Philly’s 100th Mayor

Palak Raval-Nelson named Philadelphia’s new health commissioner

Raval-Nelson will lead Philadelphia's Department of Public Health after working for the city for nearly 30 years.

Cory Sharber

Updated Dec. 10, 2024 5:56 pm

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Philadelphia City Hall, northeast corner. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has appointed Palak Raval-Nelson to lead the city’s Department of Public Health, highlighting her nearly three decades of service in the City of Brotherly Love.

Raval-Nelson started with the department back in 1996 as a public health sanitarian and rose through the ranks. For the last two years, Raval-Nelson served as the city’s deputy health commissioner, overseeing the divisions of Environmental Health Services, Air Management Services, the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office and the Public Health Lab.

During a press conference Monday at City Hall, Raval-Nelson said her first assignment all those years ago was conducting food inspections in Kensington, something that made her realize Philadelphia was where she wanted to be.

: Palak Raval-Nelson has been appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker to serve as Philadelphia’s health commissioner. (Courtesy of City of Philadelphia)

“My second day on the job, I was able to remove expired infant formula from a corner store,” Raval-Nelson said. “And that is when I fell head over heels in love with public health and public health service. I’ve realized what an immediate impact for families that didn’t speak the language, whose babies would have died or gotten really sick. While I was potentially on the path of med school, I decided to stay and focus on public health.”

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Parker said there were “many reasons” Raval-Nelson made the top of the list when looking to fill the role previously held by Cheryl Bettigole, who stepped down in February. She said Raval-Nelson’s longtime status as a city resident and city employee gives her “a deep understanding of Philadelphia’s public health strengths and challenges.”

“Most importantly, she is fully aware of our demographics, social determinants of health and how they affect someone’s life trajectory,” Parker said. “And she has demonstrated over the last 28 years at the health department that she is driven to make sure that the path is carved by looking through a health equity lens.”

Parker also made sure to thank Frank Franklin, who has been serving as interim commissioner following Bettigole’s resignation, saying she’s honored to have him as part of the team. Franklin will now serve as deputy commissioner.

“We greatly respect Dr. Franklin’s diverse experience and leadership skills that have allowed us to continue to deliver the highest-quality services and information to the residents with no gaps and/or hiccups,” Parker said.

Raval-Nelson’s appointment is another on Parker’s list of leaders she’s picked this year, including Prisons Commissioner Michael Resnick. In February, Parker appointed Jazelle Jones as city representative, Kristin Del Rossi as streets commissioner and named Crystal Jacobs Shipman to the newly created role of sanitation commissioner.

Raval-Nelson also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Drexel University’s School of Public Health, where she received her master’s and doctoral degrees, and Temple University, where she attended undergrad.

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