Sarmiento Rangel brings institutional knowledge to Hidalgo County health post

Darien Sarmiento Rangel

When Dairen Sarmiento Rangel began her new role as the director of the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Department earlier this month, she wasn’t the new kid on the block.

Yes, Sarmiento Rangel stepped into some big shoes that were previously filled by her predecessor, Eddie Olivarez, a staple in Hidalgo County health for 22 years who helped see the county through the COVID-19 pandemic before retiring as the chief administrative officer in October.

But while it’s safe to say those circumstances can be nerve-racking for anyone facing such a transition, Sarmiento Rangel has already served as the assistant director of the department for four years in addition to previously working as the human services division manager for 14 years, from February 2007 to January 2021.

Her former duties in the county clerk’s, county budget and county judge’s offices also indicate a wealth of institutional knowledge Sarmiento Rangel brings to the position.

While she has been working with the county for some time now, she was modest in her reaction, which had been penned in a county news release.

“I am deeply honored by the trust placed in me by the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court to lead our Health and Human Services Department,” Sarmiento Rangel said in a statement. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to county Judge Richard Cortez and our county commissioners for entrusting me with this role and supporting our vision for quality and accessible public health in Hidalgo County.”

County officials referred to her appointment as the marking of a “new chapter” in the department that aims to “protect and improve public health for all residents.”

“I would also like to express my gratitude to Mr. Eddie Olivarez, whose leadership over the past 22 years has left a lasting legacy. I am inspired by his commitment to public health and wish him a well-deserved, fulfilling retirement,” she added.

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