizing volunteers to help meet staffing shortfalls, and reducing the spread of COVID in high tourist areas. She prioritized clear and transparent communication with the public to help them understand the complex situation, the rationale behind new guidelines, and to encourage compliance to protect public health. Gunnison county’s response was so successful that it was replicated in other parts of the state. The Governor’s Advisory Committee for COVID-19 invited Joni to join their team.
Joni was not afraid to enforce difficult decisions when she knew they were in the community’s best interest. She gracefully rose above criticism and even death threats with calm determination. The results of her leadership have been impressive. Early on during the crisis, skiers and tourists brought COVID-19 to Gunnison County, making it one of Colorado’s first areas to suffer a large outbreak. The county had among the highest per capita COVID case counts in the country at one point, but with rapid response and decisive actions under Joni’s leadership, Gunnison County managed to reduce the case count significantly.
Joni and her team have settled into the long-term challenge of keeping the virus at bay while carefully walking the line between opening the economy up and keeping the public safe. During this tremendously difficult time, Joni keeps her team focused on the big picture and the priorities that provide the most good for the most people in the county.
