Washington, DC—Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders, Brenda Donald Walker, announced today the appointment of Department of Human Services (DHS) Income Maintenance Administration (IMA) Administrator Kate Jesberg, as Interim Director of DHS. Ms. Jesberg will begin interim leadership of DHS effective Monday, March 27, 2006.

Kate Jesberg has worked for the District of Columbia government for more than 20 years. Ms. Jesberg has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from Georgetown University. She is a member of both the District of Columbia and Maryland bar associations and has also worked in the Federal government and in the non-profit sector during her 25-year career in welfare policy development and administration. Ms. Jesberg is also an adjunct professor at the George Mason School of Law, where she currently teaches a course in Social Welfare Policy and Law. 

During Kate Jesberg’s tenure at DHS as IMA Administrator, the District of Columbia has been the most awarded jurisdiction receiving $168 million in TANF performance bonus funds, representing 13 of 14 possible bonuses awarded under TANF. The District is also among the most awarded jurisdictions for the operation of its Food Stamp program, having received bonus awards in FY’04 and FY’05, and achieved 100 percent participation among Medicaid-eligible children, according to a study by the RAND Corporation.