JOHN A. STEPHEN, assistant safety commissioner and a former assistant attorney general, was confirmed earlier this month as commissioner of Health and Human Services, the state's largest department. He was confirmed in a unanimous vote by the Executive Council. Stephen replaces Nick Vailas, who resigned following reports about possible conflicts of interest.

Stephen, 40, is a veteran public servant, who according to Councilor Ray Wieczorek of Manchester, is experienced at tackling tough assignments. Critics had questioned Stephen's lack of health or social-services experience, but Stephen said he learned much about HHS several years ago when he worked to transfer emergency medical services from Health and Human Services to the Safety Department. He said he also worked with state public health officials on anti-terrorism issues as the head of the state's emergency management task force.

Stephen noted that during this year's state budget deliberations, he worked with Gov. Craig Benson's office, lawmakers and Health and Human Service officials to transfer the state toxicology laboratory to the Dept. of Safety.

Stephen, admitted to the Bar in 1987, served as law clerk to US District Court Judge Martin F. Loughlin. He then worked as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office from 1988 to 1992, after which he joined the NH Dept. of Justice, becoming an assistant attorney general. In that role, Stephen's primary responsibility was coordinating DUI/vehicular homicide cases. He was appointed assistant commissioner of safety five years ago. Last year, Stephen took a leave of absence to run in the Republican primary for the District 1 congressional seat. He finished second to eventual winner Jeb Bradley.

Stephen is best known in the NH legal world as an authority on DUI. He wrote New Hampshire's DUI law requiring medical personnel to release blood-alcohol test results and blood samples on request by police. Stephen has written the New Hampshire DWI Manual and co-authored three other books: Investigation and Prosecution of DWI and Vehicular Homicide; Officer's DUI Handbook, and Courtroom Survival: Making the Traffic Officer a Powerful Witness, all published by LEXIS Law Publishing.

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