HHS Announces new ADD Commissioner

The AUCD network congratulates Sharon Lewis on her recently announced appointment as ADD Commissioner and looks forward to working with her.

February 25, 2010

Sharon Lewis, ADD Commissioner, received the 2008 AUCD Gold Star Award for her work in crafting strong public policy.

About Sharon Lewis, Newly Announced ADD Commissioner

Sharon Lewis has over ten years of experience as a disability policy advocate. She currently serves as the Senior Disability Policy Advisor to U.S. House Committee on Education & Labor Chairman George Miller, a position she has held since 2007. In this capacity, she advises Chairman Miller and members of the Committee on legislative strategy and disability-related policy in education, employment and healthcare. Sharon also serves as the lead staffer on disability provisions of key pieces of legislation and on implementation oversight. During President Obama's transition, Sharon served as a member of the Department of Education Agency Review Team.

Previously, Sharon worked as a Kennedy Public Policy Fellow for U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Children & Families Chairman Chris Dodd. Prior to her work in Congress, Sharon served on the state level in various disability policy and program roles, and as a grassroots community organizer. Sharon received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Announcement and Welcome from Secretary Sebelius

To: ACF Staff
From: Secretary Sebelius

I'm pleased to announce that Sharon Lewis will be joining HHS as Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities at the Administration for Children and Families.

Sharon has extensive experience as a disability policy advocate. She has worked as the Senior Disability Policy Advisor to U.S. House Committee on Education & Labor Chairman George Miller since 2007. In that role, she has advised Chairman Miller on legislative strategy and disability-related policy in education, employment and healthcare, and has served as the lead staffer on the disability provisions of key pieces of legislation and on implementation oversight. Sharon will begin her work at HHS next month.

I want to thank Acting Commissioner Faith McCormick for her leadership at ADD, and I also want to extend my gratitude to everyone who works to support the mission of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Thank you all for the critically important work you do every day.

Please join me in welcoming Sharon Lewis to HHS.

Partnership with AUCD

Sharon Lewis received the 2008 AUCD Gold Star Award as a Disability Policy Advisor to Congressman George Miller, Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. In this role she crafted strong public policy in partnership with the greater disability community and AUCD. Read more about Sharon's work in the Gold Star Award press release here.