Chairman named for Marblehead search board seeking new town health director

MARBLEHEAD – Carl Goodman, an attorney and former Board of Health chair, will head the five-member search committee seeking the town’s next director of public health this fall.The Board of Health approved Goodman as chairman Thursday, along with his slate of committee members, Dr. David Becker, also a former health board chair, Polly Whitmore, a civil engineer who served on the Solid Waste Committee, the Board of Health and Capital Planning Committee member, Don Morgan, an officer of the Marblehead Conservancy, co-founder of the Marblehead Farmer’s Market and member of the Recycling Committee.Board of Health Chairman Helaine Hazlett also volunteered to serve on the committee, as a current board representative and a voting member.”There’s a lot of work to be done in the next three months,” Hazlett said, referring to the advertising of the vacancy and the initial interview process. Finalists will be interviewed by the Board of Health.Director of Public Health Wayne Attridge said he has already heard from two area health directors and one in Maine expressing interest in the position. He will not be participating in the search process.Attridge plans to retire Jan. 3, after 34 years as a town employee, 27 as the head of the health department. He told the board the post requires an administrator who can oversee department employees and a leader who will be substantially involved with the town’s solid waste disposal program and environmental programs.