OFCCP Quietly Appoints New Deputy Director

Although the OFCCP has yet to issue an official announcement, the agency appears to have appointed a new official. The agency’s “About” page and their National Office Directory lists Anupa Iyer Geevarghese as the new Deputy Director.

Deputy Director Geevarghese’s specific duties are still a little unclear. She is a political appointee joining two career officials, Acting Director Michele Hodge and Acting Deputy Director Tina Williams. Her current biography page on the OFCCP’s website simply notes her Deputy Director title along with highlights from her resume.

Ms. Geevarghese received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from UCLA, followed by a Juris Doctor from Seattle University School of Law. She began her career as a union organizer for the Service Employees International Union, but quickly found her stride in disability advocacy starting as a Legal Intern with Disability Rights Washington, a private, non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities.

From there, she moved to briefly to the Mental Disability Advocacy Center before landing a Legal Intern position working for then EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum. Ms. Geevarghese would go on to spend over seven years as the full-time Disability Policy Advisor in the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations, followed by a brief stint in a similar role for the Department of Defense, and eventually joining the Department of Labor as the Chief of Staff in the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

Somewhat notably, the OFCCP “teased” increased “cooperation” with ODEP at the recent National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) meeting in Orlando without providing much substantive detail.

Tina Williams is still listed as the Acting Deputy Director, and her biography page lists a broad slate of responsibilities, noting that she currently serves as the Director of Policy and Program Development, and the Acting Director of Program Operations, responsible for overseeing the development and coordination of new directives, regulations, sub-regulatory guidance, agency policies and procedures, the OFCCP Training Academy, and the development of public education and outreach materials. If that is not enough, Ms. Williams also oversees the performance, quality, scheduling/jurisdiction, the Functional Affirmative Action Program, exemptions and waivers, and all agency IT systems. There seems to be plenty of room for Ms. Geevarghese to lend a hand.

We will be on the lookout for more detail regarding Ms. Geevarghese’s appointment and her specific duties, but feel free to sign up for OFCCP email updates here. You can also subscribe to our blog to receive future analysis on OFCCP innerworkings and regulatory updates.

And if you have any questions about this or any other OFCCP-related matter, feel free to reach out to us at bai@berkshireassociates.com.