New Haven's Mayor DeStefano appoints new community services administrator

NEW HAVEN — Althea Marshall Brooks has been appointed to serve as the city’s community services administrator, according to a statement.
The appointment by Mayor John DeStefano Jr. was announced Tuesday,
Marshall Brooks will fill the vacancy left by Dr. Chisara Asomugha, a pediatrician, minister and public health researcher, who left the city to become the senior advisor and medical officer at the Center for Clinical Standards & Quality in the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services.
Marshall Brooks will be responsible for coordinating city “departments and initiatives that directly impact the social well-being and physical health of New Haven residents, including the health, youth, vital statistics and elderly services departments, the statement said. She also will oversee services to the homeless and re-entry populations, substance abuse and teen pregnancy prevention, state-administered general assistance programs as well as the New Haven Resident Card, the statement said.
“I am excited about the opportunity to work with some of the departments that are integral to and responsible for impacting the quality of life of New Haven residents. I look forward to actively engaging and working with local and state leadership, community stakeholders and residents around issues such as access to health care/services, community wellness, employment, resident reintegration, youth empowerment and asset building,” Marshall Brooks said, also in the statement.
Marshall Brooks previously served as the city’s Re-Entry Initiative coordinator, where she was responsible for initiating, developing and implementing policies and practices to address the needs of those returning from incarceration.
Prior to working for the city, Marshall Brooks was as the president/CEO of Empower New Haven, “the implementing agency for the Federal Round II Empowerment Zone Initiative,” the statement said.
She “was responsible for overseeing $30 million in public and private funding directed at job creation, workforce development, quality of life, homeownership, public safety, youth and education.”
 “I worked with Althea Marshall Brooks in her role at Empower and with the city’s Re-Entry Initiative. I am confident she will be terrific as community services administrator,” DeStefano said, also in the statement.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.