State Secretary Who Played Key Role In Recovery Homes Task Force Dismissed

The man leading the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is out of a job.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week that Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis had been dismissed and his deputy, Jennifer Smith, was appointed acting secretary.

Tennis played a role in a task force that looked at recovery homes in the area and also worked to tackle addiction problems throughout the state.

As of Friday, a list of regulations suggested by the task force had not yet been approved or denied. State Rep. Frank Farry, a Republican from Langhorne, said he is following up with Wolf’s office the matter.

“I look forward to working with Acting Secretary Jennifer Smith to continue my administration’s fight against the opioid epidemic. Though we have made great strides in our efforts, we still have much work to do. Jennifer Smith’s experience and expertise will be an asset to my administration as we move forward to help those in our commonwealth who are struggling with substance use disorder.”

Tennis is a former Philadelphia prosecutor who led the small department since being appointed by former Gov. Tom Corbett in 2012. He was paid roughly $139,000 per year.

The dismissal came after a Reading Eagle article that reported a former department employee was interviewed with longtime abuse treatment advocate and treatment center lobbyist Deb Beck, a Philly.com story stated.

Tennis told the Allentown Morning Call that his dismissal was actually based on his refusal to support a plan to consolidate his department into a larger state agency.

Smith has worked for the state since 2004 and was named Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs deputy secretary in 2015.