Personality Spotlight: Kathleen Sebelius

WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- The woman Time magazine named one of the nation's top five governors is U.S. President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department.

Obama announced his choice of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be his point person for the overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system.

In her second term as governor, Sebelius has committed to growing the Kansas economy and creating jobs as her top priorities, the Kansas government Web site reported. Other key initiatives include ensuring all Kansas children receive a quality education; protecting Kansas families and communities; improving access to affordable and quality healthcare; and searching for ways to use the state's renewable energy assets.

Time magazine named her one of the nation's top governors in 2005.

Sebelius serves on the National Governors Association's Executive Committee and co-chairs the NGA initiative on clean energy in the future. She is the past chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association, and currently serves on the DGA executive committee.

She served for eight years as a representative in the Kansas Legislature and eight years as state insurance commissioner before being elected governor of the predominantly Republican state.

She and her husband Gary, a federal magistrate judge, have two sons, Ned, a law student, and John, a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design.

Sebelius is the first daughter of a governor -- Ohio chief executive John Gilligan, who served from 1971 to 1975 -- in U.S. history to be elected to that same position. Her husband is the son of former U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius.

Obama nominated Kathleen Sebelius after former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., withdrew following news reports that he had to pay more than $140,000 in back taxes and penalties to the Internal Revenue Service.