President Obama has officially announced his intent to nominate Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services, according to the White House. Sebelius will oversee a department with wide-ranging responsibilities, including the implementation of the President's vision for health care. As secretary of health and human services, “Sebelius will work with Democrats and Republicans alike to cut costs, expand access, and improve the quality of health care for all Americans,” according to the White House.

HHS is the department that houses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is home to NIOSH. Sebelius will have the ultimate say over who replaces Dr. John Howard as NIOSH’s next full-time director

"Kathleen Sebelius has a remarkable intellect, unquestioned integrity, and the kind of pragmatic wisdom you’ll tend to find in a Kansan," President Obama said .

The governor of Kansas since 2003, Secretary-designate Sebelius has “a reputation for reaching across the aisle to work with Democrats and Republicans alike, while standing firm for what she believes in the face of pressure from special interests,” acording to the White House. Before being elected governor, she served as Kansas Insurance Commissioner from 1994-2002.