23 Years After Public Health Start, Hardy Seeks New Health Horizons

It is with pride and a clear sense of satisfaction that Silver Thread Public Health Director Tara Branch Hardy reflects on her remarkable multi-decade career with public health in Hinsdale County.
Then Tara Branch and predating her marriage to Darren Hardy, she was first employed as Build a Generation Coordinator in 2002 by county health department founder Helen Brown.
With several brief intermissions when she worked elsewhere, Tara Hardy has overseen the amalgamation of both the Hinsdale and Mineral County public health departments and the creation in 2016 of the two-county Silver Thread Public Health District with offices and staffing in both Lake City and Creede.
As the first and only Director of Silver Thread Public Health District since the district’s creation, her announced resignation effective next Friday, January 31, creates a void which will be challenging to fill.
In her resignation letter dated January 2 and addressed to the Silver Thread Public Health District oversight board — full text page 2 this week’s issue — Hardy expresses gratitude to the eight-member board for its “support and dedication,” thanking board members for their “commitment to our communities and for allowing me to grow personally and professionally.”

Hardy is also effusive in her praise for staff in both the Lake City and Creede public health offices who she describes as “amazing.” Common traits of each member of the public health team, she says, are “dedication, passion, and professionalism… they go above and beyond to serve our communities.”
Hardy’s plans for the future are to remain in Lake City, working remotely from home as she accepts the position of Senior Director of Programs for Denver-based Trailhead Institute. As explained by Hardy, Trailhead works to support local public health departments and assists with public health initiatives statewide.
Examples of the Trailhead programs which Hardy will oversee include Administrative Partnerships, Regional Health Connectors, Workforce Programs and Initiatives, Youth Sexual Health, Firearm-Related Harm Prevention, and Colorado Cancer Coalition.
Hardy’s husband is Darren Hardy who has worked as Facilities Manager for Hinsdale County School District since 2019; they are the parents of two children, Lake City Community School Freshman Morgan Hardy, 15, and 12-year-old Caleb Hardy who is a 7th Grade student in the local school.

In addition to her work with Silver Thread Public Health District, Hardy is presently vice-chair and has at different times held the position of chairman and secretary/treasurer during her 18-year tenure as a member of Hinsdale County School Board.
Silver Thread Public Health’s 2025 budget stands at $918,574, the majority of which — 76.3 percent or $701,264 — is derived from grants and contracts, with 4.3 percent ($39,400) from donations and fees, and taxpayers contributing just 19.4 percent ($177,910) which in new year 2025 is based on $107,025 from Mineral County and $70,885 from Hinsdale County.
Public health staff in Lake City consists of Public Health Nurse Shawna Shidler who doubles as Administrative Assistant to Hardy, Tara Anderson as Youth & Community Engagement Specialist, Kristen Hartje Carson heads Emergency Preparedness, and Brooke Jones, newest member of the Lake City team, is Senior Coordinator/Health Educator.

The story continues on page 2 of the Lake City Silver World………