PEG SALLADE
Retired Substance Use Prevention Coordinator
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — It’s the end of an era for A Healthy Lynnfield.
Substance Use Prevention Coordinator Peg Sallade retired last week after leading A Healthy Lynnfield since November 2018.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Sallade. “I love my job, the people I work with and the community, so that makes leaving hard. I am also looking forward to being able to enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a good book in the morning without having to rush out of the house.”
Sallade, who lives in Wakefield, said she enjoyed leading A Healthy Lynnfield for the past six years.
“Our program had two overarching goals,” said Sallade. “First was to reduce youth substance use and second was to build a sustainable infrastructure for prevention programming. Happily, we have done both. Fewer kids are drinking, vaping and using marijuana than when we started. There is still room to improve, but we are making an impact.”
Sallade said A Healthy Lynnfield has “developed and maintained a working committee of the town and a supporting 501(c)(3) board that works in tandem to guide and resource the work.”
“Because of it, the work to keep kids substance-free and to assist people in accessing timely resources will continue well beyond my time in Lynnfield,” said Sallade.
Sallade attributed A Healthy Lynnfield’s “growth and success to our coalition members and my staff.”
“So many people have contributed their time, energy and ideas to our work to raise awareness and to help others,” said Sallade. “I’ve been lucky to have excellent staff over the years and great leadership from the town during my tenure in Lynnfield. It also doesn’t hurt to have great relationships and a little fun along the way.”
Sallade said working with Lynnfield youth was “hands down” the best part of serving as substance use prevention coordinator.
“There is nothing more gratifying than to witness how young people continually step up to the opportunities and challenges you present them with,” said Sallade. “They are the real change agents. They are the reason we do the work we do.”
Sallade said she was inspired to work in the substance use and mental health field in college.
“When I was in college, I took a course on alcoholism and attended an AA meeting as part of the course,” said Sallade. “It piqued my interest. Like many, I have people close to me impacted by this disease. It was by chance that my second job was in a treatment agency, where I also learned that people can heal and move forward with their lives.”
After previously working in the corporate health promotion field, Sallade accepted a position at the Center for Addictive Behaviors.
“The position was funded by the Massachusetts Tobacco Control program when cigarette smoking was still allowed in restaurants and public places,” said Sallade. “I worked as a senior prevention specialist and that is where I gained experience in substance use prevention, working with youth and helping communities on the North Shore. I also managed accreditation and quality improvement projects while I was there. I then spent time as an independent consultant and found I was good at start-ups — helping organizations or community groups plan and build a program from the ground up. I managed the North Shore Community Health Network and developed a community grant-making process to support local health initiatives. My work has always centered around convening and coordinating people and organizations to achieve a desired health improvement outcome.”
Sallade thanked A Healthy Lynnfield Chair Phil Crawford, his wife Ellen, Select Board Chair/Think of Michael Foundation Treasurer Dick Dalton and the Dalton family for providing leadership on substance use and mental health issues.
“They have been so instrumental in breaking down barriers and bringing the community together in support,” said Sallade. “I am also grateful to each and every community member that has helped out along the way. There are so many of you!”
Crawford said Sallade joined A Healthy Lynnfield “with a tremendous amount of experience in the field.” He recalled that she previously served as “the director of DanversCARES, a similar drug-free communities partnership for 12 years before she came to Lynnfield.”
“In the past six years, A Healthy Lynnfield grew from a small group of committed residents interested in addressing the opioid crisis to a group of over 100 volunteers working across many committees to bring programs and services to the community,” said Crawford. “Peg has done a tremendous job as our substance use prevention coordinator over the past six years. Her leadership and guidance will be sorely missed and we all wish her the best in her retirement.”
Dalton agreed.
“It has been a pleasure working with Peg for the past six years,” said Dalton. “We are sorry to see her go because she has accomplished so much for A Healthy Lynnfield. My family and I want to wish her the best in retirement.”
Before Sallade retired, Crawford noted that she helped the coalition get two large federal grants.
“A Healthy Lynnfield was recently awarded two new grants to continue our mission,” said Crawford. “The first is the STOP Act Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for $60,000 for four years with a focus on underage drinking/youth alcohol use. The second award just came in for the Drug-Free Communities Grant, which is $125,000 per year for the next five years, which will enable us to fund our program coordinator and hire a new youth coordinator to work with our students and help them thrive.”
Sallade said she will miss working with the community.
“Lynnfield is a wonderful community that has given much support to A Healthy Lynnfield over the past six years,” said Sallade. “The success of the program is directly related to the time and energy of the people of Lynnfield. Our work is community-based and is most impactful when residents are directly involved. I have many people to thank for that.”
Sallade thanked the Lynnfield Villager for “helping us create a public platform for our work.” She also thanked “technical consultants from Thomson Communications and Social Science Research and Evaluation, who have provided a backbone of services to guide our work.”
When asked if Sallade has any advice for new Substance Use Prevention Coordinator Diana DeLeo, she encouraged her successor to “always put the best interest of young people first.”
“It’s for them we do this work,” said Sallade. “Everything else follows.”
Sallade is looking forward to enjoying her free time in retirement.
“I firmly believe that when one chapter closes another one opens,” said Sallade. “I don’t have specific plans other than to travel a bit, spend time with my family and perhaps volunteer.”
