John Connolly, currently the chief strategist for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, has accepted the position of assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). 

In his current role, Connolly has been engaged in contract negotiations with Medicaid managed care plans for enhanced services for foster care youth and children with disabilities, and for people with behavioral health conditions, re-entering the community from incarceration, or experiencing homelessness. He also led a large portion of the county’s pandemic response including the procurement and equity-focused distribution of 20 million COVID-19 tests across the county. 

Prior to his current position, John served as the deputy secretary of behavioral health for the California Health and Human Services Agency. There he led the creation and strategic planning work of the Secretary’s Behavioral Health Task Force, a broad group of stakeholders convened to advance and integrate services with a focus on children, people experiencing homelessness, and people involved in the criminal justice system. 

Connolly holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago, a master’s in education from the Bank Street College of Education, and a doctorate in health policy from Harvard University. 

He will be moving to Minnesota, and will start his new position on September 11.