The Biden administration has nominated West Virginia native Christopher Williamson for assistant secretary for mine safety and health at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Williamson, who will replace David Zatezalo if his nomination is confirmed by the Senate, currently serves as the senior counsel to Chairman Lauren McFerran at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Prior to his current seat, he was a member of senior leadership for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), advising the assistant secretary on agency policy, operations and communications.
Williamson was also a Senate labor counsel to Tom Harkin on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and as a legislative assistant to Senator Joe Manchin III. He advised chairman Harkin and committee members on labor, occupational and mine safety and health, and black lung benefits, Biden’s office said, and was Senator Manchin’s primary policy advisor on labor, mine safety and health, pensions and agriculture issues.
The new appointee earned a Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law, a Master of Public Policy from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from West Virginia University.
No date for Williamson’s confirmation has been released.
Source: White House