Topeka ? Gov.-elect Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday filled most of her Cabinet, including surprise selection Rod Bremby, a research professor at Kansas University and former Lawrence assistant city manager.

Bremby will lead the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“I’m delighted to bring new talent and energy into this administration in an agency so critical to all Kansans,” Sebelius said.

Bremby, 42, is associate director of the KU Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development.

“I bring a passion for service,” said Bremby, who has nearly 20 years of experience in public administration.

Most of Sebelius’ other announced appointments came from the political realm, including two current Cabinet members. Janet Schalansky will remain secretary of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, the state welfare agency, and Mike Hayden will remain secretary of wildlife and parks.

Sebelius also appointed outgoing House Democratic Leader Jim Garner of Coffeyville as acting secretary of the Department of Human Resources and former Topeka mayor Joan Wagnon as acting secretary of the Department of Revenue. Both will work on special projects to reorganize functions of those agencies.

Sebelius selected Deb Miller as secretary of transportation. She is a chief planner with HNTB Corp., an architectural and engineering services group that has drawn up the plans for the South Lawrence Trafficway.

The selections require Senate approval, except for Garner and Wagnon, because they are serving in a temporary capacity.

Sebelius said her appointees represented a “broad array of talent” as she prepares for her inauguration and the start of the 2003 legislative session Monday and her first state of the state address Jan. 15.

“All of them, with the exception of Rod, who is a recent friend, I have known for, literally, decades,” she said.

Gov.-elect Kathleen Sebelius, right, greets two of her newly announced Cabinet members. Deb Miller, secretary of transportation-designate, left, and Rob Bremby, secretary of the department of health and environment-designate, met with Sebelius after their appointments were announced Tuesday at the Statehouse. Bremby, Lawrence, is a former assistant city manager.

Unexpected offer

Bremby said the interest from the Sebelius camp came as a surprise. When he was asked to interview with the governor-elect, he wasn’t even sure what job she had in mind for him.

“She was asking for background and how could I potentially help the state,” he said.

Said Sebelius: “Rod understands the critical connection between the health and well-being of Kansans and the protection and regulation of our environment”

Bremby said his first order of business Monday was to meet with Clyde Graeber, the agency’s current secretary.

Integration ahead

KDHE has one of the widest reaches of any state agency, regulating areas from pig farms to nursing homes. It recently became the crucial agency in delivery of smallpox vaccine in relation to homeland security.

Lawmakers often have talked of trying to split KDHE into smaller, more manageable agencies. Studies of that proposal have indicated such a split could wind up costing more money.

Bremby said because of the state’s mounting fiscal problems, dividing the agency probably would not be considered now. But, he said, its functions needed to be better integrated.

“The status quo is probably not acceptable,” he said.

The agency spends about $180 million per year and has nearly 1,000 employees.

Stephen Fawcett, director of the KU health group where Bremby works, said KU’s loss would be the state’s gain.

“Rod has a complete commitment to building healthy communities,” Fawcett said. “Among his many strengths, he has a keen vision on how things can be better and the practical toughness to see that they will be.”

Before working at KU, Bremby was assistant city manager in Lawrence for 10 years. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from KU in the early 1980s and began his career in city government in Fort Worth, Tex. When he returned to Lawrence in 1990, he immediately became involved in numerous civic boards and committees.

He and his wife, April, have four children, ages 8 to 15.

Lawrence heavyweights

With the selection of Bremby, Sebelius is packing a power car pool from Lawrence to Topeka.

Hayden, a former governor and House speaker, lives in Lawrence; Garner is living in Lawrence while he leads the Kansas Department of Human Resources, and last week, state Rep. Troy Findley, D-Lawrence, announced his resignation as a representative to become Sebelius’ legislative liaison.

Sebelius said she appointed Garner and Wagnon as acting secretaries because she wanted to further analyze the revenue and human resources agencies before finally deciding whom to put in charge.

Wagnon, also a former legislator, said she didn’t want the job permanently but wanted to help Sebelius find ways to make state tax collections work better. Sebelius recently complained the Department of Revenue was not doing enough to collect all owed taxes.

At human resources, Garner said he would focus on work force development programs and streamlining delivery of unemployment benefits.

With Tuesday’s appointments, Sebelius has filled eight of 12 Cabinet positions. She named Howard Fricke, chairman of the Security Benefit Group of Companies, as secretary of administration, and Lt. Gov.-elect John Moore, a former Cessna Aircraft Co. executive, as secretary of commerce and housing.

Sebelius has yet to name secretaries for the departments of aging, agriculture and corrections, or a commissioner of juvenile justice.