>Dear NIDRR Grantees, Friends and Colleagues:
>
>It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I tendered my
>resignation to
>U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Monday, June 25,
>2007, as
>Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
>Research
>(NIDRR), effective June 30, 2007. We have accomplished much to be
>proud of
>at NIDRR, but now it is time for me to undertake a new challenge
>for
>President George W. Bush. I have accepted a new position as
>Deputy
>Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of
>Disability,
>Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) in the Office of the
>Assistant
>Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of
>Health and
>Human Services (HHS) starting on July 2, 2007.
>
>I have learned and grown during my tenure at ED/OSERS/NIDRR, and
>value the
>many friendships and collegial relationships that I formed during
>these past
>six years. As I told the Secretary, "I have been privileged to
>manage an
>incredible team of civil servants who work day and night to get
>these
>important jobs done and done right. NIDRR's employees are
>dedicated to
>their work, and you can be proud of their individual and collective
>service
>to the country through President George W. Bush's New Freedom
>Initiative
>(NFI) goals."
>
>We made tremendous improvements at the U.S. Department of Education
>over the
>last six years and I am very proud of our record and
>accomplishments. Since
>the start, I have remained committed to aggressively implementing
>the
>President's Management Agenda. We have improved the accountability
>and
>performance of NIDRR's discretionary grant programs - progressing
>from an
>OMB PART score of "Results Not Demonstrated" to a score of
>"Adequate" in
>just three years.
>
>As Chair of the Interagency Committee on Disability Research
>(ICDR), also
>highlighted in the President's NFI, Committee members improved
>coordination
>and cooperation government-wide in conducting disability and
>rehabilitation
>research programs. We asked for and received input from
>individuals with
>disabilities and/or their representatives in pursuance of the
>ICDR's mission
>and submitted an annual report to the President and Congress.
>
>There have been many meaningful experiences during my NIDRR tenure,
>but
>perhaps the most poignant were the premature loss of Deborah
>Wilkerson and
>Mitchell Rosenthal, both extraordinary people and dedicated
>supporters of
>rehabilitation research, individuals with disabilities, and NIDRR.
> I
>valued their contributions and personal support, and they serve as
>a
>reminder to all of us that what we do in life matters.
>
>I am looking forward to continuing to further the accomplishments
>of our
>President and his Administration for individuals with disabilities
>by
>working for HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt. As most of you
>already know,
>I have a deep commitment toward improving the health, education,
>employment,
>and community living options for the aging and disabled. DALTCP
>addresses
>long-term care issues and personal assistance services, including
>informal
>caregiving. DALTCP is responsible for the development of financing
>and
>service organization/delivery policy which includes planning,
>policy and
>budget analysis, review of regulations and formulation of
>legislation, and
>for the development and coordination of research and evaluation on
>issues
>related to disability, aging, and long-term care policy.
>
>As I leave NIDRR, I am very proud of our staff and of the numerous
>improvements we have made in management and evaluation. Our staff
>is strong
>and has good leadership. I am confident that NIDRR's Long-Range
>Plan for
>Fiscal Years 2005-2009 will be carried out, and that NIDRR will
>continue to
>contribute in a significant way to increased knowledge and capacity
>building
>in the field of disability and rehabilitation research. I am sure
>that the
>future will bring many accomplishments for NIDRR under the senior
>leadership
>that I have established, and I want you to know that you and NIDRR
>will have
>my life-long support.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Steven James Tingus, M.S., C.Phil.
>
>
>
>
>Contact Information, Effective July 2, 2007:
>
>Steven James Tingus, M.S., C.Phil.
>Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
>Office of the Secretary
>Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
>Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy
>U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
>Hubert H. Humphrey Building
>200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 424E-2
>Washington, DC 20201
>Direct Line: (202) 690-5762
>ASPE/DALTCP's Main Line: (202) 690-7858/690-6443
>Fax Line: (202) 401-7733
>Cellular Phone: (202) 365-7941
>E-Mail: Steven.Tingus@hhs.gov
D
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