When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Maine three years ago, we were introduced to Maine's CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah. Thanks to his daily briefings on Maine's status with the pandemic, we got to know our CDC director better than anyone prior to him. I honestly couldn't name a single one of his predecessors. It's a job that often goes unnoticed.

Shah had only held the job for about six months when the pandemic hit, but he took charge and made sure Mainer's questions were answered through his daily press briefings and on his Twitter page.

Now Shah is headed to the big leagues after accepting a position at the United States CDC where he will be the deputy director, the number two official behind director Rochelle Walensky. That's a great opportunity for Shah.

For one last time, he addressed the people of Maine about his new job and took the time to thank Mainers saying that Maine is still his family's home.

Dr. Shah has a terrific sense of humor that he has demonstrated on so many occasions. Sometimes they're Dad jokes, other times they slip right under the radar. He couldn't get through his goodbye without one more Rick Roll, and one more Diet Coke reference.

Thank you Dr. Shah for all you've done for Maine during one of the craziest times of our lifetimes. Your daily briefings with a little bit of your unique humor sprinkled in helped make an initially scary situation into something we realized was going to be okay.

Enjoy your own backyard oasis at this beautiful Vassalboro home!

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