Boston Pub. Health Commission Director, JP Resident to Step Down

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The Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission is stepping down for a new opportunity and will leave her role effective Oct. 3, according to an announcement by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh this week.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer is planning to take on a new role as Chief Strategy Officer with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. She is a resident of Jamaica Plain, according to the Jamaica Plain Gazette.

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve under both Mayor Menino and Mayor Walsh as the Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission,” Ferrer said in a statement. “I am proud of what the BPHC staff, our partners, and the city, have accomplished with and for Boston’s residents. I know that I leave the Commission in a strong position to continue its important work. I am excited take what I have learned here in Boston and translate it into a national and international philanthropic agenda that will help support communities improve education, health and economic security from a multifaceted approach.”

Upon Ferrer’s leaving on Oct. 3, a formal search committee is set to be organized to find the a new person to fill the role. Dr. Huy Nguyen, a medical director for the BPHC, will serve as interim executive director until the role has been filled.

“Barbara Ferrer has been a vital member of our City’s leadership team,” Walsh said in a statement. “She has made countless contributions and has played an instrumental role directing initiatives that have improved every aspect of health in Boston – from decreasing infant mortality rates to improving access to substance abuse treatment. I congratulate Dr. Ferrer on her new role and know that the Kellogg Foundation will benefit from her insight and years of experience.”