Maritza Bond, MPH, is a public health leader with over two decades of experience in the public sector serving in both urban and rural settings. Maritza currently serves as the Director of Health for the City of New Haven. In this role, Maritza leads efforts to create a culture of health and wellness with a focus on addressing social determinants of health and health equity. This includes a commitment to strengthening public-private partnerships, increasing the connection between public health and clinical medicine, and implementing an outcome-driven approach to program and policy development.
Currently, Maritza manages an annual budget of approximately $30 million and oversees a department of over 100 employees. Maritza led the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic where she established the first contract tracing program in the state. For all her efforts, Maritza was named “New Havener of the Year” in 2020 by the New Haven Independent. She currently sits on the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee and the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council, both appointments from the Governor.
Prior to joining the City of New Haven, Maritza served as the Director of Health and Social Services for the City of Bridgeport. Under her administration, she led 11 diverse regulatory divisions and social services programs yielding proven results, including, but not limited to, increased revenue and efficiency.
Maritza began her career in the Naugatuck Valley Health District, where she coordinated several grant project initiatives at the Naugatuck Valley Health District, including the Immunization Action Program. In 2015, Director Bond was awarded the Health Equity Superstar award from the Connecticut Health Foundation. Maritza also served as the Executive Director of the Eastern Area Health Education Center (EAHEC), Inc. In this role, Maritza brought educators, health care professionals, and community leaders together both regionally and statewide to ensure health care access to the underserved and enhanced the workforce in Connecticut. During this time, she was selected as a 2014 Rural Health Leadership Fellow by the National Rural Health Association.
Maritza graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health, and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Connecticut. She is also a founder of the University of Bridgeport’s Master’s in Public Health program.