Gov.-elect Ferguson names Tana Senn director of Department of Children, Youth and Families
Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson announced on Dec. 18 that Tana Senn will lead the Department of Children, Youth and Families during his administration.
Senn, a Mercer Island Democrat, will oversee DCYF’s mission of ensuring the safety and health of Washington youth. Her appointment takes effect Jan. 15.
“Tana Senn is a well-respected, innovative leader on issues related to supporting Washington children and families,” Ferguson said in a Dec. 18 news release. “I am thrilled that she will serve as Director at DCYF and confident she will ensure this critical state agency works better for the kids and the families of our great state.”
Residents in the 41st Legislative District already know Senn by another title: state representative.
Senn has served as state representative for LD-41 since 2013. She has championed behavioral health, children and education during her legislative career, according to the news release.
She has chaired the Human Services, Youth and Early Learning Committee in the state House.
“Supporting kids and families has been a longstanding priority of mine,” she said in the news release. “After more than a decade of shaping policy in this critical space, I am honored to be asked to serve as Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and look forward to creating direct, meaningful impact for our most vulnerable communities.”
Senn has been a leader on laws like the early learning- and child care-focused Fair Start for Kids Act, the news release says. She’s also helped mold Washington policy on youth mental health, child welfare and human services.
Prior to Senn’s tenure in the legislature, she worked for 15 years in government relations and communications, according to the Dec. 18 news release. She’s co-president of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, has served on various boards, and previously held a seat on the Mercer Island City Council.
The lawmaker noted in an article on the Washington Jewish Museum’s website that her cousin, the late Deborah Senn, served as the state’s insurance commissioner from 1993 to 2001. Deborah Senn also ran unsuccessfully in 2000 for U.S. senator and lost her general-election bid for Washington attorney general in 2004.
Ferguson announced last month that he would appoint new leadership to nine state agencies.
Other picks have included Casey Sixkiller as director of the Department of Ecology; Cheryl Strange as acting secretary for the Department of Social and Health Services; Tim Lang as secretary of the Department of Corrections; and Tim Reynon as director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.
The governor-elect has also reappointed agency leaders for the departments of agriculture, licensing, and veterans affairs.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 2:06 PM.
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