Alex DePalo is leaving as Framingham's public health director. What happens next

FRAMINGHAM — City Public Health Director Alexandra DePalo is leaving her position next month to take a position in the nonprofit sector.

Her last day will be Oct. 14, according to a press release from the Mayor's Office. At that point, she will have had the job for a little more than a year

“Director DePalo’s departure is certainly a loss for the city, considering her talent and impressive tenure,” said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, in a statement. “She leaves the department with a strong foundation that I am committed to building as we transition over the next several weeks. I wish her luck in her future endeavors in the nonprofit sector and thank her for her dedication.”

Sisitsky must now nominate the department's third director in less than two years. The nomination must be confirmed by the City Council.

Attempts to reach DePalo for comment were not immediately successful. She has worked for the city since 2018, when she was hired as assistant director of public health under then-Director Sam Wong.

But Wong, who came to Framingham in 2017 from Hudson (where DePalo also worked for him), went on medical leave in late 2020, citing exhaustion incurred as he led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic. He formally resigned in February 2021, saying the job had taken a toll on his personal health.

DePalo took over as interim director, before then-Mayor Yvonne Spicer in May nominated Monifa Charles, who worked with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Rural Health, to become the city's next permanent director. But Charles' nomination failed to earn enough support from the City Council to move forward.

More: Framingham Health Director Wong on medical leave, says he's "given everything I've got" to the job

DePalo did not originally apply for the permanent director's job, but in July 2021 said she was reconsidering. A month later, Spicer recommended DePalo for the position. She was confirmed after a unanimous City Council vote last September.

During her time as interim and full-time director, DePalo led the department in tackling various aspects of the pandemic including contact tracing, setting up COVID-19 testing sites and distributing essential items like PPE and masks. The city also opened a new nursing clinic downtown to better serve underserved residents in Framingham.

More: Alexandra DePalo is mayor's pick for new director of Framingham Public Health Department

“There are so many great organizations serving our Framingham community,” DePalo said in a statement. “I am grateful for their partnership and collaboration with the Health Department and I know it will continue.”

Wong took a job at the state Department of Public Health in July 2021.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham health director alex depalo is leaving for nonprofit sector