2002.06.13:HHS Career Executives Named to Leadership Positions

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 13, 2002

Contact:

HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

HHS CAREER EXECUTIVES NAMED TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced new positions for two top career executives in the department:
Dennis P. Williams will become deputy administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and
Kerry N. Weems will become deputy assistant secretary for budget in the office of the Assistant Secretary for Budget, Technology and Finance.

"Dennis Williams and Kerry Weems are truly dedicated to public service and are among the best administrators at HHS," Secretary Thompson said. "I have no doubt that their combined expertise and years of experience will continue to advance the department's important mission."

As deputy administrator at HRSA, Williams will be second-in-command to Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke, also a career HHS executive.

At HRSA, Williams will help lead the department's primary agency for improving and expanding access to quality health care for all Americans, with a fiscal year 2002 budget of $6.2 billion. Williams will assist in the guidance of more than 2,100 employees to assure the availability of quality health care to low-income, uninsured, isolated, vulnerable and special needs populations.

Prior to his new appointment, Williams served as acting assistant secretary for budget, technology and Finance (ASBTF) from January 2001 to February 2002. During that time, Williams served as the department's chief financial officer and as the chief information officer. He provided counsel to the Secretary relating to all matters of budgeting, financial operations and information technology resources, notably the decisions to implement a unified financial management system and to adopt an enterprise approach to information technology. Since February 2002, Williams has provided leadership as the acting deputy assistant secretary for information resource management. Williams' HHS career spans 25 years.

As deputy assistant secretary for budget, Weems will provide expertise and advice to the ASBTF on the largest budget of any federal department, with a fiscal year 2003 budget request of $488 billion. Weems will oversee all budgetary program policy, including the formulation of the HHS budget and its presentation to the Office of Management and Budget and to Congress. He will continue to provide leadership in implementing the President's management agenda, specifically efforts to improve integration of program performance with the HHS budget. Weems has served as acting deputy assistant secretary for budget since January 2001. Before serving as acting deputy assistant secretary, Weems was the director for the Division of Budget Policy, Execution and Management. Weems has a 19-year career with HHS.

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