Commisioner Makes Many Personnel Changes

A memorandum that went out yesterday:

Date: June 25, 2007 Refer To: S7K

To: Senior Staff

From: Michael J. Astrue /s/
Commissioner

Subject: Organizational Realignments and Related Executive Personnel Assignments - INFORMATION

Let me begin with an update regarding the status of our 2008 appropriations. While one can always get last-minute surprises in Washington, it looks like we are in the best budget shape for next year that we have been in for a long time. The House appropriations funding level is $100 million over the President’s FY 2008 budget request and it appears that the Senate level will be $125 million over the President’s budget request. While we will probably have new costs to absorb, I am optimistic that most components will be able to stay at current staffing levels instead of managing more attrition. We should all be grateful to Dale Sopper, Bob Wilson and their staffs for their fine work on the appropriations bills.

In my first four months as Commissioner, I have been heavily engaged in examining the 2006 disability regulations and related business processes, examining the hearings workloads and stepping up efforts to reduce the backlogs. These reviews have led to today’s organizational realignments which will let key offices focus on their primary mission activities and return some functions to more logical organizational homes.

While I would ideally mention many individuals who have made great contributions to their organizations, I do want to offer my special thanks to Manny Vaz for his outstanding service as Acting Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs. He came into a challenging assignment on short notice, quickly made some important immediate decisions and provided thoughtful advice for moving the organization forward.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the following organizational and leadership changes will become effective:

The Regulations Staff will move from the Office of Disability and Income Security Programs to the Office of the Commissioner and will report to David Rust. Dean Landis, currently in the SES Candidate Development Program, will serve as the Acting Director.

The Office of International Programs will move from the Office of Disability and Income Security Programs to the Office of the Commissioner and will report to Deputy Commissioner Andrew Biggs. Rogelio Gomez remains the Associate Commissioner for International Programs.

Myrtle Habersham will move from the Office of the Chief Strategic Officer to be Senior Advisor to the Chief Information Officer. She will report to this assignment upon her return from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight at the end of September 2007.

We are currently in negotiation with and are confident that we will reach a successful outcome that will return Dalmer Hoskins to SSA as Chief Strategic Officer. Dalmer is currently Senior Policy Advisor at AARP and prior to that the Secretary General for the International Social Security Association.

Laraine Williams will continue to serve as the Deputy Chief Strategic Officer; the strategic management function and staff remain and the organization will continue to report to the Office of the Commissioner.

The competitive sourcing function and staff from the current Office of Competitive Sourcing will move to the Office of Budget, Finance and Management.

The workforce analysis function and staff from the Office of Workforce Analysis will move to the Office of Quality Performance.

Jacy Thurmond will move from Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability Adjudication and Review to Senior Advisor to Deputy Commissioner Andrew Biggs.

Frank Smith has accepted a detail assignment as Acting Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability Adjudication and Review. While Frank is on assignment, Kristi Schmidt will serve as the Acting Regional Chief Counsel for OGC in Kansas City.

Eileen McDaniel will be the Associate Commissioner for Management, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review.

Pat Jonas will move from Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs to be Director of the National Hearing Center, ODAR.

Marianna LaCanfora will move from Deputy Associate Commissioner for Public Service and Operations Support (Operations) to be Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs.

Alan Lane will move from the Deputy Chief Quality Officer, Office of Quality Performance, to be Associate Commissioner for Income Security Programs, ODISP.

Fritz Streckewald will move from Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs to be the Deputy Chief Quality Officer and Chair of the Immigration Reform Task Force.

Pam Mazerski will move from Associate Commissioner for Program Development and Research, ODISP, to be Associate Commissioner for Quality Support, OQP. Richard Balkus, who has been the Acting Associate Commissioner for Disability and Income Assistance Policy, OP, will serve as Acting Associate Commissioner for Program Development and Research. Susan Wilschke will serve as Acting Associate Commissioner for Disability and Income Assistance Policy.

Mary Chatel will report to the Associate Commissioner for Disability Programs and will be leading outreach activity, including quarterly public hearings in the area of compassionate allowances and listing improvements.

David Morado has been appointed as the Regional Chief Counsel in OGC’s Seattle office. David joins the Agency from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Seattle General Counsel’s office and brings a wealth of litigation experience to this assignment. Please join me in welcoming David to SSA.

Web Phillips, Associate Commissioner for Legislative Development in the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, has announced that he will retire July 3, 2007.
Tom Parrott, currently in the SES Candidate Development Program, will serve as the
Acting Associate Commissioner upon Web’s retirement.

Linda Hill will move from Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Commissioner to be Senior Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Legislation and Congressional Affairs.

Upon Dale Sopper’s retirement August 3, Mary Glenn-Croft will be the Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance and Management.

Roger McDonnell will move from Associate Commissioner for Public Service and Operations Support to Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Operations.

Mark Blatchford will move from Associate Commissioner for Automation Support to Associate Commissioner for Public Service and Operations Support.

Michelle King will serve as Acting Deputy Associate Commissioner for Public Service and Operations Support.

Debbi Russell will move from the Office of Retirement and Survivors Insurance Systems (Systems) to be Associate Commissioner for Automation Support.

Please remember in commenting upon this that the individuals changing jobs are career employees.