Jennifer Wood, the top lawyer for the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, is leaving to become executive director of a nonprofit public interest law group, the Rhode Island Center for Justice.
“Jennifer Wood’s background as a legal services lawyer and lawyer in private practice representing individuals to vindicate education rights, disability rights and employment rights, as well as her extensive work in state government relating to education, health and human services over more than two decades makes her an ideal leader for the Center for Justice at a time when basic rights are under significant challenge,” Miriam Weizenbaum, chair of the center, said in a statement.
Wood’s exit comes after former Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts resigned in February. That was in response to the botched rollout of the United Health Infrastructure Project, the state’s $364 million IT system for administering human service benefits.
Wood previously worked as an aide to Roberts when Roberts served as lieutenant governor.
Wood is a graduate of Brown University and the Northeastern University School of Law.
