THUNDER BAY — Finding a medical officer of health and CEO for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) was a challenging task, TBDHU board of health chair Jamie McPherson said Wednesday.
But McPherson, who is also mayor of Greenstone, said he and the board found “an excellent choice.”
In a special two-minute meeting Wednesday at the health unit’s offices on Balmoral Street, the board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Greg Holzman to replace Dr. Janet DeMille as medical officer of health and CEO effective June 8.
The appointment is subject to approval from the province’s health minister, as required under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.
Holzman, certified in preventive medicine and public health by the American Board of Preventive Medicine, is coming here from Montana, where since 2015 he has held public health positions including chief medical officer. He was also Michigan’s chief medical officer from 2006 to 2011.
According to a news release from the health unit, the University of Florida College of Medicine alumnus “has extensively engaged in public health leadership” and has had leadership roles in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The release said he has “worked collaboratively with” Indigenous nations in the U.S. and currently resides within the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.
“Dr. Holzman’s expertise and dedication to public health make him an excellent choice to lead our organization,” McPherson said.
Holzman’s appointment concludes “a search that we actually started a year ago when we went international to ensure that we had the best possible candidate,” McPherson told reporters after the board meeting.
The board was looking for someone with strong public health credentials and strong management skills, he said.
That’s “a very special talent set,” he added, “and we were very fortunate to find Dr. Holzman and be able to bring him on board.”
The board conducted an extensive international search for DeMille’s replacement, vice-chair Don Smith said, adding that Holzman “fit the bill” and will have a good team supporting him as he takes over.
DeMille announced in April 2025 that she would be stepping down by the end of that year, but later agreed to stay on until her replacement was found.
She said Wednesday that she and Holzman have “mapped out a bit of a transition plan” together and she will assist him in taking the reins.
“And then after he takes over, I will continue to provide him some support as a colleague,” she added.
Holzman “will have a lot of support as he on-boards and takes on the role fully,” said DeMille, who has been TBDHU’s medical officer of health since 2015 and CEO since 2018.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit serves a catchment area of over 230,000 square kilometres and includes Greenstone, Marathon and Thunder Bay, as well as 12 other municipalities and 26 First Nations.
