KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Governor Kelly Ayotte announced on Wednesday that her office has appointed a former mayor of Nashua and a Certified Community Action Professional as Director of the Governor’s Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health (also known as GO-NORTH), which will administer New Hampshire’s Rural Health Transformation Program.

In a news release, Ayotte’s office shared that Donnalee Lozeau would be starting her new position in Concord following her retirement from her current role as Chief Executive Officer of Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties.

“[Lozeau] is a life-long public servant and a fierce advocate for our most vulnerable citizens,” Ayotte said in the press release. “I’m grateful she has agreed to take on this role and help expand access to affordable, high-quality health care in our rural communities through GO-NORTH.”

GO-NORTH was created after New Hampshire was awarded over $204 million in federal funding to expand access to healthcare in rural communities across the state, the most amount of money awarded to any state in New England.  This office will oversee the implementation of the $204 million, focusing on building sustainable access, innovative care, technology innovation and workforce development.

Lozeau began her career in public service in 1984, serving as a member of the New Hampshire House of representatives, representing Ward 5 in her home city of Nashua, where she also served two terms as Deputy Speaker of the House. Lozeau later served as Mayor of Nashua from 2007-2015.

Her current role sees her as the CEO of the largest Community Action in Program in New Hampshire, where she has overseen the implementation of over 60 programs. According to the release, Lozeau was also instrumental in establishing the Nurse Education and Practice Collaborative to address the need for nurse licensing and training in the Granite State. She has also been called upon by multiple governors to serve on selection boards and as a chair or co-chair of previous committees.

“It is an honor to be appointed by the Governor to lead this important initiative,” Lozeau said in the release. “Working collaboratively, I am confident that that we can achieve sustainable solutions, making our entire state an even healthier place to live.”

No official start date has been given for when Lozeau will take the reins in her new role.