Piper will bring advanced legal, policy, and management expertise to agency
ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today announced that he has appointed Emily Johnson Piper to serve as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Beginning Monday, December 14th, Piper will succeed Commissioner Lucinda Jesson, who was appointed by Governor Dayton last week to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Commissioner Piper will bring more than a decade of legal, policy, and management experience to the position.
“Emily Johnson Piper will be an outstanding Human Services Commissioner,” said Governor Dayton. “Emily’s exceptional judgement, her integrity, and her commitment to excellence in all she does, are the foundations for her success. As General Counsel, she has been deeply involved in the most significant issues affecting the department. Thus she is well-prepared to provide the same outstanding leadership to that agency, as did her predecessor, Judge Lucinda Jesson.”
“Emily Johnson Piper has an impressive track record of smart, responsible leadership,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “Ms. Piper is principled and compassionate, and relentless in her resolve to improve the lives of Minnesotans. She will provide the vision and strong leadership we need at the Department of Human Services.”
Emily Johnson Piper currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff and General Counsel in the Office of Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith. She has practiced law, in both the private and public sectors, in the areas of insurance, health care, human services, and employment. As General Counsel for the Office of the Governor and Lt. Governor, and in her previous work as Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Ms. Piper worked closely with the Department of Human Services on many of the agency’s high-profile legal matters and policy initiatives. Ms. Piper’s knowledge of the agency, the programs it operates, and the people it serves make her uniquely qualified to take on this new and important role.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the people of Minnesota as Commissioner of Human Services," said Piper. “The services provided by the Department of Human Services empower more than one million of our most vulnerable Minnesotans to lead healthier, fuller, more independent lives. I will do all that I can to honor that important commitment to the people of Minnesota."
About Commissioner Emily Johnson Piper
Emily Johnson Piper currently serves as General Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith. In this role, Piper has represented and advised the Governor, Lt. Governor, Cabinet, and state agencies on legal matters involving the State of Minnesota. As General Counsel to the Governor and Lt. Governor, Piper has worked closely with the Department of Human Services on many of the agency’s most high-profile legal matters and policy initiatives.
As the Governor’s General Counsel, Piper serves as chair of the State Board of Investment Proxy Committee and the State Board of Investment Administrative Committee. The State Board of Investment manages approximately $76 billion of state pension and other assets.
Prior to joining the Office of the Governor and Lt. Governor, Emily Johnson Piper served as Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. In this role, Piper oversaw the Department’s staff, its divisions, and its biennial budget. While at the Commerce Department, Piper worked with agency leadership in regulating, among others, Minnesota’s insurance, real estate, banking, and energy industries. In addition to this work, during her tenure as Chief of Staff, Piper was charged with leading several strategic reform and legislative initiatives for the Department, including implementation of health reform, organizational realignment to better serve consumer needs, and Minnesota’s response to the state’s 2014 propane shortage. Prior to serving as Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff, Piper served as General Counsel for the Department.
Emily Johnson Piper began her career as an attorney with McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb Chartered in Minneapolis, working on civil litigation including healthcare and insurance law. Piper earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of St. Thomas and her Juris Doctor degree from University of St. Thomas School of Law. Emily Johnson Piper lives in Golden Valley with her husband and four children. In her spare time, Piper has served on several community boards and commissions. She is also a Girl Scout Troop leader and a second grade girls basketball coach.
/governor/assets/2015_Emily_Johnson_Piper_photo_headshot_tcm1055-115183.JPGA headshot of Emily Johnson Piper is attached.
About the Department of Human Services
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) provides essential services to Minnesota’s most vulnerable residents. Working with many others, including counties, Minnesota’s tribal nations, and nonprofits, DHS helps ensure that Minnesota seniors, people with disabilities, children, and others meet their basic needs and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The Human Services Commissioner has the important responsibility of overseeing the state’s largest agency, serving over 1 million people per year. The Department administers a broad range of services, including health care, economic assistance, mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment, child welfare services, and services for the elderly and people with disabilities. DHS also provides direct care and treatment to more than 10,000 clients every year.
