OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Legislature unanimously appointed a new Commissioner of Social Services last Thursday following an extensive search process. Leonore (Lee) Sullivan of Oswego will take the reins of the agency at the end of the month.
“On behalf of the Legislature, I want to welcome and extend my congratulations to Ms. Sullivan,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup. “She will be working with a very dedicated and talented staff at DSS, and I am confident her skills and qualities will build a successful team. She has the charisma, knowledge and leadership that will help continue the development of strong relationships between public agencies, our residents and all departments within the county.”
Sullivan brings over 20 years of experience in operations management, business process improvement, strategic planning, quality control and stakeholder relations as a manager and program director in various fields of human services.
Before offering the resolution to appoint the new commissioner, Roy E. Reehil, District 5, chairman of the Oswego County Legislature’s Human Services Committee, recognized the outgoing commissioner and deputy commissioner on their retirements.
“It’s important to me to take a moment on the floor of the Legislature to recognize Stacy Alvord and Marti Babcock’s tremendous service to Oswego County. At the time of their retirements this year, they served as Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Social Services for eight and 32 years respectively. Their steadfast service to Oswego County, their staff and clients was a tremendous asset during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout their tenure as they worked tirelessly to improve services and utilize cutting-edge technology to increase efficiency within the department. It was a pleasure and an honor to work with them and I wish them both many years of happiness in retirement.”
He continued, “With that recognition complete, it is also an honor to be able to present Lenore Sullivan, or Lee as she prefers to be called, to the Legislature as our next Commissioner of Social Services. Her optimism was contagious during our search committee interviews and I will do everything I can to help her settle in and be a great success as Commissioner going forward.”
With most of her career in leadership and senior management positions at agencies such as Oswego Industries/ARC of Oswego, Unity House of Cayuga County and ARISE, Inc., Sullivan’s work focused on ensuring effectiveness, accountability, and quality control of services for individuals with developmental disabilities, persistent mental illness and substance abuse.
“It became apparent during the candidate vetting process that Ms. Sullivan’s career experience is an effective blend of direct service, strong managerial skills, and a very positive, open, and charismatic leadership style,” said Oswego County Administrator Philip Church. “We believe these qualities are exactly what DSS needs right now during this time of transition and process improvement.”
The selection committee included Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, members of the Oswego County Legislature’s Human Services and Finance and Personnel committees, Oswego County Administrator Philip Church and Oswego County Personnel Director Julie Bell.
“I am honored to be selected to lead the County’s Department of Social Services, and to be unanimously confirmed by the full Legislature,” said Sullivan. “I know the last few years have been a challenge, but I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective to the table so we can all move forward in a positive way.
She added, “My experience overseeing the day-to-day for a variety of programs such as habilitation and recovery services, and quality assurance audits, lends itself well to this new opportunity. I’m looking forward to working with this team to enhance our daily operations, utilize a well-developed network of resources to build and strengthen bonds within our community and achieve our higher-level goals in support of the County’s mission.”
The mission of the Oswego County Department of Social Services is to strengthen families, assure safety, promote self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life in our community. The Commissioner of Social Services is responsible for administering public assistance and care as defined by New York State Social Welfare Law. The Commissioner organizes, directs and coordinates the work of all employees in the department to achieve the effective and efficient operation of the multiple programs. These include financial assistance programs, child and elder abuse investigation, Medicaid, mental health, emergency housing, child support, foster care and adoption, family services and Family Court matters.
Sullivan will serve a statutory term of five years. She replaces Commissioner Stacy Alvord, who retired in June.
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