UMass Chan chancellor selects chief of staff

Dr. David McManus has made his first major senior leadership hire as chancellor of UMass Chan Medical School.

Leslie Darcy will join the Worcester-based institution as associate vice chancellor and chief of staff. Darcy joins UMass Chan from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, where she served as chief of the Office of Long-Term Services and Supports at MassHealth. 

She will begin her new role on Aug. 24, about two months after McManus became school’s chancellor on June 29. McManus replaced longtime leader Dr. Michael Collins.

At EOHHS, Darcy oversaw a $7-billion long-term services and support system serving more than 300,000 older adults and people with disabilities, UMass Chan announced Monday.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Darcy was chief of staff at the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center, coordinating the state’s response across agencies. 

Earlier in her career, she was assistant counsel to the Massachusetts Senate and an assistant district attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. Darcy holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, a law degree from Boston University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois.

In her new role, Darcy’s responsibilities will include coordinating institutional initiatives, strengthening internal and external partnerships, and aligning strategic planning, communications, budget and operations. 

Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.