Fariborz Pakseresht, the director of the Oregon Department of Human Services, will retire in October. The Department of Human Services is one of the largest state agencies and is charged with programs to help the state’s most vulnerable residents, from individuals with disabilities to those in child welfare.
Pakseresht has spent more than three decades working for the state, including the past eight years overseeing the state’s Department of Human Services, which includes the state’s child welfare system. Before becoming director of DHS in 2017, he served as the head of the Oregon Youth Authority.
“Fariborz has led the largest and one of the most complex state agencies through a variety of challenges over the past eight years, including a global pandemic and significant natural disasters,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement. “I am grateful for his commitment to service, innovative vision, and collaborative approach that has resulted in positive outcomes for Oregonians throughout the state.”
The governor has stood by Pakseresht despite a litany of well-documented issues in the state’s child welfare system. Kotek pointed out that under his tenure, DHS significantly reduced the number of children placed in foster care and expanded programs to help adults and people with disabilities live at home independently.
The state also settled a sweeping class-action lawsuit in which Oregon agreed to reduce the rate of mistreatment of kids placed in foster care and promised to improve the quality of placements. A judge also appointed an independent person to oversee the child welfare system after Oregon seemed unable to improve the system while Pakseresht led the agency.
In February, hundreds of caregivers of those with developmental disabilities called on Kotek to remove Pakseresht, saying they no longer had confidence in him as a leader.
Kotek defended Pakseresht, saying in an interview that he had her full “support and confidence.”
The governor has appointed Liesl Wendt to replace Pakseresht. She is currently the deputy director of the agency and her appointment will need to be confirmed by the state Senate. She has been deputy director since 2018.
State Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said Kotek failed to “act swiftly and responsibly” by keeping Pakseresht on the job.
“This is just the latest example of a leadership change spurred by scandal under the authority of a governor who has proven her inability to lead,” Drazan said in a statement. “Caring for our state’s most vulnerable requires leaders that are highly capable, experienced, and dedicated.”
Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, who chairs the Committee on Human Services, was often critical of the agency under Pakseresht.
She called the job “one of the most critical roles in state government.”
“I look forward to listening to the community, particularly those receiving services and front line workers about their hopes for the future of the agency,” she said, noting the feedback would inform her preference for the next director.
In a letter to staff, Pakseresht wrote, “Serving the people of Oregon—and each of you—has been the greatest honor of my professional life. More than half of my life and most of my adult years has been devoted to public service.”
Pakseresht also apologized in the statement to anyone he “may have harmed, offended or overlooked – no matter how unintentional.”
“I know that intent does not equal impact, and I humbly seek your forgiveness,” he wrote.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.