Town Manager Paul Bockelman announced the appointment of Christina (Kiko) Malin as the Town’s new Public Health Director. The appointment is subject to review by the Town Council which is expected to act at its next meeting.
Christina (Kiko) Malin is currently the Prevention Team Director and Public Health Excellence Grant Administrator for the Northampton Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Prior to working in Northampton, Ms. Malin served Alameda County, California in the County’s Department of Public Health for ten years. She began as the Maternal - Paternal Child and Adolescent Health Director, then took on broader responsibilities as Family Health Services Division Director. She added Epi and Surveillance Branch Chief duties during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also worked at the California Department of Public Health as the Preconception Health Coordinator.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman stated, “Ms. Malin has extensive experience in taking on increasing responsibilities and leadership positions. She is experienced in building teams of partners in the field to address pressing public health challenges. I really look forward to working with Kiko as we build the Town’s public health department to meet the demands of a post-pandemic world. I especially appreciated that Kiko focuses on collaboration, listening and understanding concerns of the community, and integrating anti-racist values into her practice.”
In her interviews, Ms. Malin shared the view that a person’s ZIP Code is more likely to define health outcomes than a person’s genetic code and that it was the mission of public health to address that inequity.
Ms. Malin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Harvard University and a Master of Social Work degree plus a Master of Public Health degree in Community Health Education from the University of California, Berkeley and is fluent in Spanish.
The Health Director Screening Committee was chaired was chaired by Human Resources Director Melissa Loiodice-Walker and included Director of Senior Services Hayley Bolton; CRESS Director Earl Miller; Board of Health member Dr. Maureen Millea; and Ann Becker, Public Health Director, and an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Questions? Contact the Town Manager's Office at (413) 259-3002
