Oklahoma Human Services celebrates his commitment to lifting Oklahomans out of poverty, announcement of Dr. Deborah Shropshire as his successor

OKLAHOMA CITY (DATE) — Justin Brown announced today he will step down from his role as Secretary of Human Services. He was first named to the role on March 12, 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped the agency and his cabinet successfully maintain their *True North while navigating the pandemic’s incredible impacts on the agency’s customers and workforce. As Secretary, Brown assumed responsibility for several agencies, boards and commissions, including Oklahoma Human Services, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, the Office of Disability Concerns, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services and the J.D. McCarty Center. He also served as Director of Human Services from June 4, 2019 until July 29, 2022.

Brown’s role as Secretary has allowed him to continue to build on his reputation as an innovator and deeply compassionate collaborator, working with partners across the state and nation to create positive, long-lasting systemic change to reduce poverty and keep humans first in the design of programs intended to serve them.

During Brown’s tenure, the agency has seen incredible transformation and an increased depth of service within the community. The development and securing of funding for the strategy to eliminate the agency’s decades-long wait for Developmental Disabilities Services, improvements to the child welfare system, modernization of the agency’s systems and processes and strategic investments within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program were all spearheaded under Brown’s visionary leadership. In each of these spaces and so many more, his dedication to service, growth and, perhaps most of all, hope, were demonstrated by his deep desire to serve alongside and remove barriers for the workforce he so greatly values.

“After my family, this incredible work has been one of the greatest joys and honors of my life, and made impacts I will carry with me forever,” said Brown. “I am proud of the legacy I am leaving behind at the agency and within the cabinet and the positive impacts we have made together for Oklahomans. I’m also grateful to Governor Stitt, the legislature, Dr. Shropshire and the other cabinet directors and the incredible workforce at Oklahoma Human Services for their dedication to make the future brighter and more hopeful for all of our great state. Our work together has made a positive difference and will continue to pay dividends into the future.”

In 2022, Brown also served as Chairman of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) Leadership Council and as a member of the Governing Board of Directors, as well as a member of the National Governor’s Association’s (NGA) Core Advisory Board for Children and Families.

With Brown’s departure, Governor Stitt has nominated Dr. Deborah Shropshire, Oklahoma Human Services’ director, as the interim Secretary of Human Services until she can be considered for legislative confirmation during next year’s session. A lifetime advocate for Oklahoma’s children and families, Dr. Shropshire was confirmed as director of the agency in May following her appointment to the role in January. She previously served as Director of Child Welfare Services, a role to which she was named early in Brown’s leadership in 2019.

“I’m thankful to Governor Stitt for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working more closely with the agency leaders within the Human Services Cabinet,” said Dr. Shropshire. “Many of us have served together in other roles, and we share a deep desire to serve Oklahomans with excellence. I’m also grateful for the leadership of Secretary Brown, and I hope to carry forward the principles of collaboration and innovation, which he and I both value.”    

###

*Editor’s note: While at Oklahoma Human Services, Brown introduced a grassroots strategic planning effort and human services operating system known as the ‘True North.’ Because of this transformational approach, the agency was able to remain focused on its long-term strategies during the pandemic, instead of assuming a defensive posture during this time of dramatic disruption.

About Oklahoma Human Services

Oklahoma Human Services offers help and hope to more than 1.5 million Oklahomans each year through a wide range of services and support that promote their safety, independence and wellbeing. Learn more at https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs.html and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

High-resolution agency logos are available at https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/library/okdhslogo/blackwhite.html.