Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller announced she will resign her position effective April 30. Miller will move on to a new opportunity outside Pennsylvania.
“My time in Pennsylvania has afforded me opportunities to work on issues that are deeply close to my heart, and for that I am extremely honored and grateful,” Miller said. “Through all of this, the people of Pennsylvania have been at the forefront of this work and have driven our commitment to constant improvement and innovation in service delivery, and I know this focus and work will continue to grow, allowing DHS and our partners to help people in new ways.”
Miller joined the Wolf Administration in January 2015, first serving as Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner. As commissioner, Miller renewed the department’s commitment to consumer protection and re-established an emphasis on consumer education and financial literacy in partnership with other state agencies, consumer groups and advocates across Pennsylvania. Miller led the Insurance Department through attempts to replace the Affordable Care Act and advocated across Pennsylvania and to the United States Congress in defense of the ACA, which she said has helped more than a million Pennsylvanians directly access health coverage.
Miller was appointed to lead the Department of Human Services in August 2017. In her time at DHS, she focused on strengthening and promoting Pennsylvania’s public assistance network to help people meet essential needs and improve their circumstances through difficult times, particularly in the last year. She also led DHS work to better focus on racial equity across programs.
“I want to thank Gov. Wolf for the opportunity to serve Pennsylvania and its citizens, as well as my fellow cabinet members, the General Assembly, and our valued partners at the federal, state, county and local level for the partnership and collaboration I’ve experienced over the last six years. Our success would not be possible without each of you,” Miller said. “And to the dedicated public servants at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and DHS, thank you. I’ve learned more than I ever imagined working alongside you, and your commitment to the people we serve, and our work has made this work possible.”
Gov. Tom Wolf intends to nominate Meg Snead to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Human Services.
“Meg Snead is an exceptional public servant whose background includes extensive experience in policy development for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens,” Wolf said. “She has dedicated her career to ensuring individuals have necessary social determinants of health, like adequate access to housing and healthcare. Meg began her career in Pennsylvania with DHS where she was integral in managing strategic policy initiatives for the commonwealth’s medical assistance programs for both physical and behavioral health services. I look forward to the successes of the department to better the lives of Pennsylvanians with her leading the charge.”
Most recently, Snead served as Wolf’s Secretary of Policy and Planning overseeing the administration’s development and implementation of policy priorities, including the COVID-19 pandemic response, ensuring access to healthcare, and breaking barriers to critical human services. Snead comes to Pennsylvania with a background in affordable housing, homelessness and healthcare policy, having spent 10 years working in the nonprofit industry in the Denver, Colorado area.
Snead holds a bachelor’s in government from the University of South Carolina and a master’s in political science from the University of Colorado.
“I want to thank Teresa for devoting her career in the commonwealth to its people,” said Wolf. “During her tenure, she was instrumental in ensuring Pennsylvanians had access to healthcare, designing programs to break generational poverty, and redesigning Pennsylvania’s employment and training programs for people who use public assistance. I wish Teresa and her family well as she makes this transition and during future endeavors.”
