After Four Years With Maine CDC, Dr Nirav Shah is Leaving For a Federal CDC Position
He was hired to lead the Maine Centers for Disease Control back in 2019, not knowing at the time that he would quickly become a household name in Maine. Not because he's vain and wanted superstar status, but because he helped lead the Pine Tree State through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, after four years of guiding the Maine CDC, The Kennebec Journal is reporting that Shah is preparing to leave his Maine post to take on a roll with the Federal Government. The KJ says that Dr. Shah, who currently makes $255,000 a year with the Maine CDC, will be heading to the US CDC to become the Principal Deputy Director.
The KJ says that Shah, in his new role, will be working under the US CDC's current director, Rochelle Walensky. Shah expects that he will move into his new roll with the Centers For Disease Control sometime in March.
Governor Mills says that following Shah's departure, the Deputy Director of the Maine CDC,
Dr. Shah told the Portland Press Herald in part,
“Especially because I was at that time a relative newcomer, it was surprising at times a little bit,” he said. “Ultimately, I think it tells you a lot more about the people in Maine than anything else. The fact that you can be a brown guy with a funny name, not from Maine, and you can come here to be seen as somebody you might want to listen to for something of importance. That says something about the people of Maine.”
Maine Governor said in a statement about Shah's upcoming departure,
“Since his arrival in Maine before the pandemic, and every day throughout it, Dr. Shah has been a trusted adviser to me and an extraordinary leader of the Maine CDC. But even more than that, he was a trusted adviser and a leader to the people of Maine during one of the greatest public health crises of our time.”