Kansas secretary of corrections to retire at end of the year

Gov. Sam Brownback will have to replace another cabinet secretary after Secretary of Corrections Ray Roberts retires at the end of the year.

Roberts, who has been corrections secretary since 2011, announced Friday that he would leave. He had previously served as warden of the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

Brownback said in a news release that he was grateful for Roberts’ leadership and experience. “In a corrections career spanning more than 40 years, he has worked with the utmost integrity, serving Kansans through his dedication to public safety, and by actively encouraging and assisting offenders through mentorship programs to become law-abiding citizens.”

Roberts said it was an honor to serve under Brownback, who he said “has supported me through good and difficult times and taught me about leadership and humility.”

Roberts is one of several cabinet secretaries to announce his retirement in recent months. The administration is still in the process of finding a replacement for former Secretary of Commerce Pat George after the governor’s initial pick, businessman George Hansen, unexpectedly withdrew from consideration last month.

This story was originally published October 9, 2015 at 11:28 AM.