Medford Mayor's Chief Of Staff Leaving City Administration

MEDFORD, MA — Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn's chief of staff David Rodrigues is leaving for a job at the New England Aquarium.

Rodrigues will serve as the aquarium's associate vice president of Public Policy and Advocacy, the mayor's office announced.

"Dave has been an exceptional Chief of Staff, and a true friend and advisor throughout my first term as mayor. I will greatly miss his guidance, advice and most importantly, his friendship," Lungo-Koehn said in a statement. "Since the day he started, Dave has tackled every problem with professionalism, integrity and passion. He was a crucial voice in our public health response throughout the pandemic ,and Medford is a better city because of his work. I wish him all the best in his next role and am forever thankful for his service to this community."

Rodrigues assumed the chief of staff and senior advisor role immediately following the 2020 inauguration.

Lungo-Koehn said he was instrumental in advancing many of her goals, including the creation of a Capital Improvement Plan, overhauling the city's budget in favor of a more transparent and accountable document, negotiating a Tax Increment Financing agreement with Monogram Foods to bring $40 million in improvements to Medford, implementing public health policies and emergency orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing on new staff roles such as an economic development director and a professional office of human resources, and leading the city's intergovernmental affairs and advocacy.

"I am grateful to Mayor Lungo-Koehn for the chance to have been part of the extraordinary work that has taken place over the last two years. It was a difficult decision to move to a new opportunity. I have been and always will be honored to be a part of this amazing team," Rodrigues said. "It is very rare to find a leader and a boss like Mayor Lungo-Koehn, and I consider myself lucky to have been a member of her staff, especially as she guided the City through the most challenging period of its history. I look to the future with excitement as I join the external relations team at the New England Aquarium and being part of the important work being done at a beloved and iconic institution."

The mayor has appointed Nina Nazarian her interim chief of staff.

Nazarian joined the administration in September 2020 in the Office of Procurement, acting as project manager for complex projects and procurements for the city. Before coming to Medford, she served as town administrator for Littleton and Princeton, Massachusetts.

"I'm honored and excited to step into this role for Mayor Lungo-Koehn," Nazarian said in a statement. "Her vision for this city is inspiring, and she has made great strides over the last 20 months. It has been a wonderful experience getting to work with so many city departments and staff over the last year, and I am eager to continue all of that work and so much more as interim chief of staff."

Nazarian has been instrumental in securing grants and managing projects, such as renovation and restoration of the city's fire department facilities, and in the development of new procurement policies to guide city staff, the mayor's office said.

"Nina has been an incredible addition to our team and has led the charge on several of our high-level projects over the last year," Lungo-Koehn said. "I’m excited that Nina has agreed to join my senior staff in the mayor's office; particularly with her administrative experience in Littleton and Princeton she will be an incredible partner and resource for the community. Her breadth of experience in local governments, both as an engineer and town administrator, will help her acclimate quickly to her new role and bring a different view to City policy."