Dr. Travis Gayles, Montgomery County’s health officer, said in an email to county officials that he has decided to resign effective Sept. 12.

Gayles has been the county’s public face of the COVID pandemic for the past 18 months and has worked for the county’s health department for the last four years. He said in an email, sent around 3 a.m. last Wednesday to County Executive Marc Elrich and councilmembers, that he has “enjoyed the opportunity to serve the residents of Montgomery County.” DCist/WAMU obtained a copy of the email from the county’s health department.

“It has been an honor to work alongside you all and provide health related guidance across a host of important issues. Thank you for creating a space for science to be heard and embraced, and for advocating for equitable access to improved health outcomes for all of our residents,” Gayles wrote.

Gayles said at a press conference on Wednesday, a week after his initial announcement, that he was leaving the county for another job.

While Gayles declined to share where his next position will be he says it “leverages his interests and passions many of which we have put forward in our COVID response and the work we’ve been doing in the county.”

“One you find out what it is and once it’s made public, it will make perfect sense,” Gayles said. “It’s entirely consistent with what I hope to have conveyed in terms of my mission in my professional career which is to improve access for all folks, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”

In a statement via Twitter, Elrich thanked Gayles for his guidance, expertise, and professionalism during his tenure and especially over the last 18 months. At a press conference last week, Elrich added that Gayles would go down as one of the most important people in the county’s history.

“His service to the resident of Montgomery County has been exemplary and we are a healthier and safer county thanks to his work. Throughout this pandemic, Dr. Gayles has been a voice of reassurance and reason that our residents have counted on during the worst public health event in modern American history. I have relied on him because I trusted his decisions would be guided by science, not politics,” Elrich wrote.

Elrich speculates that Gayles, who was jointly hired by the governor’s office and county officials, “has gone through hell in the last 18 months.”

“First he’s had to fight with his boss, who’s the governor. He advocated for policies that were often opposed to what the governor was advocating…To be at odds with your boss in a high-profile situation for 18 months is probably a very difficult thing to do,” Elrich told reporters. “He absorbed the torrent of hate and vitriol…including receiving threats on his safety, racist and homophobic emails, and social media attacks.”

Elrich added he will immediately work with health director Dr. Raymond Crowel and Maryland Department of Health officials to fill the health officer position.

This is the second high-ranking official to depart the county government this summer. Caroline Sturgis, the former assistant chief administrative officer, resigned last month to become the budget director for the City of Port St. Lucie in Florida.

This story was updated to add details and comments from the Wednesday press conference with Elrich.