SSAB Staff Members

 Katherine A. Thornton, Staff Director

Katherine Thornton was appointed as the Staff Director for the Social Security Advisory in July 2007. Prior to being named to this position she served as the Deputy Staff Director to the Board.  Before coming to the Board in 2005, Ms. Thornton held several senior management positions in the Social Security Administration.  From 1995-2002, she was the Director of the Center for Disability Programs in the Philadelphia region before relocating to SSA’s Baltimore headquarters. While in headquarters, she held a leadership position in the development of SSA’s eDib project and had a temporary appointment as a program manager with the International Social Security Association in Geneva Switzerland.  During her tenure at the Social Security Administration, Kate was the recipient of several agency awards, including 3 Commissioner’s Citations for her work in the disability programs. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Social Work from Western Michigan University.

Deborah Sullivan, Deputy Staff Director

Deborah (Debi) Sullivan joined the Social Security Advisory Board staff in September 2007 as the Deputy Staff Director.  Before joining the Board staff, she was a participant in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) Senior Executive Service Candidate Program and did extensive work on the agency’s most recent disability service improvement initiatives.  Ms. Sullivan began working for SSA as a claims representative in Columbus, Indiana in 1978 and has held increasingly more responsible supervisory and managerial positions throughout her career.  She worked in a number of SSA field offices and the Regional Offices in both Chicago and Atlanta.  In 2002, she relocated to SSA’s headquarters in Baltimore to become the Executive Officer of SSA’s strategic planning component which was responsible for the publication of the agency’s annual planning documents and periodic strategic plans.  During her tenure at the Social Security Administration, Ms. Sullivan was the recipient of many awards including 5 Commissioner’s Citations and a National Performance Award.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science from BallStateUniversity and has completed additional graduate work at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta.

Joel A. Feinleib

Joel Feinleib joined the Advisory Board as Staff Economist in 2005 focusing on long-term financing issues, reform proposals, and empirical research. He previously worked as a research consultant and policy analyst in Washington D.C. and Chicago specializing in the economic, demographic and statistical analysis of social policy issues including welfare policy, drug control policy, environmental health and HIV/AIDS prevention. He holds a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago .

Beverly Rollins

Beverly Rollins began her career with the Federal Government as a claims representative for the Social Security Administration in the Rockville, Maryland field office. She held a number of jobs with SSA, including senior executive analyst for both the Associate Commissioner of Hearings and Appeals and the Deputy Commissioner for Programs.   In 1995, she worked with the National Commission on Childhood Disability, serving as an executive assistant to the Staff Director. Prior to working for the Federal Government, Ms. Rollins worked as a social worker for the Head Start program and the West Virginia Department of Welfare.  Since joining the Board staff in 1996, she has served as Executive Officer.   She holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from West Virginia University and a Master's degree in General Administration from the University of Maryland.

George Schuette

Before joining the Advisory Board staff in 1999, George Schuette worked for the Kentucky Department for Human Resources and the Social Security Administration, taught in colleges, and served in the Army.   He began working for SSA as a generalist claims representative in Cincinnati in 1977. In 1980 he moved to Baltimore to work in the Office of Training. He worked in staff and management positions in a variety of areas, including analyst training, management training, programmatic training, evaluation, and career development. He was involved in the introduction of new technologies to the agency, including personal computers, computer-based training, and interactive video.  He has a Ph.D. in history from Duke University.

David Warner

David Warner began his career with the Federal Government in 1988 as a budget and program analyst for the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.  He worked principally on the administrative budget for the Medicare program and the program and administrative budgets for Medicaid and the Social Security Administration.  Mr. Warner transferred to the Social Security Administration in 1995. Until 1998, he served as a senior social insurance specialist and executive officer for the Deputy Commissioner for Legislation and Congressional Affairs.  In 1998, Mr. Warner completed a developmental assignment as professional staff to the Social Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means.  Since joining the staff of the Social Security Advisory Board in 1999, he has served as professional staff to the Board. He holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin and a Master's degree in public sector and non-profit financial management from the University of Maryland.