Manchester's public health director is retiring after 28 years

July 12--Manchester's public health director is retiring after 28 years

By PAUL FEELY

New Hampshire Union Leader

July 11. 2018 11:25PM

TIM SOUCY

-- The city's public health director has announced he will retire later this summer after nearly three decades in the department.

Manchester Public Health Director Tim Soucy said that after 28 years in the Manchester Health Department he feels "blessed to live, work and raise my family" in the Queen City.

"It is with mixed emotions that I am informing you of my intent to retire on Sept. 1," Soucy writes in a July 5 letter to Mayor Joyce Craig. "It has been an honor to work for the Manchester Health Department for the past 28 years. Over this time, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most caring and competent professionals in public health. The Health Department is recognized nationally as a leader in public health and that is because of the staff. Their commitment to serving the public, to being innovative and to be mission driven has been the foundation of their success."

Attempts to reach Soucy Wednesday night for comment were unsuccessful.

Mayor Joyce Craig said Soucy's decision to retire "is a huge loss for city government."

"His dedication to our community over the last 28 years has been profound," said Craig in a statement. "Tim's leadership as the Public Health Director has guided our Health Department to develop a number of programs focused on combating the opioid epidemic and improving the health of our community. I'm confident he will continue to play an integral role in shaping the health of our city and I wish him all the best on his future endeavors."

Soucy's 2016 salary of $141,916 made him the 14th highest paid city official.

Craig said in 2001 Soucy was responsible for public health emergency preparedness efforts in the city and "made sure Manchester is ready to respond to any man-made or natural disaster."

"He led the charge in working with the Manchester fire, police, emergency medical services, local hospitals and other city departments to develop and exercise plans that now outline how to care for city residents during an emergency," Craig said. "In addition, Tim has been a leader in forming strong community partnerships through the Neighborhood Health Improvement Strategy, a place-based initiative to improve the health of children and families in Manchester."

Lauren Smith, policy and strategic outreach director for Mayor Craig, said the public health director position will be posted internally once vacant.

Soucy, a Manchester native, has been with the city's health department since 1990. In December 2006, he was named public health director for by former mayor Frank Guinta. Prior to that, he served as an environmental health specialist, chief of the Division of Environmental Health, and administrator of the Public Health Preparedness Program.

Soucy holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Vermont and a master's degree in public health from Boston University, where he was also inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. He is a graduate of the 2005 Leadership New Hampshire program and was recognized by the Union Leader and Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire as a member of the 2004 "40 Under Forty" class.

pfeely@unionleader.com

Health Manchester Local and County Government

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