In other news, a big change is on the way to your state government.

Eric Friedlander will retire as secretary of the cabinet for Health and Family Services on August 1st.

And the current Commissioner for Public Health, Doctor Stephen Stack, will take over for Friedlander.

Governor Beshear announced the moves during his news conference today, and we heard from both Friedlander and Stack.

With me to the cabinet for Health and Family Services employees, right.

The government employees who've come under a lot of stress.

Right.

Who who who had some of their that you've seen it at the federal level, their jobs denigrated.

Thank you.

It has been an honor to serve you.

Public service is a calling.

Public service means that the people that work for all of government, and particularly I'm biased for the cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Right.

We work to lift people up.

We work to lift individuals and communities when they face challenges.

We work to lift them up.

Our partners, cabinet employees.

We always try to be the light when folks come across challenges.

Let me begin first by thanking Secretary Freeland or Secretary Freeland's had around four decades of service to the people of the Commonwealth.

The overwhelming majority, if not nearly all of them in the cabinet for Health and Family Services.

You couldn't have had someone who had more kindness, more caring and more wisdom in leading the cabinet during particularly difficult times as we face the Covid crisis.

So, Eric, thank you so much.

It's been a wonderful to have you as a boss.

I couldn't have wished for better.

And it's been a privilege to serve with you.

At this point, I'd like to say thank you to all those employees that the Department for Public Health at the state and to all the local health department employees, Kentuckians, we have around 4000 people dedicated to supporting you every day and all sorts of things that we don't often talk about, but which make a tremendous impact in the quality and safety of your lives day in and day out.

The governor says once Doctor Stack is in place as secretary, the two of them will pick a replacement for Stack as Commissioner for Public Health.