Ruthie McDaniel holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in management with an emphasis in Finance. She has dedicated over 33 ½ years of service to the federal government, beginning with eight years as an active-duty United States Marine. During that time, she was responsible for training Marines, fiscal and disbursing duties, and career development. She then served for three years with the Department of Defense as a Career Resource Development and Relocation Specialist. For the past 22+ years, she has continued her service as a Veteran supporting other Veterans through her work with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Her professional career has included preparing active-duty members for the transition to civilian life, workforce development, and human resources. She has served as a liaison with community partners to facilitate medical care for Veterans and worked as the Operations Manager for Mental Health Services. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing accreditations through both the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Joint Commission. Her expertise spans quality, compliance, and performance improvement, and she has also held oversight responsibilities in facility health and safety, fiscal operations, human resources, emergency management, administrative strategic planning, and logistics.
She has had the privilege of serving as a CARF Surveyor for approximately ten years. In her consulting work with organizations that serve individuals with mental health challenges, she shares her extensive experience and knowledge to support the delivery of high-quality care. Her contributions include guidance on policy implementation, program evaluation, the influence of organizational culture on service delivery, the value of partnerships and community collaboration, and improving services and outcomes.
In addition to her professional career, she has served as an educator at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels, teaching both bachelor’s and master’s students. Outside of work, she enjoys reading mystery novels—especially those by her favorite author, James Patterson—participating in church activities, traveling with her family, and challenging her grandchildren to basketball or board games. Her greatest joy is her 2-year-old grandson.
Throughout her life, she has received numerous awards, but the most meaningful achievement remains living out her personal definition of success: helping other people achieve worthwhile goals that positively impact their lives and the lives of others. For her, helping others succeed is like dessert after dinner—completely satisfying and calorie-free.