State budget director takes Pa. post

ST. LOUIS -- State budget director Linda Luebbering will be leaving her post next month to take a new position in Pennsylvania. On Oct. 12, Luebbering will become the fiscal management director for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. In Missouri, she managed the state's finances for Gov. Bob Holden during the worst financial crunch in decades.

The Pennsylvania welfare agency has a budget of $22 billion, larger than Missouri's $18.8 billion operating budget.

"It's a good opportunity for me," said Luebbering, who has worked for state government 19 years. She said she began looking for a new job after Holden lost the Democratic primary election on Aug. 3.

"Nobody told me to pack my bags," she said.

Luebbering notified Holden of her decision on Thursday. An interim director has not yet been appointed.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com