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Noelle Bair named Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director for Allegan, Barry counties

LANSING, Mich. – Noelle Bair has been selected as director of the Allegan and Barry county offices of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

A 17-year employee of MDHHS, Bair has been child welfare program manager in Allegan and Barry counties since 2016, supervising managers and analysts in several Children’s Services Agency programs. She previously was a child welfare supervisor in Kent and Ionia counties. She began her career in Children's Protective Services in Ionia County, filling the role of investigator and ongoing worker.

Bair and her husband Byron Hoogwerf, an MDHHS Children’s Protective Services supervisor in Kent County, are foster parents and were recently awarded Foster Care Parent Hero of the Month and Foster Care Parent Excellence by Samaritas.

She has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Michigan, where she specialized in social welfare and social institutions and received honors in Social Justice and Advocacy. She earned a master’s degree from Grand Valley State University, where she also serves as adjunct faculty for the Master of Social Work Program.  

Bair replaces Tim Click, who has become director of the In-Home Services Bureau within the MDHHS Children's Services Agency. 

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