Head of Nebraska’s Health and Human Services resigns

Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday announced the resignation of Dannette Smith as head of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. 

Appointed in January 2019 by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, Smith reportedly took a role with a national firm that supports health and human services across the United States. Her last day in Pillen’s cabinet is Aug. 4.

Pillen, in a news release, said he was grateful to Smith for her public service and dedication to improving the lives of Nebraskans.

Smith, in the same statement, said it was an honor to head the department that had oversight of some 5,000 staff members. She said she feels a “great sense of accomplishment.”

 “I have spent every day challenging myself and my team to work with passion, integrity, and intentionality because the people of Nebraska depend on us,” Smith said. “Not only do I feel a great sense of accomplishment about what we have achieved, I look forward to taking the energy and the spirit of my fellow Nebraskans with me as I take on the new challenges in my next chapter.”

Smith managed an annual budget of $6.3 million. Highlights of her tenure, as noted in her statement, included efforts to address COVID-19 and the redesign of the state’s YRTC services.

Smith also was at the helm of DHHS when Nebraska officials awarded a contract to oversee the state’s child welfare system to St. Francis Ministries of Kansas. The financially troubled nonprofit’s $197 million bid was later revealed to be markedly low, requiring DHHS later to come up with $158 million more in funding to avoid the organization’s financial collapse.

The state has since ended its experiment with privatizing child welfare services and has taken back those operations from St. Francis.

Smith’s resignation comes three months after the departure of another state department head, Tony Goins of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Pillen has not announced an interim DHHS director. He said a national search will be launched to find Smith’s permanent replacement.

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