The commissioner of the state Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living is stepping down from the post after almost three years on the job.
Monica White has served in the commissioner’s position since March 2021. In a press release Friday afternoon, the department announced that her last day would be Friday, Jan. 12.
In a statement included in the press release, White said it had been an “extraordinary honor” to serve as the department’s commissioner. She said her decision to depart was made after “considerable deliberation,” including about what is best at this time for her family.
White added that she was “confident that our department, alongside its many valued community partners, will continue forth in our shared commitment to make Vermont the best state in which to grow old or to live with a disability — with dignity, respect, and independence.”
A search for a commissioner of the department is underway, according to the release.
The department coordinates programs, services and technology to support Vermonters with a range of physical and developmental disabilities of all ages, as well as for people who are age 60 and older.
In an interview with VTDigger shortly after being named commissioner in 2021, White said her goal was to spread awareness that “aging and disability is not an afterthought, that it’s just part of the thread of the fabric of who we are as a society that is inclusive of all.”
Megan Tierney-Ward, who has worked in the department for more than 25 years, including four as deputy commissioner, will serve as acting commissioner until a new commissioner is named, according to the press release.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the year that Monica White was named commissioner.
