Deborah Shropshire out as state Human Services chief; resignation follows meeting with governor

Just about a year and a half after she was appointed to the post, the executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services abruptly resigned Tuesday. Dr. Deborah Shropshire will leave her post on Sept. 13.

Shropshire also is stepping aside as Stitt's chief adviser, as well, the governor's spokesperson, Abegail Cave, said in an email to The Oklahoman. Shropshire previously had served as the agency's director of Child Welfare Services. She was the first woman in state history to serve as DHS director when appointed to the post on Jan. 10, 2023.

At that time, Stitt said Shropshire was "a stand up Oklahoman with a heart for servant leadership and a proven track record of success at Oklahoma Human Services." Tuesday, Stitt's office was quiet about Shropshire's departure.

However, a source who spoke with The Oklahoman on the condition their name wasn't used, said Shropshire was called to a meeting with the governor on Monday. Shropshire submitted her letter of resignation on Tuesday.

In the announcement about Shropshire's departure, DHS said Shropshire was "poised to begin a new chapter in her distinguished career."

"Dr. Shropshire has served as the Director of Oklahoma Human Services since Jan. 2023. Since joining Oklahoma Human Services in 2014, she has served in child welfare as director, deputy director of community partnerships, and medical director, serving children and youth in foster care. Through her thoughtful and compassionate leadership as Director, she has continued to maintain a keen focus on initiatives that further the agency's efforts to strengthen families," the agency's media statement said.  "She will be available to assist the new director during the transition."

Shropshire said working at DHS was "the greatest joy of my life" and said she would help make the transition to a new leader smooth. "Whether in child welfare, where I first found my love for this agency, its employees and clients, or in services that support those facing poverty, our work has been about building bridges of hope," Shropshire said in the statement announcing her departure. "I will continue to stand by the agency and offer support to its next leader to ensure a seamless transition as the agency continues to focus its work on our mission to promote the safety, independence and wellbeing of Oklahomans."

More: Shropshire confirmed as first woman to lead Oklahoma's Department of Human Services

Shropshire's two paragraph resignation letter was dated Aug. 20.

"I'm writing this letter to let you know that i'm resigning from my position as Agency Director Oklahoma Human Services effective 9/12/2024," she wrote. "It has been an incredible honor to serve in this capacity. I fell in love with the team at Oklahoma Human Services more than two decades ago and having the opportunity to lead them over the last couple of years has been a great pleasure."

The work done by DHS, she wrote, "is incredibly important and it serves more than a million Oklahomans annually."

"I'm proud of the work we've done to develop a roadmap for aging supports, continue forward with good faith efforts on child welfare reform, launch post-adoption family supports, improve timeliness of access to food assistance and other benefits and move forward the states' effort to serve those with disabilities," Shropshire wrote. "I look forward to cheering on the next season and next leader of the agency."

Ongoing controversy at Greer Center in Enid

Shropshire's resignation follows an ongoing controversy at Enid's Greer Center , which treats people with developmental disabilities and mental or behavioral health conditions. Police and state officials have been investigating numerous cases of abuse at the facility. Records indicate police had a hard time getting Greer Center employees to cooperate with the investigation. DHS officials countered that the agency's Client Advocacy staff did not have trouble investigating. Instead, the agency said, "it didn’t realize the extent of the mistreatment at the time."

More: Delayed reports of abuse continue to plague troubled Greer Center in Enid

The incident led the chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services Committee to write legislation to improve the process. Sen Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, told his colleagues that the DHS Office of Client Advocacy "did not do very well” watching over vulnerable adults at the center. His bill would move the office to the Oklahoma State Department of Health in an effort to make improvements, he said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Deborah Shropshire out as state Human Services chief; resignation follows meeting with governor