FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2005, 2:20 p.m. CT

(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman has appointed Ronald Sorensen of Lincoln to serve as the Behavioral Health Services Administrator for the State of Nebraska. Sorensen is currently serving as the interim administrator of the Division of Behavioral Health Services for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "Ron has extensive experience in managing the delivery of mental health services, and I am confident that his continued leadership will result in the greater availability of community-based services as we move forward with the reform," Gov. Heineman said. "There are still challenges ahead, but our efforts to provide modern, better-quality care to those persons coping with mental illness have been met with progress in the last year. I know Ron will work to ensure the reform stays on track." Sorensen, 61, has worked in the behavioral health field since 1995. His background includes serving as deputy administrator of behavioral health services for HHS, as deputy director for the former Nebraska Department of Social Services and as commissioner for the Nebraska Department of Labor. Prior to his work with the state, Sorensen worked as human resources director for HWS Consulting Group, a management consultant for The Gallup Organization, and director of the Nebraska Merit Personnel System. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been working towards a master's in business administration. Sorensen said, "This is an important opportunity to follow-through on the promise that was made to consumers and their families, and to ensure the successful transition to a modern system of care across the entire state of Nebraska." The position of Behavioral Health Services Administrator was created by LB 1083, which was passed in 2004. The appointment will require confirmation by a majority of the Legislature. Sorensen's salary has been set at $97,000.