About us

Agency and division heads

View the organization chart listing the Minnesota Department of Human Services agency heads, deputy and assistant heads, and division heads. 

View the organization chart 

Office of the commissioner

Commissioner, Shireen Gandhi 651-431-2907

Deputy Commissioner/Medicaid Director

  • Deputy Commissioner, John Connolly 651-431-2907

Chief of Staff

  • Assistant Commissioner, Josh Syrjamaki 651-431-4268
  • Office of Strategy and Performance Director, Marisa Hinnenkamp 651-431-2935
  • Resettlement Programs Office Director, Rachele King 651-431-3837

Agency culture and relations divisions

Communications

Director, Greta Bergstrom 651-431-2912

Community Relations

Director, Helen Ghebre 651-431-2762

County Relations

Director, Eric Ratzmann 651-431-2020

Employee Culture

  • Assistant Commissioner, De Anna Conover 651-431-3125
  • Agency-wide Development and Learning Director, Cratè Darden 651-382-6762
  • Human Resources Director, Jess Page 651-431-3025
  • Human Resources Deputy Director, Jennifer Worthington 651431-4439
  • Diversity Recruitment and Retention Supervisor, Sean McMoore 651-431-5697
  • Minnesota Merit System Director, Melisa Bryant 651-431-6962

DHS Equity and Inclusion

  • DHS Equity Officer, Vacant
  • Equity and Inclusion Director, (WOOC) Hli Vang 651-274-0964

Operations Equity and Inclusion

Operations Director, Nate Carter 651-431-2204 

Federal Relations

Director, Tamir Elnabarawy 651-431-6439

Legislative Relations

Director, Kristy Graume 651-431-2390

Tribal and Urban Indian Relations

Director, Angie DeLille 651-200-7669 

Agency Effectiveness Divisions

Agency Effectiveness

Director of Agency Effectiveness, Mary Kim 651-431-4703

Chief Financial Officer

  • Chief Financial Officer Interim, Sarah Orange 651-431-2151
  • Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Sarah Orange 651-431-2151
  • Budget Analysis Director, Elyse Bailey 651-402-7046
  • Financial Operations Director, Carmen Patton-Minder 651-431-3742
  • Management Operations Director, Roger Ehresmann 651-431-2936
  • Reports and Forecasts Director, Shawn Welch 651-431-2939

Finance and Technology Systems Office

  • Finance and IT Systems Officer, Sarah Orange 651-431-2151
  • Business Solutions Office, Business Transformation Officer, Jeffrey Jorgenson 651-431-2118

Compliance Office

  • Compliance Officer, Jessica Geil 651-431-2917
  • Appeals Director, Steven Collins 651-431-2301
  • Contracts and Legal Compliance Director, Brynn Rhodes 651-431-2275
  • Deputy DHS Compliance Interim Officer, Rosalie Vollmar 651-431-2832
  • Internal Controls and Accountability Director, Gary L. Johnson 651-431-3623
  • Organizational Integrity Office, Nikki Thompson 651-431-4248

General Counsel’s Office

  • Chief General Counsel, Andrew Johnson 651-431-4855
  • Equal Opportunity and Access Director, Interim Director, Richard Nymoen 651-431-3456
  • Quality Assurance and Disability Compliance Services Director, Margaret Fletcher-Booth 651-431-5776 

Office of Inspector General

  • Inspector General, James Clark 651-431-4030
  • Background Studies, Deputy Inspector General, Dawn Davis 651-431-2113
  • Chief Legal Counsel, Betsy Schollmeier 651-431-6577
  • Business Integration and Analytics Director, Eric J McCool 651-431-6586
  • Equity and Inclusion Director, Micah Tran 651-431-6611
  • Program Integrity Oversight, Deputy Inspector General, (WOOC) Amanda Novak 651-431-6378
  • Licensing, Deputy Inspector General, Alyssa Dotson 651-431-6560
  • Enterprise Operations and Policy Director, Patrick Holman 651-431-6411

Management Services Division

Director, Heather Holt 651-431-3188 

Aging and Disability Services

  • Assistant Commissioner Interim, Mor Vue 651-431-4908
  • Deputy Assistant Commissioner Interim, Rachel Shands 651-431-9175
  • Aging and Adult Services Director, Reena Shetty 651-587-4597
  • Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services Director, Dan Millikin 651-964-1452
  • Disability Services Director, Heidi Hamilton 651-431-2710
  • Equity Director, Deqa Sayid
  • Fiscal Analysis and Results Management Director, Miriam Hirman 651-431-2548
  • Grants, Equity, Access and Research (GEAR) Director, Carol Anthony 651-431-6334
  • Nursing Facility Rates and Policy Director, Kim Brenne 651-431-4339
  • Operations and Central Functions Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Colin Stemper 651-431-4262
  • Transitions, Tribal and Transformations Director, Amy Petersen 651- 4312443

Behavioral Health Administration

  • Assistant Commissioner, Teresa Steinmetz 651-431-6290
  • Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Kristine Preston 651-431-2618
  • Business Integration and Alignment Director, Tom Gosset 651-4312601
  • Chief Administrative Officer, Sara Rose 651-431-6972

Homelessness, Housing and Support Services Administration

  • Assistant Commissioner Interim, Andrea Simonett 651-431-6327
  • Housing and Support Services Director Interim, Tom Balsley 651-431-6152
  • Equity Director, Shavana Talbert 651-431-6444
  • Business Integration and Alignment Director, Tom Gosset 651-431-2601

Health Care Administration

  • Assistant Commissioner, Vacant
  • Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Medicaid, Coverage and Service Delivery, Diogo Reis 651-431-2106
  • Chief Administrative Officer, Jill Sweiven 651-431-4090
  • Equity Director, Vacant
  • Federal Relations Director, Patrick Hultman 651-431-4311
  • Health Care Budget and Finance Director, Troy Mangan 651-431-2138
  • Health Care Eligibility and Access Administration Division Director, Karen M. Gibson 651-431-2297
  • Health Care Eligibility Operations Director, Tamara Smith 651-431-2296
  • Health Care Research and Quality (HRQ) Director, Mathew Spaan 651-431-2495
  • Managed Care Rates Director, Jeffrey Provance 651-431-2349
  • Medicaid Medical Director, Dr. Nathan Chomilo 651-431-2481
  • Medicaid Payments and Provider Services Director, Matthew Woods 651-431-2315
  • Chief Compliance Officer, Health Care Integrity and Accountability Director, Britt Kringle 651-431-3151
  • Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Eligibility and Compliance, Pamela (PJ) Weiner 651-431-3487

MNIT Services

  • Chief Business Technology Officer, George McNulty 651-431-6609
  • Deputy Chief Business Technology Officer, Michael Wright 651-431-3247
  • Application Services Director, Deb Tibstra 651-431-4074
  • BA/QA Deputy Director, Michelle Kieffer 651-431-5751
  • Central Functions Director/Chief Administrative Officer, Mae Sheryak 651-431-2664
  • Enterprise Architecture Director, Rashed Ferdous 651-431-4624
  • Information Security Director, Chris Luhman 651-431-4323
  • Java Application Development Director, Jim Gilsrud 651-431-4062
  • Mainframe Systems Development Director, Tony Bokhorst 651-431-4763
  • Microsoft Application Development Director, Thom Jones 651-431-4768
  • Program Management Director, Deb Hauerwas 651-431-5730