E-Mail From Astrue On Staff Changes

DATE: November 25, 2008

TO: Senior Staff

FROM: Michael J. Astrue /s/
Commissioner

SUBJECT: Executive Personnel Assignments - INFORMATION

Under Lisa deSoto’s leadership for the past three years, the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review has met ambitious goals and made tremendous business process improvements that have set the stage for eliminating the disability backlog. Lisa has accepted an offer from the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) to teach and share her leadership skills with new and aspiring executives from across government for the next two years. While we will miss Lisa’s passion and vision, it is a unique opportunity for her to reflect, learn, and then return to the agency with a broadened perspective. Lisa will begin her Executive-in-Residency with the FEI on January 16, 2009.

Upon Lisa’s departure, David Foster will become the Deputy Commissioner for Disability Adjudication and Review.

On November 24, Jim Winn will become Chief of Staff and Jo Tittel will become Deputy Chief of Staff. LaTina Greene, who has been serving as the Chief of Staff’s Special Assistant, will move to the Office of Central Operations as Deputy Associate Commissioner on January 16, 2009.

In the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, effective immediately, JoEllen Felice is the Associate Commissioner for Income Security Programs, a capacity in which she has been acting since July 2008.

In the Office of Systems, Pete Malinauskas, Associate Commissioner for Retirement and Survivors Insurance Systems, is retiring on January 3, 2009. Bill Zielinski, currently the Deputy Associate Commissioner for Applications and Supplemental Security Income Systems, will become Associate Commissioner upon Pete’s retirement. The Deputy Associate Commissioner position Bill vacates will continue to be available as an SES Candidate Development Program assignment.

In the Office of Telecommunications and Systems Operations, Gary Augustine has moved from Assistant Associate Commissioner for Enterprise IT Operations and Security to the Assistant Associate Commissioner for Infrastructure Architecture and Security. Marti Eckert, formerly the Deputy Associate Commissioner for Systems Electronic Services, is now the Assistant Associate Commissioner for Enterprise IT Operations and Security. The Deputy Associate Commissioner for Systems Electronic Services will be available as an SES Candidate Development Program assignment.

In the Office of Budget, Finance and Management’s Office of Facilities Management, Betsy Bake has been appointed as Deputy Associate Commissioner for Facilities Management following Nancy McCullough’s retirement earlier this month.

In the Office of Human Resources, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Feli Sola-Carter, has announced that she will retire at the end of January 2009. Upon Feli’s retirement, Nancy Berryhill, currently the Denver Regional Commissioner, will serve as the Acting Assistant Deputy Commissioner. Martha Lambie, Deputy Regional Commissioner in Denver, then will serve as the Acting Regional Commissioner.

In the Office of the General Counsel, Kristi Schmidt has been appointed as the Regional Chief Counsel in Kansas City. Gwen Jones Kelley has been appointed as the Deputy Associate General Counsel for Program Law. Gwen will continue to serve as the Acting Associate General Counsel for Program Law.

Mary Chatel, currently the Senior Advisor for Program Outreach in the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, will also begin an assignment with the Federal Executive Institute on December 1, 2008.

Lastly, on January 20, 2009, Tom Hughes, Chief Information Officer, and Mike Korbey, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner, will depart the agency.

Over the last 6 years, Tom has garnered the agency high scores in security, and he has been a catalyst in developing an IT vision for the 21st century. Greg Pace will serve as the Acting Chief Information Officer upon Tom’s departure.

In addition, during his tenure with the agency, Mike has been an effective advisor to the Deputy Commissioner. I would like to thank Tom and Mike for their contributions to the agency and for their commitment to public service.