ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday Bárbara Rivera Holmes, the top of the Albany House Chamber of Trade, because the state’s subsequent hard work commissioner.
Rivera Holmes replaces Bruce Thompson, a Republican and previous state senator who was once elected hard work commissioner in 2022. He died in November from pancreatic most cancers at age 59, 8 months after he introduced his prognosis.
Rivera Holmes, 45, is the 7th girl to carry statewide administrative center in Georgia and the primary girl of Hispanic descent. John King, the present insurance coverage commissioner at the start appointed by way of Kemp, was once the primary Hispanic guy to carry statewide administrative center. Even if elected Republicans on the state stage are nonetheless overwhelmingly white males, Kemp has made some various appointments, spotting that the GOP must expand its enchantment in a state this is now handiest part white.
Kemp made the announcement in a rite on the state Capitol in Atlanta, the place he lauded Rivera Holmes for her “distinctive talent set” in staff building and schooling. Holmes was once appointed as a member of the board of regents overseeing the College Device of Georgia in 2018 by way of Gov. Nathan Deal.
“She brings an unequalled aggregate of information and skill to this position that can get advantages all the ones on the lookout for paintings,” mentioned Kemp, a Republican.
Georgia’s Hard work Division administers unemployment insurance coverage and is helping other folks to find jobs.
“During my profession, I’ve been dedicated to making alternatives and construction more potent communities by way of fostering partnerships and statewide alliances, riding activity advent and securing capital investments,” Rivera Holmes mentioned.
The dep. has been run since Thompson’s demise by way of meantime commissioner Louis DeBroux, who was once Thompson’s leader of group of workers.
Rivera Holmes will serve the rest of Thompson’s four-year time period till early 2027, giving her an opportunity to make herself referred to as a statewide officeholder. She mentioned she is going to run for a complete time period within the administrative center as a Republican in 2026.
“Sure, she’ll run; sure, she’ll run as a Republican,” Kemp mentioned.
Georgia is one in every of handiest 4 states that elects its hard work commissioner, with the governor appointing the location in different states.
The Hard work Division was once battered all through the pandemic by way of an enormous wave of unemployment claims, elevating questions in regards to the control of the dep.. The dep. additionally struggled with the cheap that was once lower all through the Nice Recession greater than a decade in the past, leaving it with fewer workers and a 40-year-old pc gadget. Thompson introduced a plan in 2023 to replace that pc gadget. Rivera Holmes mentioned she deliberate to guage how that changeover was once going after she takes administrative center.
Rivera Holmes has led the Albany House Chamber since 2015. She introduced her resignation Monday, pronouncing it could take impact on March 28. Kemp mentioned Rivera Holmes can be sworn into her new statewide publish on April 4.
Kemp mentioned he selected Rivera Holmes as a result of he was once on the lookout for anyone who works neatly as a part of a crew to help financial building and activity enlargement. He additionally mentioned it was once a part of his dedication to help financial alternative in spaces out of doors metro Atlanta, bringing up Rivera Holmes’ paintings in southwest Georgia, one of the crucial state’s poorest areas.
“Being positioned out of doors of metro Atlanta is surely a bonus,” Rivera Holmes instructed newshounds. “Lifestyles is other out of doors of the metro house. The demanding situations are other, and the alternatives are other.”
