Caseworkers, juvenile rehabilitation staff, and licensors were among the 1,400 staff who tuned into the unofficial handoff between Secretary Ross Hunter and Rep. Tana Senn, who is set to lead the Department of Children, Youth, and Families on Jan. 15.
Senn began by thanking Secretary Hunter and letting staff know she looks forward to working with everyone.
“I wanted to be a teacher when I was growing up and really help with being a positive impact on kids’ lives and as I got into my student teaching and more training, I saw some of the policy barriers and so I jumped into public policy,” Rep. Senn explained.
Rep. Senn said she worked in non-profits and foundations that focused on human services and children’s issues adding, “this has always been central to my heart.”
She was elected to city council and then joined the State Legislature where she served as chair of the Human Services, Youth, and Early Learning committee.
Senn shared one of her first bills was creating the Fair Assessment Response and Fair Start for Kids Act, as well as juvenile justice legislation.
When asked about the type of leader she wants to be at DCYF, Rep. Senn said she is looking forward to listening as she meets with staff across the state to learn about what is happening on the ground.
“I want to be real…be a genuine person and have those conversations and be open and to be honest,” she said. “That is the kind of person that I am when you meet me.”
Rep. Senn said she plans to be effective.
“It’s about implementation, it’s about making the policies that we have passed work, work for social workers, work for families, and work for the state,” she said.
In this first year, she says her themes will be communication, support, and service.
After a long tenure with Secretary Hunter, this transition will be the first for the agency since it was created in 2017.
Outgoing Secretary Hunter acknowledged the bittersweet feeling in his parting words
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to do this work, I’m happy to hand it off to Tana,” he said. “The work this agency does is the hardest work in government, and it’s also some of the most important. And the world is getting better, and we can help it get better for the families that are most challenged.”
Incoming Secretary Senn acknowledged Hunter’s impact on the agency.
“That really helped get over to this finish line and your leadership has been really incredible,” she said. “I’m really honored to be the second secretary following your leadership.”