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Fred Medrano has been a constant presence in Berkeley civic life for the last 30 years. But this week Medrano will be stepping down from his position as director of Berkeley’s Department of Health Services after 14 years, during which time he oversaw California’s only independent health and mental health jurisdictions. 

The City Council rewarded Medrano with a proclamation at its Dec. 15 meeting for serving the city since 1979, when he began his career as a senior psychiatric social worker and worked his way up. 

“When I got here and began to engage in my work, I became very attached to the people of Berkeley,” Medrano said during his acceptance speech. “With all its idiosyncrasies and differences, there is no other place to be. I consider this my home, and as I move on to a new chapter I think it’s important to keep alive the vision of a healthy Berkeley.” 

Created more than 100 years ago, the Berkeley health department is the second oldest health department in California and offers programs in public, mental and environmental health, which Medrano said “sets us apart from all other counties.” 

“These are difficult days—hard times for programs,” Medrano said, acknowledging the effects of the recent state budget cuts on city services. “We depend on external resources, and even though change is inevitable, we must protect our resources. The people of Berkeley depend on this.” 

As applause echoed through the council chambers, Medrano thanked his colleagues in the city and bade farewell, saying with a smile, “I believe I gave you a good day’s work along the way.” 

Berkeley’s new police chief, former Seattle Police Captain Mike Meehan, introduced himself to the City Council after Medrano’s speech, mentioning that he was “very humbled to come after” former employees such as Medrano. 

Meehan, who led the Seattle Police Department’s violent crime division until taking up the Berkeley post, has previously headed SPD’s training, vice, narcotics, major crimes, fraud, audit, policy, ethics and auto theft divisions. 

He is scheduled to meet with community members in January. 

The city has yet to announce a replacement for Medrano. City officials hinted that they would likely pick an interim director soon. 

Medrano, a descendent of Central Valley farmworker activists, has worked on a wide range of health issues, from counseling mental health patients on Berkeley’s streets to managing and promoting integrated health services in the city. 

“One of my greatest experiences with the city are the people I have had a chance to work with,” he said. “It’s a rare experience. It made my work way more relevant.” 

Medrano’s leadership skills came into play during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, when the health department played an important role in the response. 

“We sent a team of folks to the Cypress Structure when the freeway collapsed in Oakland,” Medrano said. “We were also responsible for obtaining FEMA funding for a lot of recovery and rebuilding work.” 

Medrano also played an important role during the 1991 Berkeley–Oakland hills fire, when the health department’s recovery work through FEMA funds became a model nationwide. 

Medrano said he was proud of co-founding the Berkeley High School Health Center and the city’s mobile crisis team, a program that has since been adopted by other cities. 

“We have got some programs that have the potential to make a huge difference in the quality of life for other people,” Medrano said, pointing to the “Be a Star” program in the 2020 Vision plan, a citywide program aimed at reducing the achievement gap in Berkeley schools by the year 2020. 

“This program will identify and assess high-risk kids and get them on a positive course by offering intervention at the earliest possible time,” he said. “We can look back in 10 or 20 years and be happy we did this.” 

Medrano is hopeful about Berkeley’s future and excited about his own. 

“Everyone gets to that point when they need to turn the page,” he said when asked why he decided to retire. “I have got the local experience, now perhaps I would like to try to serve the public on a global level.” 

Medrano, 61, said he had no definite plans about where he wants to work, but added that for now, he would like to spend some time with family and friends, and travel, starting with a trip to Costa Rica.