LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man has been named chief medical officer for Nebraska.

The selection of Dr. Thomas Williams was announced Monday by Gov. Pete Ricketts and Courtney Phillips, who is chief executive officer of the Nebraska Health and Human Services Department. Williams will be replacing Dr. Joseph Acierno, who resigned in May 2015.

Williams is laboratory medical director and chairman of the Pathology Department at Methodist Hospital. He also teaches at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Williams will be director of the state Division of Public Health as well as the state’s chief medical officer. He’s expected to begin his new duties on Nov. 1 and be paid $165,000 a year.