Head of Arizona Department of Economic Security stepping down
PHOENIX - State officials confirmed Friday night that the head of the Arizona Department of Economic Security is stepping down.
According to a brief statement by Brett Bezio that was sent to FOX 10's Steve Nielsen, Tom Betlach will step down as DES's director after his 75-day tenure is over, and return to private life.
"DES and the Governor's Office are thankful that Mr. Betlach agreed to serve for 75 days and are appreciative of the work he has done for Arizona," read a portion of the statement.
Betlach's pending departure from his role as DES Director comes at a time when millions of Arizonans are filing for unemployment benefits. It was reported on Thursday that DES has paid out $519 million of jobless benefit payments the week before, as it caught up with weeks of overdue benefits for thousands of applicants who are unemployed because of the coronavirus pandemic.