The head of Minnesota’s largest state agency is stepping down.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead announced Monday that she’s leaving her role on Feb. 3.

Harpstead was appointed to lead the agency in August 2019 by DFL Gov. Tim Walz.

In a statement, Walz praised Harpstead’s work to reorganize DHS.

Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead gives state lawmakers an update about her first three months at the helm of the department at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. Harpstead, speaking before a Minnesota House Health and Human Services Committee, said she feels the agency is making changes to prevent financial problems and increase public trust. Harpstead took over as commissioner in Sept. after a series of top-level leadership shakeups and a set of problem payments came to light. (Dana Ferguson / Forum News Service)

“I am proud of her work running the most complex and wide-ranging agency in state government,” Walz’s statement said. “I am especially proud of how Commissioner Harpstead supported the enterprise-wide work to separate DHS into three separate agencies, which will make each of them more effective, more accountable, and easier to manage.”

That change led to the creation of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, the Department of Direct Care and Treatment and the Department of Human Services. Those changes will be fully implemented this summer.

Harpstead also oversaw the agency through changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her agency has come under scrutiny during her time in office. That includes its operations of the Minnesota Sex Offender Treatment Program, which has been under increased pressure to release more of the offenders in its program.

More recently, DHS confronted allegations of fraud by two autism centers that allegedly received a combined $20 million in Medicaid claims, which are now under investigation.

“I’m pleased that we were able to balance new, stronger process controls with greater responsiveness to community partners, worked with the DHS grants and contracts team to imagine a re-design of the agency’s thousands of grants, and built an unparalleled team of strong senior leaders,” Harpstead said in a statement.

Harpstead’s reappointment to her position went to the state Senate in 2023 but had not yet been approved.

Prior to joining DHS, Harpstead was CEO of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.

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