Director – Christopher J. Godfrey
Christopher J. Godfrey is the Director of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs at the United States Department of Labor. He was appointed by President Joseph Biden and sworn in on January 20, 2021. Godfrey previously served as Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner from 2006 – 2014 after being nominated to the position by then-Governor Thomas Vilsack and re-appointed by then-Governor Chet Culver. In 2014, Godfrey joined the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), U.S. Department of Labor under the administration of President Barack Obama. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez later appointed Godfrey Chief Judge and Chairman of the Board. Before his time in state and federal government, Godfrey represented Iowa employers and workers in both state and federal court. During his career, Godfrey has served in leadership roles in several workers’ compensation organizations and is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). Godfrey has also been recognized for his leadership in the Iowa LGBTQ community. Godfrey is from Sioux City, Iowa and received his undergraduate degree, and Juris Doctorate with honors, from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Deputy Director for Transition – Nancy Griswold
Nancy J. Griswold serves as Deputy Director for Transition of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). In this role, she provides support and advice to the Director and other Deputy Directors related to the over 1,300 employees and 33 offices at the national office and across the country. Griswold brings over 20 years of leadership and management experience to OWCP. Prior to joining OWCP, she served for a decade as the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) at the Department of Health and Human Services. Griswold began her federal career in June of 1995, as an Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration, where she continued to serve in progressively responsible positions until her appointment as Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration in December 2006. Griswold earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and her Juris Doctorate from Baylor University Law School. She is a member of the Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado State Bar Associations.
Deputy Director for Programs and Performance – Julie DeNiro
Julie DeNiro serves as Deputy Director for Programs and Performance for the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). In this role, she provides day-to-day oversight to over 1,300 employees and 33 offices at the national office and across the country. Ms. DeNiro previously served as a Senior Advisor within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) where she led a multi-year department-wide implementation team including executives, federal and contract staff building and delivering an enterprise security solution to protect DOL’s applications and data. Prior to that role, Julie served as the Director of Enterprise Architecture where she led efforts to improve efficiency, manage risk, reduce costs, drive innovation initiatives, and support adaptability to future changes within the Department’s evolving technology ecosystem. Before joining DOL OCIO, Ms. DeNiro served as the IT Center Chief for the Mine Safety and Health Administration where she led the management of the national computer center and ensured the effective and responsive provisioning of services in support of agency programs, customers, and stakeholders. Prior to joining DOL, Ms. DeNiro served in multiple leadership positions in the U.S. Department of the Interior, including serving as the acting Director (Chief Information Officer) of Information Resources for the Bureau of Reclamation. Over the course of her career, Ms. DeNiro has demonstrated repeated success guiding large, cross-functional teams in leading change and driving modernization of highly visible federal programs. She is an experienced leader recognized for building strong customer relationships and overcoming challenges to deliver desired mission outcomes while implementing operational efficiencies. Ms. DeNiro was born and raised in Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Management Science from Metropolitan State College and later received her certificate in Dispute Resolution. Ms. DeNiro started her federal career as a “Stay-in-School” student in the early 1980s. Throughout her career, Ms. DeNiro has obtained numerous technical and program management certifications. She is married with two children and three grandchildren.
Deputy Director for Operations and Financial Administration - Douglas A. Pennington
Douglas A. Pennington serves as Deputy Director of Operations & Financial Administration for the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). In this role, he provides operational and financial oversight to the over 1,300 employees at the national office and across the country. Pennington brings more than 30 years of insurance and benefits leadership and management experience to OWCP. Previously, he served as the Deputy Director for the Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness, one of the statutory divisions within OWCP. Prior to joining OWCP, he served in senior leadership positions at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Pennington began his insurance management career working for over a decade in the private sector before he became a senior insurance regulator with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Pennington earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Legal Studies from Pacific Lutheran University, his Master’s in Public Administration from Arkansas State University, a Pre-Doctoral Executive Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from Liberty University, and holds the Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Risk Manager, Certified Compliance Professional, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, and 14 other insurance, audit, and technology credentials/certifications. He is also a member of several insurance, auditing, and technology professional associations, including the Insurance Data Management Association (IDMA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (AFCE), the Insurance Regulatory Examiner’s Society (IRES), the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP), the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators (SITE), and the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM).
Ombudsperson – Shalonda Cawthon
Shalonda Cawthon is the Ombudsperson for the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA), Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (Longshore), and Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation (Black Lung) programs in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) at the United States Department of Labor. Ms. Cawthon has devoted her career to serving children, adults, and families for almost three decades at various levels in non-profit, state government and federal government sectors for child welfare, benefits programs and programs serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to serving as the Ombudsperson for OWCP, Ms. Cawthon served as Executive Director and Ombudsperson in the District where she was responsible for setting up practices and procedures which govern the office and its interactions both with the public and with other public entities. She has also been privileged to lead organizations through transformational change processes, strategic planning, performance improvement, and leadership development. Ms. Cawthon received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Murray State University and Master of Science degree in Criminology from Indiana State University.
Senior Advisor - Abdirahman Muse
Abdiraham Muse serves as the Senior Advisor for the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. Before joining the Department of Labor, he was executive director at the Atwood Center in Minneapolis, an organization that educates workers from the East African community about rights as workers. Muse successfully led one of the first workers’ negotiations with Amazon and improved conditions for thousands of its employees, which led Minnesota to enact strong protections for the state’s warehouse workers. His efforts earned him the Letelier-Moffit Human Rights Award from the Institute for Policy Studies In Washington, D.C.
Fluent in English, Somali and Arabic, Muse holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree in Technical and Professional Writing from Metropolitan State University.