The position is created by statute (primarily K.S.A. 75-3702a). The Governor appoints the Secretary, subject to Senate confirmation; the Secretary serves at the pleasure of the Governor and directs/supervises the Department.
Core Responsibilities
The Secretary manages and directs the Department’s offices and functions, sets agency priorities and vision/mission, and allocates resources. The DoA (created by the Legislature in 1953) acts as the state’s primary provider of centralized administrative services.
Key areas under the Secretary’s oversight typically include:
- Financial and accounting systems — Statewide accounting, payroll, financial reporting, and related services (Office of Accounts and Reports; Office of Financial Management).
- Budget processes — Involvement in financial policies/plans and (in recent practice) the Director of the Budget role, advising the Governor on the state budget.
- Personnel and human resources — Statewide HR policy, leadership, guidance, civil service/personnel administration, and related rules/regulations (Office of Personnel Services; powers under the Kansas Civil Service Act).
- Procurement and contracts — Efficient purchasing processes and statewide contracts for goods and services.
- Facilities and property management — Asset management, design/construction of state buildings, maintenance, leasing, parking, and related services.
- Printing, mailing, and surplus property — Central printing/mailing services and surplus property programs.
- Systems/IT support — Architecture, technical development, and support for statewide systems used by the Department.
- Employee benefits — State Employee Health Benefits Program (including health plan and workers’ compensation/self-insurance aspects).
- Legal and communications — Internal legal advice (Office of Chief Counsel) and internal/external communications, media, and open records (Office of Public Affairs).
Additional Roles and Duties
- Member of the Governor’s Cabinet.
- Serves as Secretary to the State Finance Council.
- Serves on various boards/commissions/committees (examples include the Kansas State Employees’ Health Care Commission and the Kansas Criminal Justice Information System/KCJIS Committee; may include roles related to information technology or other administrative bodies).
- Statutory authority includes adopting or acting on rules and regulations related to personnel/civil service, performing investigations concerning civil service enforcement (at the Governor’s request, on petition, or on own motion), entering certain interagency agreements, and broader administrative functions authorized for the Department (e.g., coordinating fiscal affairs, improving agency operations, and providing central services).
The Department’s offices (roughly a dozen) work together to deliver these services. Exact office structure and emphases can evolve with legislation, reorganization, and gubernatorial priorities, but the Secretary’s overarching role remains directing the central administrative machinery of state government.
For the most current details, refer to the official Kansas Department of Administration website (admin.ks.gov), relevant Kansas Statutes (Chapter 75, Article 37 and related provisions), and the Governor’s Budget Report narratives for the Department. As of recent records, the position has been held by Adam Proffitt (appointed 2023, who has also served concurrently as Budget Director).
