Melody Brawley was hired at a Tuesday, May 8 meeting after the board approved waiving the open recruitment policy for the job.

After the unanimous decision was made, Brawley received a congratulatory applause from those in attendance at the meeting.

“I’m pleased about it, of course, and honored and humbled,” Brawley said.

She has been the interim director since March, when Kevin Mannel retired. As director of health and social services, Brawley will oversee community social services, public and environmental health and the alcohol and mental health departments, as well as 150 staff members.

As director Brawley said, “I want to continue the work Mannel started in integrating services and providing a holistic approach to services to help people achieve the greatest level of independence and wellness they can.”

She said she wants to be more encouraging about staff getting better training and education,and working together to provide basic holistic services.

Brawley’s experience goes back to 1981 when she started working for the welfare department in Stanislaus County. She moved to Lassen County in 1989 and was hired on at Community Social Services.

“I started working in foster care and worked my way up and became director in 2003,” Brawley said.

Working at social services gave Brawley a broad experience. She said she helped build the program Children’s System of Care, has worked with the alcohol and drug and mental health departments as well as other agencies, including probation and child family services.