Framingham City’s Appointments Subcommittee on June 2 voted to forward two nominees for the Board of Health to the full City Council.

Karen Bogard, a currently serving Board of Health member with dual licensure as a mental health professional and a psychotherapist, and Fred (last name not specified), described in the meeting as a longtime health-care general counsel, were both moved forward by a 2-0 subcommittee vote and will appear on the City Council agenda the next night for final action.

The referrals matter because they preserve continuity on the Board of Health through the members’ stated term expirations. At the subcommittee meeting, the chair said Bogard’s current term would expire June 30, 2028; the same date was given for Fred’s seat. The subcommittee’s votes do not constitute final appointment; they send the nominations to the City Council for confirmation.

Committee members summarized each nominee’s background during the meeting. The chair noted Bogard’s experience working at MCI Framingham, South Middlesex Correctional Center and Serenity House and said her training “in ethical treatment and mental health laws here in Mass” has been useful to the board. In brief remarks, Karen Bogard said, “I’ve really enjoyed my past 3 years on the board. I like to think that having a mental health and substance use perspective added to the medical focus on the board has been something that I felt has been welcomed by others.”

The subcommittee described Fred as having worked “in the healthcare field as a general counsel for many years” and cited his experience in compliance, risk assessment, and health-care operations. Fred told the subcommittee he was “very heavily involved with the company that I worked for during the COVID pandemic,” adding: “I had to get a lot of data, a lot of operations understanding, you know, public health concerns.” He also said he has worked on jail diversion, substance-use assessments and treatment-court alternatives to incarceration.

City Councilor Leslie White Harvey, speaking during the meeting, thanked both applicants for stepping forward and noted she represents the district that includes one of the nominees, saying she was “very glad to see” district residents serving on boards.

The subcommittee recorded motions to move each nomination forward and voted 2-0 in each case; the chair and Leslie White Harvey voted “yes.” The chair told the nominees they would not need to attend the City Council meeting in person the following night because the nominations would be presented on their behalf.

No statutes, ordinances, or formal policy references were cited during the subcommittee’s discussion, and no committee-level amendments or conditions were attached to the referrals.

The full City Council will consider both nominations at its next meeting, where final confirmation is required.