By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginia’s next secretary of labor will be Jessica Looman, according to the Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s office.
Looman most recently served as administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, where she led the federal labor standards enforcement agency from 2021 to 2025.
The labor secretary oversees workforce training programs, labor standards enforcement and worker protection efforts across the commonwealth.
“Virginia’s workforce is the most talented in America and the foundation of what makes our economy great,” the governor-elect said in a statement. She said workers and their families deserve leaders who expand opportunity by investing in workforce training programs and supporting good-paying jobs across the commonwealth.
Spanberger said Looman brings experience supporting workers and fostering economic growth at the local, state and federal levels and is positioned to help prepare Virginians for both current and future workforce demands.
“As secretary of labor, Ms. Looman will help advance my administration’s mission to equip Virginians with the skills and education they need to build steady, rewarding careers and power Virginia’s economy into the future,” the governor-elect said.
Looman previously served as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce, overseeing energy, insurance and financial institution regulation. Before that, she was deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, where she coordinated the agency’s worker protection divisions.
“I am honored to be nominated to serve as Virginia’s third secretary of labor,” Looman said. She said she looks forward to working with state workforce protection and development agencies to improve economic opportunity and security for Virginia workers.
The appointment follows other cabinet selections announced ahead of the administration’s start in January.
Recent selections include appointments for finance, administration, transportation, health and human resources, and public safety and homeland security.