BISMARCK, N.D. – Governor Kelly Armstrong has appointed Dakota Medical Foundation Executive Director Pat Traynor Interim Commissioner of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services effective June 2.
The governor’s office says Traynor will take a one-year civil service leave from the foundation to serve the state full-time. He will replace Interim Commissioner Dirk Wilke who has served since January. He will continue in his position as executive director for the public health division of HHS.
“Pat Traynor is uniquely qualified to lead Health and Human Services in its mission to make North Dakota the healthiest state in the nation and promote physical, behavioral and economic health and well-being,” Armstrong said. “His track record of making organizations more efficient and effective will serve North Dakota citizens well as we continue to see high demand for the wide range of services provided by HHS.”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return to state government and continue serving the citizens of the state I love,” Traynor said. “I look forward to working with the dedicated team at HHS to help empower all North Dakota residents and communities to reach their full potential.”
Traynor became Dakota Medical Foundation’s president in 2000. Traynor’s team launched Giving Hearts Day which has raised 225 million dollars for North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota charities since 2008. He also was the Executive Director and CEO of the North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau, which is now Workforce and Safety Insurance, from 1994 to 2000.
