Laura Green Zeilinger has served as the Director of the Department of Human Services (DHS) since January 2015. In this capacity, Director Zeilinger is responsible for a 1,300-person agency charged with empowering every District resident to reach their full potential by providing meaningful connections to work opportunities, economic assistance, and supportive services.

Director Zeilinger is an attorney with a long-standing commitment to underserved populations. Before re-joining DHS, she served as the Executive Director of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). Director Zeilinger previously served at DHS as Deputy Director for Program Operations. There, she designed and implemented the District’s Housing First Initiative. 

Ms. Zeilinger is an alumna of Sarah Lawrence College and a graduate of the Washington College of Law at American University. She and her family have lived in Washington, DC, for over two decades.