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Beth Voigt
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The American Public Human Services Association has selected Minnesota Department of Human Services Assistant Commissioner Erin Sullivan Sutton as the 2012 Outstanding Member Award winner for contributing to the transformation of human services and advancing the mission of the association.

Sullivan Sutton was selected for her work to improve child welfare practice in Minnesota and for her work nationally, according to Tracy Wareing, executive director of the organization. “Erin has provided steadfast leadership in human services for many years. Her work in Minnesota has been at the leading edge of child welfare practice,” Wareing said.

The American Public Human Services Association is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization representing appointed state and local health and human service agency commissioners. It is the only association of the nation’s top government human service executives, including states, the District of Columbia, and the territories, their key state program managers, and hundreds of county-level human service directors nationwide.

“This award is so well deserved,” said Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. “Not only has Erin demonstrated her commitment to children and families in the child welfare system here in Minnesota, but she has shared her professional expertise with others across the country, and for that, she deserves this recognition. We are very proud of her and feel fortunate that she is part of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.”

As assistant commissioner, Sullivan Sutton is responsible for programs and policies that promote economic stability, child safety and permanency, child care, child support and successful transition for immigrant families. Named assistant commissioner in June 2010, she previously served as director of Child Safety and Permanency, where she oversaw adoption, foster care, child protection and other children’s services for the state.