Shireen Gandhi appointed as Minnesota DHS commissioner after serving in temporary role

Gov. Tim Walz has appointed Shireen Gandhi as the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, just over a year after appointing her to the role in a temporary capacity.

State officials said in a news release that the appointment went into effect on Monday.

Gandhi was appointed as temporary commissioner in February 2025 after Jodi Harpstead stepped down as head of the agency. Harpstead served as commissioner for six years.

“Commissioner Gandhi understands that protecting public programs and delivering high-quality care go hand in hand,” Walz said in the release. “Over the past year, she has demonstrated steady, decisive leadership at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, strengthening program integrity, rooting out fraud, and ensuring taxpayer dollars reach the Minnesotans who rely on these services.”

The agency made several changes over the past year as federal and state officials aimed to crack down on fraud in Minnesota. Officials ended the Housing Stabilization Services Program on Oct. 31, three months after federal agents said they were investigating a “massive scheme to defraud” it. 

DHS officials said earlier this month that they developed a pre-payment system to flag potentially fraudulent Medicaid claims and rolled out a web page dedicated to fact-checking claims about Medicaid fraud in the state.

Gandhi joined the agency in 2017 and has served in several roles within it, including deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and chief compliance officer.

“We must protect the human services programs we provide to improve the lives of Minnesotans that have helped our state to be ranked among the best in the country for children and families, older adults, and people with disabilities,” Gandhi said in a written statement. “As commissioner, I look forward to working with all partners across the human services system to make our state a national model for program integrity.”

Gandhi graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications, has a law degree from Hamline University and is active in the Minnesota State Bar Association, according to the agency.