Leadership Profiles

Don JordanDon Jordan, Secretary

Don Jordan was appointed Acting Secretary of SRS in December of 2006. Prior to being appointed Acting Secretary, Jordan served as Commissioner of the Juvenile Justice Authority. Jordan has an extensive history with SRS, having worked at SRS for nearly 30 years. He has held a variety of positions throughout the agency, including Administrative Service Chief (Wichita Regional Office), Director of Administration and Coordinator of State Institution Services (Topeka Central Office), and Superintendent of Osawatomie State Hospital. Don received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Wichita State University.

Laura HowardLaura Howard, Assistant Secretary

Laura Howard has worked at SRS since 1996. She has held a variety of positions at SRS including Deputy Commissioner of Children and Family Services, Chief of Staff, and Deputy Secretary for Health Care Policy. Prior to SRS, she worked for the Kansas Legislative Research Department for 12 years conducting fiscal and policy analysis. She received degrees in Public Administration and Economics from Miami University. She received a law degree from the University of Kansas.

Candace ShivelyCandace Shively, Deputy Secretary, Integrated Service Delivery

Candace Shively has worked at SRS for 27 years. She has held a variety of positions at SRS, including Commissioner of Economic and Employment Support, Administrator of Social Services for the Topeka Area Office, and Director of Income Maintenance for the Kansas City Area Office. Shively received a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Washburn University.

 
Ray DaltonRay Dalton, Acting Deputy Secretary for Health Care Policy

Ray Dalton was appointed as the Acting Deputy Secretary for Health Care Policy in June 2006. For the two years prior to this appointment he was the Superintendent of the Kansas Neurological Institute (KNI). Before his appointment to KNI, Ray served as the Director of the Accounting and Administrative Operations Division of SRS for approximately 6 years. Ray has a Bachelor of Science degree from Norwich University and a Master's degree in Health Care Administration from Baylor University. Prior to working for the State of Kansas, Ray spent 22 years in the military in health care administration.

Kyle KesslerKyle Kessler, Deputy Secretary, Public and Governmental Services

Kyle Kessler began working at SRS in the fall of 2003. He previously worked for the Division of Budget and at the Human Rights Commission. Kyle has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History from Emporia State University and a Master's degree from Kansas State University.

 

Lori AlvaradoLori Alvarado, Deputy Secretary, Prevention and Employee Supports

Lori Alvarado assumed the position of Deputy Secretary of this new division in March of 2006. Prior to this position, she served as the special assistant in Health Care Policy. She began working for SRS in January of 2002 as the Prevention Team leader in Addiction and Prevention Services. She worked for 15 years as an SRS contractor, both in the substance abuse prevention and family preservation arenas. She is a Baker University graduate with a degree in Communications.

 

John BadgerJohn Badger, General Counsel

John Badger has worked at SRS since 1974. His career includes positions in Child Support Enforcement and Fraud Recovery units. He served as Deputy Chief Counsel for several years and has been Chief Counsel since 1991. He received a Bachelor's degree from Kansas State University and a law degree from Washburn University. He completed course work for a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.

 

Lois WeeksLois Weeks, Director, Financial Management

Lois Weeks has served as the SRS Director of Budget since 2003. She has worked at SRS for over 14 years. Lois also was a high school teacher and worked in the banking industry. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business Education from Fort Hays State University.

 

Jeff LewisJeff Lewis, Chief Information Officer 

Jeff Lewis has over 22 years of experience in Information Technology, serving in both the private and public sector as a CIO. His background includes over 15 years of public service in the State of Kansas, including positions at the Department of Labor, Corrections, KBI, and his most recent appointment to SRS in May 2006. Jeff also has worked at Payless ShoeSource and BeyondNow Technologies, a Cerner Corporation. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science/Information Systems from Washburn University of Topeka.