Jerry Regier

Jerry Regier
Florida Secretary of Children and Families
In office 2002–2004
Preceded by	Kathleen A. Kearney
Succeeded by	Lucy Hadi
Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services
In office April 6, 1997 – January 16, 2002
Governor	Frank Keating
Preceded by	Ken Lackey
Succeeded by	Howard Hendrick
Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs
In office April 6, 1997 – January 16, 2002
Governor	Frank Keating
Preceded by	Ken Lackey
Succeeded by	Robert E. Christian
1st President of the Family Research Council
In office 1984–1988
Preceded by	Post created
Succeeded by	Gary Bauer
Personal details
Party	Republican
Profession	Political Activist

Jerry Regier was the deputy assistant secretary for human services policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2005 to 2007. He provides leadership on policy analysis and development in human services and on research under the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation (ASPE) for Secretary Mike Leavitt.

Education

Jerry Regier graduated from Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska. He then graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. degree in history. His post-graduate work includes a master's degree in biblical studies from the International School of Theology, a master's in public administration from Harvard University, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Grace University.

Career

Family Research Council

In 1983, he established the Family Research Council, an independent public policy research and educational organization and served as president and CEO for four years.

Federal government appointments

He served in a variety of positions in federal government. He was the acting administrator of the National Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the U.S. Department of Justice. President Bush nominated him to this Senate confirmation position. Prior to that position, he served in the Bush administration as acting director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for three years. He was instrumental in assisting the United States attorney general to design and implement the "Weed & Seed" Initiative which is now in over 300 communities throughout the United States. He also was an appointee in the Reagan administration as Associate Commissioner for the Administration of Children, Youth and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The president of the United States also appointed him to the National Commission on Children (1988–93).

State government appointments

He served for five years as Secretary of Health & Human Services for Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating until he resigned on January 15, 2002, to run for Governor of Oklahoma. As secretary, he provided policy oversight to 13 agencies. Concurrently, he served as deputy director of the Office for Juvenile Affairs. He also served as acting director of the State Health Department during a crisis in that agency.

Mr. Regier served as secretary of the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF), appointed by Governor Jeb Bush in August 2002. As secretary he oversaw a department of over 25,000 employees and the programs of Child Welfare, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Economic Self Sufficiency, Child Care, and Refugee Services.

Recognition

In 2001 he was named the Administrator of the Year in Oklahoma by the American Society of Public Administration (Oklahoma Chapter).

Personal life

Jerry and his wife Sharyn have four children and 13 grandchildren. The most renowned being Austin Steger