Washington — President Joe Biden intends to nominate Doug Parker as the head of OSHA, according to a White House press release issued April 9.
Parker leads the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA, a position he has served in since September 2019. He also was a member of Biden’s transition team, focusing on occupational safety and health issues.
OSHA is in its longest period in history without a Senate-confirmed leader, or assistant secretary of labor, dating to David Michaels’ departure in January 2017. Former President Donald Trump nominated Scott Mugno for assistant secretary of labor in October 2017, but Mugno withdrew from consideration in May 2019 after waiting 19 months for Senate confirmation.
Before heading Cal/OSHA, Parker was the executive director of Worksafe – a legal services provider in Oakland, CA. He previously served as deputy assistant secretary of policy and a senior policy advisor at the Mine Safety and Health Administration during the Obama administration, and was a partner at the Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy and Welch law firm in Washington. In addition, he served as a staff attorney for the United Mine Workers of America.
