Gov. Raimondo taps city policy officer to lead department

ABC6 News

By: The Associated Press

news@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has nominated a Providence human services policy officer to lead the state Department of Human Services.

The Democratic governor announced Friday that Courtney Hawkins, a policy director for Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, is her choice to lead the agency. Hawkins’ tenure is slated to begin June 12.

The department’s acting director, Eric Beane, is expected to receive Raimondo’s nomination to become the next secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Officials say the director of HealthSource RI, Zach Sherman, will inherit the task of managing the turnaround of the state’s new benefits system. The system launched in September and has since been plagued with technical problems that resulted in thousands of delays in benefits to residents.

© The Assocaited Press WLNE-TV  2017

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