PORTLAND, Maine — A member of the senior leadership team for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has been named its acting commissioner.
Gov. Janet Mills made the announcement Friday, appointing Deputy Commissioner Sara Gagne-Holmes to the acting role effective June 1, according to a news release from the governor's office.
Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew announced earlier this month that she would be stepping down effective May 31. A search for her permanent replacement is ongoing.
“Deputy Commissioner Gagné-Holmes brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, as well as the respect of her colleagues, to the position of Acting Commissioner," Mills said in the release.
Gagne-Holmes grew up in Sanford and holds degrees from Bowdoin College and the University of Maine School of Law. Prior to joining Maine DHHS in 2019, she practiced at a Maine law firm with a focus on health law and worked as an adviser under Gov. Joe Baldacci's administration, according to the release.
“Having served as Deputy Commissioner for more than five years, [Gagne-Holmes] deeply understands the operations of the Department and will ensure that it remains in capable hands as I continue to consider candidates to succeed Commissioner Lambrew and carry forward the important work of advancing the health and welfare of Maine people," Mills continued.
Lambrew was the first cabinet member announced by Mills following her gubernatorial election in 2018.
Starting on June 10, 2024, Lambrew will become the director of health reform and system design for the Century Foundation, a Washington-based think tank that conducts research, develops solutions, and drives policy change. She has also been invited by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to join them as an adjunct professor of health policy, Mills' office said earlier this month.
The governor's office said in the release Friday it expects to nominate a candidate for commissioner in the coming weeks. The nominated candidate will then be subject to a hearing before the Health and Human Services Committee and would need to be confirmed by the Maine Senate.
“I’m honored to step into the Acting Commissioner role to advance the Department's mission of ensuring health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people,” Gagné-Holmes said. “I look forward to the opportunity to build on Commissioner Lambrew’s transformative leadership of the Department and to advancing our vital work during this transition.”