George Sheldon joins Obama administration

Congrats, George!  We shall do lunch, very soon.  We have lots of fraud to talk about ending.

George Sheldon joins Obama administration

That job we said George Sheldon was getting with the Obama administration ... it's official now.
This afternoon Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Sheldon would join the Administration for Children and Families. (Her note to staff is in the jump.)
Sheldon, who was head of Florida's Department of Children and Families under Gov. Charlie Crist, will get a sendoff from friends at Clyde's in Tallahassee beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
To: ACF Staff and HHS Senior Leadership
From: Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
I am very pleased to announce that George Sheldon will be joining HHS in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).  He will serve as Senior Advisor to David Hansell until David’s departure on June 17th when he will become the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary at ACF.  

George comes to us with over 35 years of national, state, and local government experience, having served most recently as Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).  Prior to that, he served as that Department’s Assistant Secretary for Operations.  During his time in Florida, George oversaw the state’s child welfare programs, fostering a 36% reduction in children in out-of-home care, focusing closely on integrating mental health and domestic violence services throughout the Department. He also helped the state dramatically reduce their SNAP error rate to become a national leader.

In early 2010, George worked closely with federal partners at HHS and ACF in the aftermath of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake.  Together, Florida and ACF met the needs of over 27,000 American citizens, 700 medical evacuees, and 600 Haitian children moving through the adoption process with American families.  Before his service at DCF, George was Associate Dean for Student and Alumni Services at St. Thomas University School of Law.  In 1975, George was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he built an eight-year record focusing on the environment and children. 

Born in Wildwood, New Jersey, George received both his B.A. and J.D. from Florida State University. 

Please join me in welcoming George to the Department.  We look forward to his leadership.