Everett L. Handford

In January 2023, Mr. Everett Handford was appointed to serve as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Region 1.

As a Presidential Appointee, Regional Director Handford provides executive leadership in Region I as the primary representative for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Office of the Regional Director, based in Boston, MA, is tasked with intergovernmental and external affairs, which brings together federal, state, local and tribal government organizations, as well as, private sector businesses. In his role, Regional Director Handford is responsible for six New England states, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Region's ten federally recognized Tribes. In this capacity, Mr. Handford supports the internal HHS operating and staff divisions in cross sector work to ensure cohesion of federal programs, and supports equity in programmatic outreach to community.

Before joining HHS, Regional Director Handford served as the Deputy State Director for United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for three years from 2019 -2022 and served her administration for almost a decade. As a staff assistant climbing through the ranks, Mr. Handford oversaw Senator Warren's state operations, constituent services portfolio, and political outreach. Mr. Handford received his Master of Business Administration in Public Health Administration from the University of Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico, a Business Certificate from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Science in Sports from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.