ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Monroe County Legislature has made a few historic appointments, including the new Commissioner of Public Health. Dr. Marielena Velez de Brown will be the first Latina and woman to serve as the commissioner. This is following an eight-year career in Monroe County for Velez De Brown. Originally from Philadelphia, Vélez de Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Swarthmore College and a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University. After completing 3 years of Family Medicine training in Wilmington, Delaware, she completed a fellowship and earned a Master’s of Public Health from the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester. She has since prioritized health for underserved communities as well as those with limited proficiency in English County Legislature also appointed Truman Tolefree to the COMIDA board, and two labor representatives to the MCWA Timothy Barbeto and David Young Jr. For more information about Monroe County Department of Public Health initiatives, you can visit this website.