Gov.-elect Sanders nominates Kristi Putnam as Secretary of Human Services

Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders introduced Tuesday a number of people who will fill key management roles on the Division of Human Providers (DHS) in her administration, together with her intention to appoint Kristi Putnam as secretary.

Sanders additionally introduced her intention to nominate Mischa Martin as deputy director for Youth and Households, Janet Mann as deputy director of Well being and State Medicaid Director, and Mark White as chief of workers. Putnam will substitute White, who stepped into the position as head of DHS after the resignation of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s secretary for the division, Cindy Gillespie, earlier this 12 months.

Putnam has greater than 20 years of coverage and hands-on expertise in human providers, early childhood providers, schooling, workforce improvement, and well being coverage, together with implementation of Kentucky’s Medicaid transformation and several other different modern statewide coverage and course of initiatives.

In accordance with data launched by Sanders, she has offered coverage and technique steering to a number of legislative leaders, together with Home management within the Kentucky Home of Representatives, federal businesses, reminiscent of The Administration for Kids & Households’ Workplace of Household Help, and lots of state Well being & Human Providers businesses.

Putnam served within the Kentucky Cupboard for Well being and Household Providers (CHFS), starting in March 2016 within the youngster welfare and household help workplace. After serving with CHFS for 2 years and main Medicaid Part 1115 waiver innovation efforts, she was appointed in Could 2018 to function Deputy Secretary of CHFS, the place she served till December 2019. She assisted in main each day operations for CHFS, a cupboard with greater than 8,000 workers and an working price range of over $14 billion.

She additionally served because the Youngster Welfare Providers Supervisor, Chief of Group-Primarily based Care, and Statewide Foster Care Licensing Specialist in Florida’s privatized community-based system of foster care and adoption. Her prior expertise in Florida included coverage and legislative improvement and implementation within the Division of Schooling, Division for Kids and Households, the Florida Partnership for Faculty Readiness, and Government Workplace of the Governor.

Most just lately, Putnam served because the chief folks officer for AppHarvest, a publicly traded agtech startup in Kentucky.

“Kristi and I share a imaginative and prescient for daring reforms that help our neighbors in want, take care of our most susceptible, defend kids in foster care, and guarantee Arkansans usually are not trapped in a lifetime of poverty,” Sanders mentioned. “With hundreds of workers working in each county of Arkansas, I needed sturdy leaders with large hearts and data of modern initiatives to sort out the difficult points this division faces, which is why I’m thrilled to have Mischa, Janet, and Mark becoming a member of our new Secretary.

“I’m excited concerning the alternative to hitch Governor-elect Sanders’ administration and tackle the essential work of human providers,” Putnam mentioned. “We’ll defend our fellow residents whereas prioritizing reforms and figuring out efficiencies and taxpayer financial savings, which is what I’ve finished all through my profession. I strongly consider that entry and alternative empower folks to stay their greatest lives. The Governor-elect has nice plans to unleash alternative for all Arkansans, and I can not wait to get to work alongside her and this group at DHS.”

The Division of Human Providers oversees Medicaid and its growth applications, the Youth and Households division, Growing older, Grownup and Behavioral Providers, and Developmental Disabilities Providers.

OTHER APPOINTMENTS

Martin is director of the Division of Kids and Household Providers. On this position, she is chargeable for the security of kids and youth in Arkansas, youngster abuse and neglect prevention, foster care, and adoption applications.

Mann has greater than 20 years of expertise in healthcare and healthcare finance. She has labored in the private and non-private sector for a number of states and shoppers. She has served because the division director for DHS’s Division of Medical Providers overseeing the Medicaid operations earlier than and through the starting of the COVID-19 Public Well being Emergency till April 2021. She additionally served as DHS’s chief monetary officer for a 12 months in 2017. As well as, Mann was a deputy administrator for Medicaid in Mississippi throughout Gov. Haley Barbour’s administration, 2006-2010.

White turned the secretary of the Arkansas Division of Human Providers in October 2022. Since he first joined DHS in 2013, White has labored in quite a lot of capacities together with work within the Secretary’s Workplace, the Workplace of Chief Counsel, and the Division of Growing older, Grownup, and Behavioral Well being Providers. Previous to turning into secretary, White served as Chief of Employees and Chief Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, the place he represented DHS earlier than the Arkansas Legislature and serves as a major level of contact for legislators, elected officers, lobbyists, and different state businesses.

Gov.-elect Sanders has appointed 5 different cupboard positions, whereas Putnam is the primary feminine announcement. Sanders has appointed Mike Hagar as Secretary of Public Security; Mike Mills as Secretary of Parks, Heritage and Tourism; Shane Khoury as Secretary of Power & Surroundings; Wes Ward as Secretary of Agriculture; and Hugh McDonald as Secretary of Commerce.