March 21, 2025 | Vol. 54, Issue 6

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Michelle Wu’s First Cabinet Appointments

Michelle Wu's cabinet appointments

New mayor Michelle Wu announced her first cabinet appointments in early November, ahead of her swearing-in ceremony, along with the key players in her transition team as she settles into office. 

The appointment with the largest spotlight is that of her senior advisor regarding the Mass and Cass public health crisis, Dr. Monica Bharel. Bharel is the former commissioner of the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health (DPH), and will be leading the efforts to help alleviate the ongoing homelessness, substance abuse, and safety struggles. 

“The humanitarian crisis at Mass and Cass demands urgent, bold solutions that create genuine pathways to recovery and stability for our most vulnerable residents –– and we need the right team to get it done,” Wu stated. Along with Bharel, Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, was brought on board to lead on broader health concerns throughout the city. Sheila A. Dillon was reappointed as Chief of Housing and Director of the Department of Neighborhood Development.  

“This is the team that we need for Boston as we prioritize public health and housing and center the safety and dignity of all those struggling with substance use disorder, mental health, and housing instability,” said Wu. 

Wu has also named three of her former city council employees, as well as her city council chief of staff, Dave Vittorini, as senior Cabinet advisors. These appointments include Brianna Millor, Tali Robbins and Mariangely Solis Cervera.

Lawyer Mike Firestone has been named as Wu’s chief of policy and strategic planning. He formerly served as Attorney General Maura Healey’s chief of staff. 

The uniquely short transition period during which Wu stepped into office has left room for a staff shortage. However, eyes and ears remain alert as Wu continues her process of filling the gaps. Currently, appointments for the city’s police commissioner, and four out of seven School Committee members, are in the works. 

Related articles

In the 1987 documentary ‘Who Killed Vincent Chin’, the racism behind a brutal murder of an Asian-American man still resonates today

The director of the film, Renee Tajima-Peña, couldn’t travel to Boston due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but Skyped in during the discussion. (Yiming Zhao/Sampan) “Justice for my son,” said Vincent Chin’s mother Lily Chin in tears after the jury acquitted Ronald Ebens of civil right charges in federal court in Cincinnati. Ebens, one of the men who beat Vincent Chin to death with a baseball bat on the night of June 19, 1982, in Detroit, will not serve a day […]

Boston Community Pediatrics ‘Starts With the Patient,’: Doc

Boston Community Pediatrics (BCP) was recently awarded the 2024 Excellence in Innovation award during the during Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s 2024 Excellence Awards. BCP is a nonprofit, multilingual private practice aiming to provide high-quality medical care to low-income patients, regardless of their insurance coverage. It’s located on Albany Street in the South End. Sampan had the opportunity to sit down with the founder of BCP, Dr. Robyn Riseberg. SAMPAN: What shortcomings in healthcare do you currently see exist for low-income pediatric […]

404 Not Found

404 Not Found


nginx/1.18.0 (Ubuntu)