Washington, DC, August 22, 2023 – The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments, has elected Damōn Chaplin, Health Commissioner for the Minneapolis Health Department, Vice President of its Board of Directors. Chaplin assumed the role of board Vice President on July 1, 2023. Following his service as Vice President, he will become Board President-Elect on July 1, 2024.
“It is a great honor to be elected by my peers to serve as Vice President for the NACCHO Board of Directors,” said Commissioner Chaplin. “I look forward to ensuring a healthy and robust future for the National Association of County and City Health Officials.”
“We are delighted that local health department leaders across the country have elected Mr. Chaplin to serve as NACCHO’s Vice President. Mr. Chaplin’s dedication to local public health and to NACCHO during his tenure on the Board is notable,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, NACCHO Chief Executive Officer. “We welcome him as a new Officer of the Board and look forward to his continued strong leadership.”
About Damōn Chaplin
Damōn Chaplin serves as the Health Commissioner for the Minneapolis Health Department in Minnesota. He arrived in Minneapolis in March of 2023. He has an interest in improving the mental health and wellbeing of community members, especially youth and their families, and he is particularly focused on addressing the opioid crisis, the unsheltered population, and racial equity.
Prior to coming to Minneapolis, Chaplin served as the Health Director for the city of New Bedford Health Department in New Bedford Massachusetts (2018-2023) and Director of Local Public Health Initiatives with the Office of Local and Regional Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2016-2018).
In his role as the Director of Local Public Health Initiatives with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, he provided statewide leadership and direction to local health departments interested in applying for accreditation and forming public health districts using a shared service model for improving health equity and strengthening workforce development. He was also the founding director and manager of the Massachusetts Large Cities Coalition (MLCC). The MLCC coalition consists of the state’s 14 largest cities (cities with populations of 70, 000 or greater), ranging from Framingham, with a population of approximately 70,000, to Boston with a population of more than 650,000.
In his former role as Metro-Boston Regional Director with the MDPH, Chaplin provided overall statewide leadership and oversight of the Metro Boston Region where he represented:
- Six Community Health Network Alliances (CHNA’s)
- Approximately 65 cities and towns
- A regional health office composed of seven bureaus, 10 programs and approximately 59 staff members of whom he provided indirect supervision and guidance.
In this role, Chaplin also oversaw the direct management and performance of the Donovan Health Building, including facilities management, fiscal management and overall building operations. Under his leadership, Chaplin and his team strengthened and supported local public health within the commonwealth of Massachusetts by providing a coordinated system of programs and services to the local boards of health, community coalitions, universities, and hospitals.
Before that, Chaplin served as the Program Manager and Senior Program Coordinator for The Boston Public Health Commission, Division of Healthy Homes and Community Supports and The Office of Environmental Health.
Chaplin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Central State University and his Master’s in Business Administration from Curry College.
About NACCHO’s Board of Directors
NACCHO is governed by a 22-member board comprising local and tribal health officials who are elected by their peers, as well as one ex-officio member representing partner organizations.
As the governing body, NACCHO’s Board of Directors establishes the association’s strategic direction and initiatives, sets the annual legislative agenda, approves official policy statements, ensures that annual goals are met, and provides financial oversight. The Board is NACCHO’s public face and represents members in matters of policy, public health practice, and collaboration with health partners in the public and private sectors.
NACCHO’s Board is led by four executive officers. In addition to Chaplin, this includes:
- President, Board of Directors, Pramōd Dwivedī, DrPH, Health Director of Linn County Public Health in Cedar Rapids, IA
- President-Elect, Michael Kilkenny, MD, MS, CEO and Health Officer for the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, President-Elect
- Immediate-Past President Margaret (Margy) Jahn, Director, Freehold Area Health Department, Freehold, NJ
###
About the City of Minneapolis Health Department
The City of Minneapolis Health Department provides a wide range of services designed to improve the quality of life for all of Minneapolis residents and those who visit our city. With the support of more than 150 employees operating five divisions and a budget of nearly $15 million, the Health Department works with and through our community partners to improve public health. The department develops and administers programs, recommends policies, promotes health equity and healthy behaviors, and prevents disease outbreaks and injuries.
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
