Tony Catone, Agency General Counsel, Named Acting State Director of SCDSS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DSS Office of Communications & External Affairs
803-898-7602
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov
Tony Catone, Agency General Counsel, Named Acting State Director of SCDSS
January 2, 2025- Governor Henry McMaster has authorized Mr. Tony Catone, General Counsel at the Department of Social Services (DSS), to assume the duties and responsibilities of Acting State Director of DSS, until a new director is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Catone will begin his duties as Acting Director at 5:01pm on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Catone, in his 10th year as a member of the agency’s leadership team, follows the leadership of DSS State Director Michael Leach, who announced his resignation in October. Leach’s final day with the agency will be Thursday, January 2, 2025, over five and a half years leading the agency.
Governor McMaster’s letter authorizing the Acting State Director can be found here.
Regarding the future of the agency, Mr. Catone issued the following statement:
“As Acting State Director, our top priority for our agency will be to continue the positive reform trajectory we have forged under Director Michael Leach’s outstanding leadership. His energy and deep commitment will be sorely missed. Fortunately, our executive team consistently worked closely and is prepared to not only continue the work, but also build upon its foundation,” said Catone. “We will continue to improve our service quality and effectiveness with respect to all those we serve and foremost will be the large-scale reform efforts in our State’s foster care system. There has been good progress made by strategic thinking of DSS leadership and thanks to additional financial supports from the General Assembly, but there remains much work to be done. Likewise, we have to continue to strengthen our Adult Protective Services capacity as our State’s population grows and ages, provide supports for households needing assistance with food, and we must continue our work to improve the quality and affordability of child care for our citizens.”
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