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Hospital leader chosen as next Cambridge City Manager
Yi-An Huang, who currently heads clinical operations at Boston Medical Center, will replace Louis DePasquale.
After a process that lasted more than five months, Cambridge has selected its next City Manager. At a special meeting Monday, Cambridge City Council voted in favor of selecting Yi-An Huang for the role.
Huang is currently Executive Director of Boston Medical Center’s clinical operations. He will replace Louis DePasquale, who is planning to retire July 5, according to an announcement from the City of Cambridge.
Officials extended an offer of employment to Huang, and his appointment is contingent on successful contract negotiations. Department of Public Works Commissioner Owen O’Riordan will serve as interim Acting City Manager until Huang officially steps into the role.
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“This is the kind of work I feel called to, more than being part of a business that sells the most products or generates the most profit,” Huang said in an interview with City Council, the Cambridge Chronicle reported. “I have seen how much difference the right leadership can make, and while my sense is that the city of Cambridge has many strengths, this also feels like an opportunity to reassess, strengthen the organization, and set new and ambitious goals.”
Huang holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard University. He has been a Cambridge resident for more than 15 years, and has three children in the city’s public school system, according to the announcement.
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From 2018 to 2021, Huang worked as Chief Transformation Officer and Senior Director for Population Health Analytics at BMC.
The search for DePasquale’s successor began in January. Officials created a leadership profile document that outlined what they were looking for in an ideal candidate. These parameters included fiscal responsibility, the ability to build a strong leadership team, a strong vision for the future of Cambridge, and a commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion.
The leadership profile was the result of a six-week community engagement process composed of town hall-style meetings, online surveys, and conversations with key stakeholders. The city received over 4,000 unique pieces of feedback regarding the search, according to the document.
Four finalists were announced on May 19. Aside from Huang, the finalists were Cambridge Assistant City Manager Iram Farooq, Chelsea City Solicitor Cheryl Watson Fisher, and Hopkinton Town Manager Norman Khumalo.
A “meet the finalists” forum followed, and City Council conducted public interviews with each finalist.
During Monday’s meeting, 53 people signed up for public comment, and 25 spoke in Huang’s favor, the Chronicle reported. The council voted eight to one in favor of Huang, with the lone dissenting vote going to Fisher.
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