Inside DCFS

Rebecca Harris was appointed DCFS Deputy Secretary in June 2025. She previously served as Undersecretary since January 2024.

Harris brings to the role more than two decades of public service in Louisiana, including extensive service in field operations, financial management and operations, policy and training, enterprise systems, and leadership across DCFS, the Department of State Civil Service and the Louisiana Department of Health. Throughout her career, she has been a steadfast advocate for operational excellence, fiscal responsibility and strategic resource allocation, with a pronounced focus on Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Harris began her public service career as a Social Services Analyst at DCFS (then called the Department of Social Services). This foundational role equipped her with invaluable insights into the intricacies of social programs and unwavering service to the community.

More recently, Harris has served at LDH in senior leadership over Louisiana Medicaid Enterprise Systems. She previously served in senior leadership over Medicaid Eligibility Program Operations, Medicaid Eligibility Field Operations, and program management in Medicaid Financial Management and Operations.

Harris's rich tapestry of experiences has provided her a practical perspective on the challenges and opportunities in public service, as well as years of investigative and incident command experience. She holds a degree in Anthropology and Business Administration, a fusion that underlines a multidisciplinary approach to challenges.

Harris is a proud mother of three daughters.

Christopher Bahm was appointed Undersecretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services in June 2025. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Undersecretary, where he played a key role in overseeing the Department’s fiscal operations and administrative functions.

Bahm began his public service career in June 2010 as a student worker with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Since then, he has built a strong foundation in public finance and administration, bringing over a decade of state service experience to his leadership role at DCFS.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Decision Sciences from Louisiana State University and a degree in Accounting from Southeastern Louisiana University. He is also a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).

Christopher Bahm resides in Denham Springs with his wife, their two sons, and their dog.

Rebecca Harris was appointed DCFS Deputy Secretary in June 2025. She previously served as Undersecretary since January 2024.

Harris brings to the role more than two decades of public service in Louisiana, including extensive service in field operations, financial management and operations, policy and training, enterprise systems, and leadership across DCFS, the Department of State Civil Service and the Louisiana Department of Health. Throughout her career, she has been a steadfast advocate for operational excellence, fiscal responsibility and strategic resource allocation, with a pronounced focus on Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Harris began her public service career as a Social Services Analyst at DCFS (then called the Department of Social Services). This foundational role equipped her with invaluable insights into the intricacies of social programs and unwavering service to the community.

More recently, Harris has served at LDH in senior leadership over Louisiana Medicaid Enterprise Systems. She previously served in senior leadership over Medicaid Eligibility Program Operations, Medicaid Eligibility Field Operations, and program management in Medicaid Financial Management and Operations.

Harris's rich tapestry of experiences has provided her a practical perspective on the challenges and opportunities in public service, as well as years of investigative and incident command experience. She holds a degree in Anthropology and Business Administration, a fusion that underlines a multidisciplinary approach to challenges.

Harris is a proud mother of three daughters.

Sammy Guillory was appointed DCFS Assistant Secretary of Family Support in July 2024.

Guillory has more than three decades of service with DCFS, including most recently serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary, leading all Family Support programs from 2008 to 2021. A Dunbar Award winner in 2021, Guillory’s overall knowledge of the Department’s Economic Stability programs, eligibility systems and program history has proven extensive and invaluable to the agency, our clients and our partners.

During his tenure, Guillory led several major projects, using his knowledge and passion to create better service delivery for our clients and efficiencies for the Department. These included the final phase of the transformation project that implemented the CAFÉ customer service portal and document imaging systems and the launch of the Integrated Eligibility project.

As Deputy Operations Chief in the DCFS Emergency Operations Center during a decade of natural disasters, Guillory oversaw the state’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) operations. He led the charge for Louisiana to transition DSNAP from paper application to an automated on-site application process, allowing residents to receive their benefits in a much timelier manner and positioning Louisiana as a national leader in DSNAP operations.

Guillory and his wife live in St. Martin Parish with their son and daughter.

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Bret Hanemann was appointed DCFS Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare in June 2025. He previously served as Director of Governmental Affairs.

Hanemann’s areas of expertise include team building, strategic planning, community relations, marketing and entrepreneurial leadership.

He joins the Department from Jesuit High School, where he served as the Director of Admissions and teacher of public speaking and radio/tv production for over a decade. During his tenure, Hanemann led recruitment activities, developed admissions financial strategies and action plans, and established strong working relationships with community leaders, increasing the school’s student body diversity while decreasing refusal rate and driving Jesuit’s unparalleled market share of Catholic elementary school students with 70% of the student body originating from Archdiocese schools.

He also served as the head swimming coach at both Jesuit High School and Dominican High School for three decades, bringing home a combined 22 state titles and 10 state runner-up titles.

Hanemann previously served as an adjunct speech professor at Tulane University, as well as Assistant Principal/Dean of Students at Jefferson Community School, Louisiana’s first charter school serving the needs of at-risk students in Jefferson Parish. He is a past board member for the Krewe of Orpheus and volunteer for Special Olympics of Louisiana.

A New Orleans native and Jesuit High alum, Hanemann holds a Master’s in Education, with a concentration in Supervision/Evaluation, from Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Communication Arts from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.

He and his wife have six children.

Melissa Champion Horton serves as Executive Advisor to the Secretary.

Horton values public service and has served in many capacities across state government, including serving in executive level management over the last decade at DCFS.

Horton previously served as Executive Staff Officer and, later, Confidential Assistant in the Office of the Secretary for DCFS, acting as liaison with the Louisiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, legislators, the Governor’s Office, federal partners, state and local governmental agencies, stakeholders and advocates. In these roles, she also collaborated with state and local partners during disasters, provided support during legislative session, and managed projects supporting the agency’s mission.

Previously, she served in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, in the Governor’s Office as a coordinator for the Children’s Cabinet and Office on Women’s Policy, and at the Louisiana Board of Regents, where she coordinated grants from the MacArthur Foundation for juvenile justice reform.

Horton’s passion is helping children and families. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University, where she focused her studies on early childhood and family development.

A Natchitoches native, Horton now lives in Brusly with her husband, Brandon, and their daughter.