Rochelle Chronister began today her tenure as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Secretary Chronister was appointed to the position by Governor Bill Graves in late April.

Chronister, a 17-year veteran of the Kansas House of Representatives, spent her first day as Secretary meeting with SRS administrators. She said she will spend the first few weeks learning about SRS programs from an inside prospective. She is especially interested in gathering information from SRS officials on the effect of major changes in social welfare programs currently under discussion in Washington, D.C.

It is a time of tremendous change for social service programs in the United States and in Kansas," she said. I plan to work with the people who have been administering programs to make sure those changes work to the advantage of both the taxpayers of Kansas and people we serve."

Chronister's knowledge of the budget process will be a tremendous asset to the agency. In the Kansas House, she has chaired the Education Committee, the Joint Committee on Economic Development, and importantly, the Appropriations Committee.

Secretary Chronister said she plans to use her understanding of fiscal issues to determine how SRS can be restructured to save tax dollars while continuing to serve vulnerable Kansans.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001