Patricia Lashway, acting secretary at the Department of Social and Health Services, announced today that she is moving to the Office of Financial Management to serve as deputy director. Lashway has been acting secretary of DSHS since February 2016. Bill Moss will replace Lashway. He now serves as assistant secretary at DSHS for the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration. Both changes are effective May 16.
“Pat has served DSHS well, both as acting secretary and throughout her career. She will be a great asset to OFM with her extensive state government experience and her hands-on knowledge of budget planning and management,” Gov. Jay Inslee said.
“Bill’s strong track record of service and results at DSHS means he will be able to step right in as acting secretary. I look forward to working with him in this leadership role,” Inslee said.
“Pat is a proven leader with deep knowledge of state government and many of the biggest issues facing our state,” OFM Director David Schumacher said. “Her expertise and leadership skills are ideally suited for this job.”
Besides overseeing day-to-day operations at OFM and advising Schumacher on a broad range of issues, Lashway will play a key leadership role across state government as she helps oversee enterprise-wide projects and initiatives. In addition to overseeing state budget planning and preparation for the governor, OFM provides fiscal services and policy support to the governor, Legislature and state agencies. The agency also provides important data and research information to the public.
“It's been an honor to serve Gov. Inslee as acting secretary of DSHS the past 15 months,” Lashway said. “He made my job easy with his constant, unwavering support of the clients we serve and the staff’s daily efforts to transform lives. I will be forever grateful for this time in my career, and I am thrilled to move into this new role with his continued support."
Lashway served in several DSHS administrations, beginning in 1988 in the Aging and Disability Services Administration as legal services program administrator and then moved into a government relations role for DSHS. She moved to the Services and Enterprise Support Administration in 2013, where she was assistant secretary for two years before her appointment as acting secretary of the agency. Lashway earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and a juris doctorate from Seattle University.
Moss has provided more than two decades of leadership in the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration’s Home and Community Services Division, where he has served as director, office chief and assistant regional administrator. He received the Governor’s Distinguished Management Leadership Award in 2015.