Kansas Secretary of Aging Kathy Greenlee, of Lawrence, will be following her old boss, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, to Washington, D.C.

After being nominated by President Barack Obama, Greenlee has been confirmed by the Senate as the Assistant U.S. Secretary for Aging of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sebelius is now head of Health and Human Services.

“Kathy has served Kansans well for many years in various roles in state government,” Gov. Mark Parkinson said. “She helped make our state a better place, representing the best interests of all Kansans. I wish her all the best in her new position.”

Greenlee has resigned from the state aging agency. Parkinson announced the appointment of Martin “Marty” Kennedy as interim secretary for the agency. Kennedy had been serving as deputy secretary. Greenlee had been Kansas secretary of aging since 2006. Before that she served as the state’s long-term care ombudsman and assistant secretary of aging.

She was Sebelius’ general counsel when Sebelius was state insurance commissioner. When Sebelius was elected governor, Greenlee served as her chief of staff and chief of operations.

Greenlee is a graduate of Kansas University with degrees in business and law.