Tiffany Wright, an assistant director of field operations in the state Department of Human Services' Division of Children and Family Services, will be promoted to division director later this month, department Secretary Kristi Putnam announced Friday.
Wright will oversee the division that is responsible for child abuse prevention, child protection, foster care, family reunification and adoption programs and will lead a team of more than 1,000 employees spread across offices in every county in Arkansas, the Department of Human Services said.
"Tiffany brings a wealth of experience to this position in both front-line and supervisory roles," Putnam said in a news release.
"She knows the people, she knows the programs and policies, and most importantly, she is a compassionate leader who understands the critical role that DCFS plays in protecting children and supporting families," Putnam said.
Wright will become the division's director effective May 22.
Her current annual salary is $100,500.19 and her annual salary will increase to $132,597 in the new position, said department spokesman Gavin Lesnick.
Wright succeeds Division of Children and Family Services Director Mischa Martin, who joined the division in 2016 and was promoted to deputy secretary for youth and families in the state Department of Human Services in January. Martin's salary is $171,999.98, according to the Arkansas Transparency website.
Wright joined the division in 2009 as a family service worker and was promoted in 2016 to foster care program manager, according to the department. In 2019 she became the foster care and adoption program administrator.
She later served as community services program administrator, supporting field operations across the state and working to guide staff during the covid-19 pandemic, the department said.
In 2021, Wright became the assistant director of field operations, supervising the directors of each Division of Children and Family Services area and ensuring that agency resources are available to provide needed services to children and families on a 24/7 basis.
"It has been incredibly gratifying to see firsthand how our work strengthens families and supports children in need, and I am so excited to now lead these efforts for DCFS," Wright said in the news release. "I look forward to working alongside my colleagues and our many partners including legislators, judges, foster parents and so many others who work tirelessly in support of our shared goal of protecting children."