Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

November/December, 1997

Kenneth S. Apfel Sworn In As Commissioner Of Social Security

September 29, 1997

This morning, during a ceremony in Baltimore, I took the oath of office as Commissioner of Social Security. I’d like to share with you my thoughts about assuming this awesome responsibility.

First, I want to express the gratitude of the Administration, this agency and the American public for the outstanding stewardship and leadership that former Commissioner Chater and Acting Commissioner Callahan provided during their tenures with the Social Security Administration. They each made enormous contributions for which we should all be deeply grateful.

As the head of an agency whose workforce has been described to me as the most efficient and caring in public service, I look forward to working with you in facing the challenges that lie ahead. Those challenges include addressing the long-term solvency of Social Security, assuring program integrity, and guaranteeing equity for all beneficiaries and claimants. Two other areas which are largely internal, but no less important, are improving our policy-making process and extending our planning beyond a five-year period. We need a stronger policy-making process so that we can have greater coordination and consistency in addressing the many issues with which we must deal in the next few years. We need a longer-range planning process so we can be more farsighted and flexible as we prepare for the challenges of the baby boom retirement that looms at the end of the next decade.

As Commissioner, one of my duties will be to talk with people about the role of Social Security in their lives. We need to insure that people understand Social Security today so that they will be prepared to help make the tough choices to ensure that economic security will be there for them tomorrow. And as the top executive of SSA, I will work toward a goal of creating an agency that works smarter and provides an environment that encourages creativity in administering our programs. Reinvention and redesign initiatives, such as the redesign of our disability process, will not simply continue, but must accelerate.

I pledge to be a highly visible advocate for our programs and to be the type of leader that an organization with SSA’s proud tradition of excellence deserves. I hope to meet with many of you personally in the weeks, months and years ahead, and I am anxious to hear your thoughts on the future direction of the program and the agency.

Kenneth S. Apfel Commissioner of Social Security

Kenneth S. Apfel came to SSA from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where he served since 1995 as the Associate Director of Human Resources. His responsibilities included budget, policy and management review of all the human resource agencies of the Federal government, including the SSA, the Departments of Labor, Education, and parts of the Departments of Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. He brings a lifetime of leadership and public service experience to a position that has been frequently described as one of the most complex and challenging in the Federal government.