Ron Arias, Director of the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, has announced his retirement, effective December of this year.
Arias has held the position for the last 12 years, prior to which he was the Manager of the Public Health Bureau for ten years. During his time as Director of the Health Department, Arias oversaw the establishment of the Miller Family Health Education Center, the Long Beach Community Health Councils and the City’s no-smoking-in-parks-and-recreation-areas ordinance.
The longtime Long Beach resident—whose wife is a professor at Long Beach City College—is retiring after a 40-plus year career in public health. Since the 1970s, Arias has worked for the Community Health Foundation of Los Angeles, the Health Systems Agency for Los Angeles County and the American Lung Association before coming to the City of Long Beach.
He will continue to serve as director until the end of the year, during which time the City will put in a place a transition plan for his replacement.
“Ron will be terribly missed,” said City Manager Patrick H. West in a statement. “His passion for the community and his commitment to the health profession is unmatched, and we have been lucky to have such a committed health professional as our Director.”