Tressa Setlak serves as the Director of the Division of Preparedness and Response for the St. Mary’s County Health Department. In this role, she leads the agency’s public health emergency preparedness, the local public health corps coordination, and the pandemic historian.

Setlak joined the agency in March 2022 after serving as the public safety director for St. Mary’s College. Prior to that, her career history includes 20 years as a police officer and police chief in Pennsylvania and 15 years as a public safety director in higher education. Setlak is also an assistant professor with the University of Maryland Global Campus and a member of the St. Mary’s County Library Board of Trustees. She holds a BS from York College of PA, an MS from the University of Cincinnati, and an MPA from the Pennsylvania State University. She resides in St. Mary’s County with her wife, dog, and cat.