Susan Gale Perry was appointed to the role of Deputy Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) in April 2017, serving first as Deputy Secretary for Human Services and currently as Chief Deputy Secretary. Susan provides senior leadership to NCDHHS, which has 17,000 employees and an annual budget of $20 billion, serving as home to Medicaid, Public and Mental Health, State Operated Hospitals, Economic, Adult and Child Welfare Services, and Early Childhood Education. Susan has experience leading complex early childhood and human services systems at the local, state and national levels. Susan previously served as Executive Director for the Delaware Office of Early Learning, appointed by Governor Markell; founding executive for the NC Early Childhood Foundation; Senior Director at NC Smart Start; and Deputy Executive Director at Child Care Aware of America. Susan holds a MA in Early Childhood from Concordia – St. Paul and a BA from Hamilton College.