HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced the appointment of Patricia A. Morrissey as the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Health and Human Services, effective on August 27, 2001.

"Pat is a person who gets things done. She values consensus and creates solutions that work and have a lasting, positive impact on real people. I am pleased she has agreed to join President Bush's administration and our team here at HHS," said Secretary Thompson. "Much of what we do affects the lives of individuals with disabilities, and Pat will play an integral role."

Morrissey, who holds a Ph.D. in special education from Pennsylvania State University, is currently a senior associate with Booz·Allen & Hamilton, an international technology and management consulting firm headquartered in McLean, Va. There, Morrissey oversees efforts to assist federal agencies with making their electronic and information technology accessible to and useable by individuals with disabilities.

Morrissey has worked for both the Senate and the House of Representatives and for President Ronald Reagan during her 26 years in the Washington area. She was a contributor to President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative and in 1999, while with the Senate, worked with then-Wisconsin Governor Thompson's office during the development and passage of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act.