Health & Human Services CEO Christine Peterson to Retire

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today announced the retirement of Christine Peterson, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Peterson will continue to serve through Jan. 2, 2009 and then plans to spend more time with her family.

Gov. Heineman said, “Chris Peterson has had an outstanding career in public service. She has served as a Nebraska State Senator and in several key positions at Health and Human Services. As CEO, she has been a strong advocate for a more open, transparent and accountable DHHS. Her knowledge and expertise have been great assets. I am grateful for the years of service she has given DHHS and our state. I appreciate her excellent leadership and I respect her decision to spend more time with her family.”

Peterson said, “I’ve been fortunate to have one of the best jobs in state government. The work of the Department reaches across the state and our employees positively impact the lives of Nebraskans every day. I’ve had wonderful experiences in state government over the past twelve years. I was privileged to represent the people of Legislative District 35 and then serve two Governors and the people of the state through my work with Health and Human Services.” 

Peterson was elected to represent District 35 in the Nebraska Legislature in 1996 and served on the Health and Human Services, Transportation, Revenue, and Retirement Committees. She was vice chair of the Retirement Committee and co-chair of the Legislature’s Gender/Equity Special Committee. She served three years and resigned in 1999 when then-Gov. Mike Johanns appointed her to serve as policy secretary of the Health and Human Services System.

Peterson was a senior leader in the system’s policy cabinet, which oversaw the operations of the system’s three separate agencies. She was part of the team that developed a proposal to merge the agencies when Gov. Heineman began discussions on restructuring the system in 2006. Peterson was integral in building support for the department restructuring bill, LB 296, among legislative and private sector leaders.

Gov. Heineman appointed her to serve as CEO of the newly created Department of Health and Human Services, following the bill’s approval by the Legislature in 2007. She was responsible for implementing the vision outlined in the department restructuring bill. She led in creating a single budget for the department, recruiting directors to head several DHHS divisions and overseeing the restructuring of divisions within the new agency.

As CEO, she directs Nebraska’s largest state agency with a budget of $2.9 billion and more than 5,500 full-time equivalent employees in over 70 offices and facilities across the state. DHHS consists of six divisions: Behavioral Health, Children and Family Services, Developmental Disabilities, Medicaid and Long-Term Care, Public Health, and Veterans' Homes. 

Peterson said, “There’s never a good time to leave because there is always work to be done on major projects and initiatives. Ensuring that we completed the reorganization was important to me and today we have good people in place from our frontline employees to our directors. Our new department has identified problems and worked hard to fix them in an open and transparent way. We’ve not shied away from tackling big issues – even when facing tough critism. While we have made tremendous progress, we still have challenges ahead. Now it's time for someone else to take the reins.”

“Helping people live better lives has been a great honor,” said Peterson.

Gov. Heineman expects to name a new CEO in the coming months.