Governor's Office sees open cabinet positions, backlog in board vacancies as legislative session nears

Prominent board vacancies have been open months; no appointments made since last summer

Joan Adam, the former Secretary of Health, retired Monday, creating another high-profile vacancy in the governor’s cabinet.

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The abrupt departure of Health Department Secretary Joan Adam on Monday leaves three of the largest cabinet posts in state government in search of new leadership. While Adam’s departure was announced as a retirement, it came after The Daily Signal, a conservative news organization, reported that the Health Department signed a $136,000 contract with the Sioux Falls-based Transformation Project, a transgender support group.

Dakota News Now reported Adam and Gov. Kristi Noem had a “frank conversation” Saturday night.

Regardless of the reasons behind Adam’s departure, it leaves a void of leadership at the Department of Health, which led the state through the COVID-19 pandemic. The search is also on for new secretaries for the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services.

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