Heather MacDougall and James Sullivan Confirmed as Commissioners and MacDougall Appointed as Chairman

The U.S. Senate, on August 3, 2017, confirmed President Trump's nominations of Heather MacDougall of Jupiter, Florida, and James Sullivan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be Commissioners of the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission. In addition, President Trump appointed Ms. MacDougall as Chairman of the Commission. Ms. MacDougall was sworn in today as the agency's 12th Chairman.

Ms. MacDougall returns to the Commission after serving as Commissioner from April 2, 2014 through April 27, 2017. She was designated by President Trump as Acting Chairman from January 23, 2017, through the conclusion of her prior term.

Prior to her appointment to the Commission, Ms. MacDougall had 20 years of experience representing employers throughout the U.S. with regard to matters involving labor, employment, and occupational safety and health law, most recently with Akerman LLP in West Palm Beach, Florida. In addition, she previously served as Chief Legal Counsel & Special Advisor to former OSHRC Chairman W. Scott Railton. Ms. MacDougall received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a J.D. from Marquette University Law School. Ms. MacDougall is the proud parent of two daughters.

Upon being sworn in, Chairman MacDougall said:

I am deeply honored that President Trump has appointed me as Chairman of the Review Commission and to continue public service to this important agency and our country. I intend to focus on our sole statutory mandate of serving as an administrative court providing fair and expeditious resolution of disputes involving the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers charged with violations of Federal safety and health standards, and employees and/or their representatives.

I congratulate Mr. Sullivan on his confirmation, and I look forward to working with him and Commissioner Attwood in the critical task of ensuring that OSHA's enforcement actions are carried out in accordance with the law and that parties are accorded due process. Each of my colleagues brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the significant issues before us. With a quorum restored and a full complement of commissioners for the first time in over two years, our first order of business is the cases awaiting Commission consideration."

Mr. Sullivan will join the Commission from Cozen O'Connor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be sworn in later this month.