Sarah Merrick serves as the Commissioner of the Onondaga County Department of Social Services – Economic Security. The Department is responsible for administering Temporary Assistance, SNAP, HEAP, Child Care Assistance, Child Support, and Medicaid. The Department employs over 500 employees and serves 40% of the County’s population. Significant accomplishments include launching a multi-generational poverty reduction project, 2GEN Onondaga; creating a coordinated entry process to serve the unhoused; and using a wide range of technological solutions to improve customer service (i.e. Kiosks, Call Centers, AI). Sarah has served on the Governor’s Child Care Availability Task Force since 2018. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.