Tingus Appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Dear NIDRR Grantees, Friends and Colleagues:
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I tendered my resignation to U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Monday, June 25, 2007, as Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), effective June 30, 2007. We have accomplished much to be proud of at NIDRR, but now it is time for me to undertake a challenge for President George W. Bush. I have accepted a position as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) starting on July 2, 2007.
I have learned and grown during my tenure at ED/OSERS/NIDRR, and value the many friendships and collegial relationships that I formed during these past six years. As I told the Secretary, "I have been privileged to manage an incredible team of civil servants who work day and night to get these important jobs done and done right. NIDRR's employees are dedicated to their work, and you can be proud of their individual and collective service to the country through President George W. Bush's Freedom Initiative (NFI) goals."
We made tremendous improvements at the U.S. Department of Education over the last six years and I am very proud of our record and accomplishments. Since the start, I have remained committed to aggressively implementing the President's Management Agenda. We have improved the accountability and performance of NIDRR's discretionary grant programs - progressing from an OMB PART score of "Results Not Demonstrated" to a score of "Adequate" in just three years.
As Chair of the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), also highlighted in the President's NFI, Committee members improved coordination and cooperation government-wide in conducting disability and rehabilitation research programs. We asked for and received input from individuals with disabilities and/or their representatives in pursuance of the ICDR's mission and submitted an annual report to the President and Congress.
Therehave been many meaningful experiences during my NIDRR tenure, but perhaps the most poignant were the premature loss of Deborah Wilkerson and Mitchell Rosenthal, both extraordinary people and dedicated supporters of rehabilitation research, individuals with disabilities, and NIDRR. I valued their contributions and personal support, and they serve as a reminder to all of us that what we do in life matters.
I am looking forward to continuing to further the accomplishments of our President and his Administration for individuals with disabilities by working for HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt. As most of you already know, I have a deep commitment toward improving the health, education, employment, and community living options for the aging and disabled. DALTCP addresses long-term care issues and personal assistance services, including informal caregiving. DALTCP is responsible for the development of financing and service organization/delivery policy which includes planning, policy and budget analysis, review of regulations and formulation of legislation, and for the development and coordination of research and evaluation on issues related to disability, aging, and long-term care policy.
As I leave NIDRR, I am very proud of our staff and of the numerous improvements we have made in management and evaluation. Our staff is strong and has good leadership. I am confident that NIDRR's Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-2009 will be carried out, and that NIDRR will continue to contribute in a significant way to increased knowledge and capacity building in the field of disability and rehabilitation research. I am sure that the future will bring many accomplishments for NIDRR under the senior leadership that I have established, and I want you to know that you and NIDRR will have my life-long support.
Sincerely,
Steven James Tingus, M.S., C.Phil.
Effective July 2, 2007
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Office of the Secretary
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
