In 2022, Joseph Palm was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden as the Director for Region 7 of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which encompasses the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa and 9 federally recognized tribes. Recently, he was also appointed the Director for HHS Region 2, which encompasses the states of New York and New Jersey and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, in addition to 8 federally recognized tribes.
Appointed by the President, Congress, Cabinet Members and USCCR Staff Directors, Joseph Palm serves as Commissioner with the U.S. Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys (CSSBMB). The CSSBMB is a bipartisan commission whose mission is to elevate Black Men and Boys by examining social disparities, issuing policy recommendations, and crafting legislation to Congress, the White House, and federal agencies for actionable implementation. As CSSBMB Commissioner, Director Palm will continue his work to reduce racial disparities, especially in health and education outcomes.
Previously, from 2009-22, Director Palm was the Chief of the Office of Minority Health, for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS). As the Chief, Mr. Palm was the key advisor to the MODHSS Director on various health matters that affected minorities; he also served as a liaison to the Missouri General Assembly while also working with statewide local public health agencies and elected officials. Director Palm ran the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) funded opioid and homicide prevention program, and he also ran the COVID-19 mobile testing and vaccination sites across the State of Missouri. In addition, he worked on the ground during the Ferguson, Joplin, and various Missouri major flood daily recovery operations.
Prior to working for MODHSS, Director Palm worked as the Assistant to the Chief of Staff in the City of Saint Louis Mayor’s Office, as a Legislative Researcher in the Missouri State Capitol, and as an assistant to the Chief of Staff in the Missouri 1st Congressional District Office. Mr. Palm began his career as a firefighter for the City of Saint Louis in Missouri, and he continues to live by the motto “Seeking Opportunities To Serve-STLFD!”
Joseph is a native to the City of Saint Louis, Missouri, although his family roots are in Hometown, Missouri (The Bootheel). He received his associate degree from Forest Park Community College, a bachelor’s degree in communications studies, and master’s degree in public health from Saint Louis University.