After 22 years, Hidalgo County Health & Human Services Chief Administrative Officer Eduardo “Eddie” Olivarez announced his plans to retire, according to a Wednesday news release from the county.

Olivarez’s retirement will be effective October 31, 2024.

“My wife and I have decided that it’s time to enter a new chapter in our lives,” Olivarez said in a statement.

Olivarez, 63, was at the forefront of the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release stated.

According to the release, Olivarez was responsible for the implementation of various public health and human services programs in the county. Olivarez also oversaw the construction of an $8 million Biosafety Level 3 Public Health Laboratory, which opened in April.

“I worked with Eddie closely throughout the pandemic and saw firsthand his commitment to the community,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez stated in the news release. “He will be missed.”

Olivarez also led a private non-profit drug treatment and prevention organization that provides services across the Rio Grande Valley.