SF’s health officer to become California Department of Public Health director

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced the appointment of Dr. Tomas Aragon, San Francisco’s health officer, as the new director of the California Department of Public Health.

Aragon has been San Francisco’s health officer since 2011 and will replace Sandra Shewry, who had been serving as the state Department of Public Health’s interim director since the previous director Sonia Angell stepped down in August.

The appointment of Aragon, who has also been volunteer faculty for the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health since 2004, requires state Senate confirmation.