Governor Gavin Newsom announced the departure of California
Health and Human Services (CalHHS) Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, who
has served in the role since March 2019. Dr. Ghaly’s leadership
has been instrumental in navigating California’s response to the
COVID-19 pandemic and advancing numerous health and human
services initiatives aimed at increasing stability and
opportunities for Californians. His efforts have spanned a wide
range of issues, from improving healthcare access and
affordability to leading the Master Plan for Aging to addressing
the intersection of housing, homelessness, and behavioral health.
CSAC and counties worked closely with Dr. Ghaly throughout the
pandemic and on many of these initiatives.
Dr. Ghaly will remain at CalHHS until the end of the month to
ensure a smooth leadership transition. Governor Newsom has
appointed Kim Johnson, the current Director of the California
Department of Social Services (CDSS), to succeed Dr. Ghaly as
CalHHS Secretary, effective October 1, 2024.
Kim Johnson has served as CDSS Director since 2019 and brings
extensive experience to her new role. Her tenure at CDSS has
included leadership in family engagement, child care, CalWORKs,
and refugee programs, making her a strong choice to lead CalHHS
in its next chapter. Director Johnson has been a strong partner
of counties during her time at CDSS and CSAC looks forward to
continuing to work with her in this new leadership role.
