Meet Our Regional Commissioner

Don Schoening
Regional Commissioner
Seattle Region

Don Schoening is currently the Regional Commissioner for the Social Security Administration, Seattle Region. In his prior position as Deputy Regional Commissioner, he served as the alter ego to the Regional Commissioner and helped guide and direct all of the necessary management functions to administer SSA programs in the four-state region of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. He has direct responsibility for managing the Area Directors, the TSC Director and the Regional Communications Director.

Don began his career with Social Security in 1974 as a Claims Representative in the Hannibal, Missouri office. Don was promoted to Operations Supervisor in Maryville, MO and spent a year there before being selected as a training specialist in the Kansas City Regional Office (KCRO). He was reassigned as a Management Analyst in the KCRO Human Resources section 2 ½ years later. In 1987, he became a field office manager in Kansas City’s inner city office, known then as Hyde Park. Following a nine-year stint as a District Manager, Don was selected as an Operations Manager for the Mid America Program Service Center. He has also completed detail assignments as the District Manager in Lawton, OK in the Dallas Region, an Area Director in the Kansas City Region and on the Commissioner’s Vision 2010 Team in Baltimore.

In 1998 Don was selected for the national Advanced Leadership Program, and then served as the KCRO Human Resources Director. In March 1999 he was selected Assistant Regional Commissioner for Program Center Operations and held that post until being named Deputy Regional Commissioner in Seattle. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in September 2003.

Born and raised in the Detroit area, Don attended Michigan’s Spring Arbor College. After graduation, Don enrolled at Western Illinois University, serving as a teaching assistant while earning his Masters Degree in English. Prior to joining SSA he spent six years teaching high school English, speech and drama. He is married, has two daughters and two granddaughters.

September 2007