Mayor Sarno and HHS Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris announced today that Ann Marie Kissel, MPH, has been appointed to serve as the new Deputy Public Health Commissioner for the City of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services.
Kissel has an extensive and diverse public health background, previously serving as a Regional Epidemiologist with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council in Boston, MA. She also worked as a Program Manager with Boston University School of Medicine, a Hepatitis C Clinic Assistant at Boston Medical Center, and as an ORISE Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow with the United States Food and Drug Administration. Kissel holds a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University and Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.
Mayor Sarno stated, “It was great to welcome our new Health and Human Services Deputy Public Health Commissioner Ann Marie Kissel. HHS Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris and I are glad to have Ms. Kissel on board. She is highly qualified and brings a wealth of experience in the public health field. Her experience, education and passion to helping the community is commendable and I have no doubts that she will serve our residents and business community with distinction. Public health is always important, but sometimes it is taken for granted. This was never more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic when the realities of health disparities with our underserved populations came to the forefront. Working with HHS Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris and her dedicated team and all of our community partners, my administration will continue to proactively pursue all programs and initiatives to help close the gap in health disparities in our community, including addressing such issues as food insecurities, mental health outreach, community health centers, Climate Action and Resiliency, and preventative healthcare, just to name a few.”
HHS Commissioner Caulton-Harris stated, “I am excited to welcome Ann Marie Kissel to the Department of Health and Human Services. Her administrative, managerial and public health experience, especially collaborating with municipal and regional stakeholders to promote health equity through public health strategies and intervention are very impressive. I have the full confidence in her abilities to serves as Deputy Public Health Commissioner for our city of Springfield.
Deputy Commissioner Ann Marie Kissel said, “First, I want to thank Mayor Sarno and Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris for their confidence in my abilities. I am excited to work alongside Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, the dedicated city team at the Department of Health and Human Services, and all of our community partners, especially our residents. This is a great opportunity to work for my hometown and I believe that my unique experience and background will help me achieve the mission and goals of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services.”
♦
Mayor Sarno and HHS Commissioner Caulton-Harris also announced the selection of Roy Goodman to serve as Elder Affairs Director, following the retirement of Sandy Federico.
Goodman, who currently works as the Director for the City of Springfield 311 Customer Service Call Center, had previously worked as a 311 Customer Service Representative before becoming the Director. He also worked as a Senior Claims Service Specialist with an insurance company and is very active and involved in the community volunteering with a wide variety of initiatives and programs. Goodman holds a Bachelor’s degree from American International College.
Mayor Sarno states, “Roy has done a tremendous job with our 311 Call Center. He optimizes the definition of customer service and his passion serving our community and connecting our residents of all ages with the information and services they may need is commendable. I have the utmost confidence in Roy’s ability to serve as our next Elder Affairs Director as we look to continue to provide quality programs and services for our seniors not only at our flag ship senior center, the Raymond Jordan Senior Center, but also at our neighborhood senior centers too.”
HHS Commissioner Caulton-Harris stated, “During the interview process, Roy’s candidacy for the position of Director of Elder Affairs stood out. His experience as a department head, overseeing our 311 Call Center, and his knowledge of our city of Springfield, including working with all of the different municipal departments, and especially all of our neighborhoods in which we serve, is significant. Mayor Sarno and I have the full confidence in his abilities to lead the Department of Elder Affairs, a division under the Department of Health and Human Services, and continue to provide the essential services, programs and initiatives that our seniors enjoy not only at our Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center but at all of our satellite neighborhood senior centers too.”
Roy Goodman said, “I want to thank Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris and Mayor Sarno for selecting me to serve as the next Director of Elder Affairs. I am truly honored and humbled. I am looking forward to working together with the incredible staff at the Department of Elder Affairs as we continue to strive in providing excellent care, programs and services for our senior population in the city of Springfield.”
♦
In addition, following Roy Goodman’s transition from the 311 Call Center to the Department of Elder Affairs, Mayor Sarno and City Clerk and Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola announced the appointment of Jason Garner as Director of the 311 Call Center.
Garner, currently works as an Accountant with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Youth Services. Previously, he served as a Senior Treasury Analyst and as an Administrative Assistant with the City of Springfield’s Treasury Department, and as an Election Assistant with the City of Springfield’s Election Department. Garner holds a Bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University.
Mayor Sarno states, “It is good to have Jason back with the City of Springfield. He did an excellent job for us in our Treasury and Election Departments, and his customer service skills are commendable, often times going above and beyond to help our constituents. His familiarity with our 311 Call Center and previous call center work experience makes this transition seamless and a natural fit.”
City Clerk Oyola added, “First off, I want to thank Roy for his dedication and service as 311 Call Center Director. He did a tremendous job in a very stressful but vital role, helping to connect our residents with the city services that they need. I wish him continued success as he transitions over to another department. Jason is a well-respected, bright and talented young man, and I am confident he will excel in this new role. His previous call center work experience, knowledge of our Intelligov system, and excellent customer service and management skills make him an ideal candidate to serve as our next 311 Director.”
Jason Garner said, “I want to thank Mayor Sarno and City Clerk Gladys Oyola for their confidence in my abilities to lead our 311 Call Center – it’s great to be back with the City of Springfield. Out-going 311 Director Roy Goodman has established a solid foundation and has an incredible team and staff, some of which I have worked with when I was in the Treasury Department. I am looking forward to this new opportunity and working with all of our customer service representatives as we continue to provide our residents with the best possible customer service we can offer.”
All of the three appointments are Springfield residents.
