Published in the August 13, 2015 edition
NORTH READING — Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto has announced the appointment of Robert Bracey as the town’s new Health Agent/Director of Public Health.
Bracey was chosen as the result of a lengthy search to name a replacement for Health Director Martin Fair, who has retired after 34 years in North Reading. The search initially yielded 12 applicants and Bracey was one of two finalists forwarded to Gilleberto by the Board of Health.
Bracey is presently Director of Public Health for the City of Newburyport and has previously served as Public Health Agent for the Stoneham Board of Health and as a Sanitary/Housing Inspector for the City of Cambridge. He is also currently a contracted restaurant inspector for the North Reading Board of Health. Bracey brings nearly 20 years of municipal government experience, 17 of which have been in the field of inspectional services and public health.
Gilleberto commented the task in trying to replace a 34–year veteran like Fair wasn’t easy but in the end he felt both finalists were well qualified.
“In Mr. Bracey we have a candidate with 20 years of diverse experience and background, including a large city, (Cambridge), A town and another city, Newburyport,” Gilleberto said.
Bracey has all the requisite certifications to discharge the town’s inspections that need to be done as well as manage a large community health program, the T.A. added.
The appointment will allow the Board of Health to realign the department’s resources to reflect Bracey’s skill set and supplement other resources for Title 5 inspections, Gilleberto said. The administrator said he expects to see overall savings in the budget.
North Reading has a good public health program, Gilleberto commented and the appointment will allow the town to expand on that as well as actively upgrade the health of the community in other areas.
Bracey is a Medford resident. His first day on the job in North Reading is Monday, Aug. 31 at a salary of $84,335.
