Daniels appointed to Social Security post

She will be responsible for overseeing the administration of disability programs which provide some $50 billion in cash benefits each year to more than seven million people.

Daniels' previous position was associate commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Before that, she was associate commissioner in the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Education.

She served on the White House Health Care Reform Task Force and as a consultant on cross-cutting disability issues as they relate to designing the national health care reform plan.

Daniels has more than 15 years of experience in management and administration positions, and has assisted corporations, agencies, and other organizations in strategic planning and organizational development.

From 1978 to 1988, she founded a department and was a professor at the School of Allied Health Professions, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans.

In addition to her Mississippi State degree, Daniels holds a bachelor's degree from Marquette University and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina.