In an unexpected, but much awaited move, it is anticipated Craig Leen will be named as the new head of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”).  While the Department of Labor has not formally confirmed or commented on this development, Leen’s appointment would come more than a year after Patricia Shiu departed the position in November 2016.  Since that time, Tom Dowd has held the position of interim Director at OFCCP.

Craig Leen currently serves as the City Attorney for Coral Gables, Florida.  During his tenure as the city’s top attorney, Leen reportedly “gained national attention for Coral Gables and its propensity to sue high-profile corporations and use the city’s legal muscle to pursue critics.”  In additional to his position with the City, Leen has also been an adjunct professor at Florida International University College of Law where Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta, to whom Leen would report, was Dean.

The City of Coral Gables’ biography of Lean notes he earned his law degree from Columbia Law School in 2000, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1997, where he double majored in Government and Economics.

Little is known about Leen’s position on OFCCP regulations, policies and practices or his intended direction for the Agency.  We will report any updates or insights as soon as we learn them so stay tuned for the latest developments. . .

Tags: Alexander Acosta, Craig Leen, Director of OFCCP, OFCCP, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Patricia Shiu, Secretary of Labor, Tom Dowd, U.S. Department of Labor
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Photo of Laura A. Mitchell Laura A. Mitchell

Laura Mitchell is a principal in the Denver office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and leads the firm’s Workplace Analytics and Preventive Strategies Pay Equity subgroup. She partners with employers to evaluate, develop and implement policies and practices that ensure workplace fairness while mitigating…

Laura Mitchell is a principal in the Denver office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and leads the firm’s Workplace Analytics and Preventive Strategies Pay Equity subgroup. She partners with employers to evaluate, develop and implement policies and practices that ensure workplace fairness while mitigating legal risk. Laura is a guiding force in the firm’s most specialized and technical practice areas where she leverages an analytics-focused approach to partner with her clients in building legally compliant programs around which they can anchor their workplaces achieving productivity and stability.

Laura understands that creating a competitive advantage for employers in today’s workplace involves using a data-driven approach to counsel companies on the development of proactive and equitable non-discriminatory practices in hiring, promotions, separations and pay—and where advancements in technology can create both opportunities for efficiencies and risk that can be measured. Committed to putting her clients’ organizational goals first and foremost while balancing legal risk, Laura views herself as an extension of her clients’ team, responsible for providing proactive guidance and engaging in transparent, ongoing communication. Staying the course with employers across their organizational journey while balancing legal compliance obligations throughout their employees’ lifecycle ensures Laura’s position as a go-to resource.

Laura works with companies across all industries—both new and well-established multi-national organizations of all sizes—to realize the combined vision of legal compliance, increased productivity and economic growth enhanced by a focus on pay equity.  As part of the pay equity journey, she advises employers on the evolving pay transparency landscape, working to align compliant practices with the practical realities of the business world.

Laura partners closely with government contractors to understand, implement and demonstrate compliance with their EEO regulatory and compliance obligations. She also works closely with non-government contractor clients to conduct risk assessments of their programs, policies, and training to align with federal and state anti-discrimination requirements.

Laura is the editor and a principal contributor of the GovCon Employment Exchange blog and presents on pay equity and government contractor obligations. To round out her days, Laura enjoys spending time with her family and friends attending sports events, working out, riding her bike, playing pickleball and taking in Colorado’s incomparable sunsets.

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