Kim Kovol

Kim Kovol serves as Principal Deputy Director for the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she supports ANA’s mission by advancing Tribal and Native community-led solutions that strengthen Native families and communities, promote self-sufficiency, expand economic opportunities and support cultural vitality.

Kovol brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across the private sector and public service. Most recently, she served as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Family and Community Services. In that role, she led work spanning child welfare, juvenile justice, psychiatric care, elder care and complex care. Her leadership focused on challenges that directly shape community stability. She worked side-by-side with communities to strengthen prevention, improve coordination across systems and expand culturally responsive, community-based resources. A consistent priority has been housing stability, grounded in her belief that a safe place to live is foundational to health, safety and long-term opportunity.

That experience supports ACF’s A Home for Every Child initiative, which focuses on strengthening foster home availability and improving outcomes for children in foster care. It also advances HHS’ Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda through a prevention-focused approach that strengthens community conditions tied to health, safety and family stability. Together, these priorities align with President Trump’s Executive Order, Fostering the Future for American Children and Families and First Lady Melania Trump’s whole-of-government commitment to improving outcomes for children in foster care.

Previously, Kovol served as Special Assistant to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy with a broad social services portfolio which encompassed homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault, missing and murdered Indigenous persons, human trafficking, substance use and suicide prevention. That work reinforced her commitment to service and advocacy. It aligns closely with ANA’s focus on supporting Native communities as they build capacity and determine their own solutions.

Kovol earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and studies (K—8 Education) from San Diego State University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). She is a former Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Fellow with a focus on navigating autism services in Alaska. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education in Executive Leadership in Mental Health and Human Services at Houston Christian University.

A long-time Alaskan, Kovol is a proud mom of four. She stays connected to her community through service focused on children, hunger relief and homelessness. Outside of work, she enjoys bow hunting and is a longtime Star Wars fan and cosplayer.