Kansas administration secretary resigns, leaving Gov. Laura Kelly with 2 open cabinet posts

Gov. Laura Kelly will be looking for another cabinet secretary after a second high-ranking member of her administration resigned ahead of her second term.

Kansas Department of Administration Secretary DeAngela Burns-Wallace resigned Monday after leading the agency since June 2019, the governor's office announced in a news release. Also serving as chief information technology officer, Burns-Wallace was the head of two executive branch agencies.

She will remain on the job through Jan. 6.

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"Dr. Burns-Wallace has been a singular force in my administration for ensuring the delivery of high-quality government services to Kansans," Kelly said. "From modernizing the state's IT infrastructure to advancing key projects like the Docking State Office Building and the KDHE Health and Environment Laboratory, she has been a consistent source of leadership and excellence. I am so proud of what she has accomplished both here in Kansas and across the country, and I wish her well in the future."

The governor's office said Burns-Wallace "looks forward to spending more time with her family before returning to teaching in the spring." Prior to joining the Kelly administration, Burns-Wallace was vice provost for undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas.

Governor's office commends work of DeAngela Burns-Wallace

Burns-Wallace oversaw the governor's Office of Recovery, which administered federal COVID-19 relief funds, and served on various committees. The governor's office said she "played a critical role in strengthening state operations."

Burns-Wallace credited her staff and thanked the governor.

"When state government works well, the citizen of Kansas all benefit," she said. "That was my job, to make it all work well."

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Kelly did not name an interim secretary. Her office said she will name candidates in the coming weeks.

The governor will have at least two cabinet secretary jobs to fill. Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz resigned last week, as did the KDOT deputy secretary.

Gov. Laura Kelly will have at least two cabinet spots to fill

Lorenz said that administration turnover at the end of a term is "the natural course of things."

"It kind of gives the second term the best opportunity to recruit to find a new secretary," she said.

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Meanwhile, Kelly is taking on a new role in the Democratic Governors Association.

"I'm looking forward to joining the leadership of the DGA, which has been instrumental to the historic elections of Democratic governors across the country," said Kelly, who is now the DGA vice chair. "In Kansas, we've shown that Democratic governors can compete and win everywhere when we deliver results on the biggest issues facing families, from improving public schools to growing the economy. I'm excited to get to work and build on our momentum."

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: DeAngela Burns-Wallace resigns from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's cabinet