Major Reorganization And Personnel Changes

Social Security

Memorandum                                             

^Date:   June 24, 2011  

^To:     Senior Staff

^From:   Michael J. Astrue  /s/

        Commissioner   

^Subject:        Organizational Realignments and Executive Personnel Assignments - INFORMATION

To maximize our efficiency during these lean budget times, I am implementing several functional and organizational realignments now and in the coming weeks.   Below is a high-level overview of some of those changes along with some executive personnel announcements.  

Effective immediately, the Offices of Innovation and Investment Management will move from the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to the Office of Systems (OS).  Karen Palm and Lester Diamond will move to OS with their respective functions.  Deputy Commissioner Carolyn Colvin will take the lead for the Future Systems Technology Advisory Panel.  Functional responsibility for Health IT will also move to OS.

Ephraim Feig, former Associate CIO for Vision and Strategy, is no longer with the agency.  From the Office of Vision and Strategy, the Division of Strategic Services will move to the Office of Quality Performance (OQP), and the Division of IT Strategy will move to OS.

From the Office of Open Government, the Notice Improvement Staff and the Transparency and Citizen Engagement Staff will move to the Office of Communications under the continuing leadership of Alan Lane, and the Division of Authentication will move to the Office of Electronic Services in Operations.  

Greg Pace, Deputy CIO, has accepted a Senior Advisor position with Deputy Commissioner Colvin.

I am taking the first steps to reorganize functions in the Office of Budget, Finance and Management.  The security and emergency preparedness functions currently in the Office of Facilities Management (OFM) will move to the newly created Associate Commissioner-level Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness.  Jim Bentley, currently Associate Commissioner (AC) for Budget, Facilities and Security (OBFS) in the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), will be Associate Commissioner and Mike Kramer, currently Deputy AC for Facilities Management, will be Deputy AC for this new Office.   

I am eliminating the Office of Publications and Logistics Management to consolidate the logistics functions in a new Office titled the Office of Facilities and Supply Management (OFSM).  OPLM’s publications programs will transfer to the Office of Communications (OCOMM).  

Gary Arnold will be the AC for OFSM and Lydia Marshall will be the Deputy AC.    

I am moving responsibility for White House and congressional correspondence from OCOMM’s Office of Public Inquiries (OPI) to the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs.   

Betsy Bake, currently the AC for the Office of Facilities Management, will become the AC for Public Inquiries in the OCOMM.

Joanne Gasparini, currently the Deputy AC in the Office of Financial Policy and Operations, will move to OQP along with the program integrity/improper payments function.  Chris Molander will be Deputy AC, OFPO.   Teresa Rojas (SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) Class IV) will be Acting Senior Advisor for Audits.

In the Office of Budget (OB), Deputy AC Don Hartline will move to ODAR as Deputy AC for OBFS and Eric Jones, the current Deputy AC for OBFS, will move to Deputy AC, OB.

In ODAR, Frank Biro (SES CDP Class IV) will be the Acting AC for OBFS.  

Debra Bice is Chief Administrative Law Judge.  Judge Bice has been Acting in this position since January 2011.  

In OS, Steve Kautsch, AC for Enterprise Support, Architecture and Engineering (OESAE), announced his retirement effective July 2.  Ron Burdinski, currently AC for Applications and Supplemental Security Income Systems (OASSIS) will be AC for OESAE when Steve retires.  Debby Ellis, currently Deputy AC for Disability Systems (ODS), will be AC for OASSIS.  Sonia Miles (SES CDP Class V) will be Acting Deputy AC for ODS. 

In the Office of Operations, Michelle King, currently AC for Public Service and Operations Support (OPSOS), will be the AC for Income Security Programs.  Marianna LaCanfora, currently Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy (ORDP), will be the AC, OPSOS.  LaTina Greene, currently Deputy AC for Central Operations, will be the Assistant Deputy Commissioner, ORDP.

Ruth Lacey, Deputy AC for Disability Determinations (ODD), announced her retirement July 29.  Linda Kerr-Davis (SES CDP Class V) will be Acting Deputy AC, ODD when Ruth retires.

In the Office of the Commissioner, Robin Kaplan, currently the Executive Secretary, will be the Executive Counselor to the Commissioner.  Tiffany Flick, currently the Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff (CoS), is Acting Executive Secretary.  Aviva Sufian, currently AC for External Affairs (OEA) in the Office of Communications, will be Senior Advisor to the CoS.  Kojuan Almond (SES CDP Class V) will be Acting AC, OEA.