FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 12, 2004)—Michael A. Fields, a deputy commissioner of the state Department for Community Based Services since December 2002, has been named Undersecretary for Human Services in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).

            In announcing the appointment today, Cabinet Secretary James W. Holsinger Jr., M.D., said he expects Fields to provide “steady, experienced and compassionate leadership to services essential to the health and well-being of Kentuckians of all ages.”

            Fields’ division of the Cabinet consists of the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs, the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service and the offices of Aging Services, Certificate of Need, Women’s Physical and Mental Health, Family Resource and Youth Services Centers and CHFS Ombudsman.

Dr. Holsinger said Fields’ breadth of experience in public service made him an ideal choice to lead so diverse an array of agencies. Fields, 56, was executive director of the Housing Authority of Frankfort from 1980 until 2000. He previously held positions with the state Division of Real Properties, the state Department of Transportation and the River Region Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board.

A Frankfort native, Fields holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master of public administration degree in counseling and personnel, both from Kentucky State University.

“I am honored to be part of the senior management team that Dr. Holsinger is putting together and look forward to addressing the challenges facing this Cabinet,” Fields said. He called the agencies assigned to him essential parts of the Cabinet’s strategy for meeting health needs, strengthening families and offering children and adults the kinds of support they need to live, learn and work productively.

As part of his efforts to make state government more efficient, Gov. Ernie Fletcher created the Cabinet for Health and Family Services by combining the former Cabinet for Health Services and Cabinet for Families and Children. Responsibilities for services within the new cabinet are divided among four undersecretaries.

Dr. Holsinger has previously named Mark Birdwhistell undersecretary for Health, Duane Kilty undersecretary for Administrative and Fiscal Affairs and Mike Robinson acting undersecretary for Children and Family Services.

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