MONTAGUE — Although Montague has found an ideal candidate to fill its health director vacancy, the town must now apply for a visa to employ her, as she is not a United States citizen.
Candaicy S. David, who is from the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory, is the sole finalist for Montague’s health director position, which has been vacant since Daniel Wasiuk’s resignation in October. To hire her for this role, though, the town must apply for an H-1B visa, which “applies to people who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation, services of exceptional merit and ability,” according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This requires entering a lottery with roughly a 30% success rate, according to Town Administrator Steve Ellis.
The Selectboard voted last week to have Ellis proceed, with results likely to be available by the end of March.
During last week’s joint meeting between the Selectboard and Board of Health, Board of Health member Michael Nelson said any added effort to bring David aboard would be well worth it. He said the hiring committee unanimously voted to recommend her for the position after being “thrilled with her interview.” Her “qualifications probably exceed those of most public health officials in our region,” Nelson noted.
The 16-year environmental health officer’s resumé shows “an extraordinary background in public health,” including experience in housing and restaurant inspection, wells, septic systems, hurricane preparedness, wastewater and public health education, Nelson summarized.
“Reading the resume and seeing all the qualifications … I think the credentials speak for themselves,” Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz said.
“We feel Candaicy’s level of experience, her demeanor, her personality, her charm and just everything about her was truly the perfect fit for our community,” Nelson added, noting that David favors the “‘knowing your neighbor and being able to help your direct community’ type of public health.”
“She’s very impassioned about working in local small-town public health,” he continued. “She explained her opportunities to perhaps pursue public health in larger communities like Worcester and Boston, and they were just not something she was interested in.”
According to Ellis, around 200,000 qualified employers pursue a lottery selection each year to get an H-1B visa and around 65,000 are selected. Montague would have to pay $4,000 to $6,000 in application and expediting fees if the town is selected.
By the time Montague learns whether it has won the visa lottery, the town will have been without a permanent health director for about half a year. Interim help has been provided by Jennifer Hoffman, Greenfield’s health director, and Gina McNeely, Montague’s former — and current acting — health director. Consideration of David as a finalist comes at the conclusion of two rounds of searches.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.