Estelle B. Richman is a former American government official, who served as the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare from 2003 to 2009.[1][2] She currently works as the chair for the Center for Health Care Strategies.[3]

Estelle Richman
Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
In office
2003–2009
GovernorEd Rendell
Personal details
EducationCase Western Reserve University (BA)
Cleveland State University (MA)

Education

edit

She earned her undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1965 and her master's degree from Cleveland State University in 1978.[4][5] Richman also holds honorary doctorates from Alvernia University, Drexel University, and Temple University.[3][6]

Career

edit

As Welfare Secretary, Richman oversaw agency efforts that resulted in an increased percentage of foster children finding permanent homes, a drop in the waiting list for mental-retardation services, improved child-support collection programs, and the creation of the state's first Bureau of Autism. In 1998, she was awarded the Ford Foundation/Good Housekeeping Award for Women in Government.[3]

Prior to her job with the state Public Welfare Department, Richman held several offices in Philadelphia, including Managing Director, Director of Social Services, Commissioner of Public Health, and Deputy Commissioner for Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.

She resigned her post on December 31, 2009 to take a position as chief operating officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.[7] Richman begin her job on January 4, 2010.

Richman resigned as a senior advisor at HUD in 2016. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf then nominated her to join the Philadelphia School Reform Commission on October 28, 2016.[8] She was confirmed in May 2017,[9] and was serving as the SRC chair when the commission dissolved in 2018.[10][11]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Estelle Richman - Secretary of Public Welfare". Governor's Cabinet Officials.
  2. ^ "Estelle B. Richman (PA)". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on 2010-09-29.
  3. ^ a b c "Estelle Richman (Chair)". Center for Health Care Strategies. 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  4. ^ "Estelle Richman case western - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  5. ^ "Estelle Richman, Dick Vermeil to receive honorary degrees from Temple". The Philadelphia Tribune. April 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "UPDATE: Who's speaking at Philly-area commencements in 2017". www.phillyvoice.com. April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  7. ^ "Pennsylvania welfare chief steps down to join HUD". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. December 9, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Gov. Wolf nominates Estelle B. Richman to SRC". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 28, 2016.
  9. ^ Writer, Ryanne Persinger Tribune Staff. "State Senate confirms SRC appointment of Estelle Richman". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  10. ^ "Philadelphia School Reform Commission Has Dissolved. So Now What?". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  11. ^ "Philly SRC departs with busy meeting". WHYY. Retrieved 2021-04-06.