Anne Heiligenstein, the commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services, is retiring from the agency after three years.
In a statement, Heiligenstein said she met with Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs this morning, and told him she intended to retire by the end of the year.
"After 30 years working for the people of Texas, I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life," she said. "I have three children and a grandbaby on the way, and I’m excited about getting to see a lot more of them."
Heiligenstein has presided over a difficult period for the child welfare agency, including painful budget cuts and a sweeping redesign of the state's foster care system.
