The U.S. Department of Labor has appointed five officials to lead the Wage and Hour Division, including a new acting administrator who brings state-level workforce management experience to the federal role.
Donald M. Harrison III began serving as acting administrator on April 1, bringing experience from Alabama’s state workforce department where he served as general counsel and deputy secretary. The division enforces federal labor standards including minimum wage, overtime pay and family leave requirements that affect millions of American workers.
New leadership team announced
The appointments, announced Friday, complete the Trump administration’s initial staffing of the division’s political leadership. The team will work under Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling to enforce wage and hour laws across industries.
Harrison spent nine years in private law practice in Birmingham before joining Alabama’s workforce department. He holds degrees from Auburn University and the University of Alabama School of Law.
Four senior policy advisors will support the acting administrator’s work on compliance and enforcement priorities.
Policy advisors bring private sector experience
Caroline Brown joins as senior policy advisor after developing expertise in federal and state wage laws at Fisher & Phillips LLP. She earned degrees from the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University.
W. Glenn Viers, also a senior policy advisor, spent more than 30 years as vice president and general counsel at Hillstone Restaurant Group Inc., where he handled wage and hour compliance, workplace safety and employment matters. The Atlanta-based attorney previously worked at Alston & Bird LLP and clerked for a federal appeals court judge. He graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Garrett Buttrey, the third senior policy advisor, served as chief counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions before joining the department. He practiced labor and employment law in private practice and holds degrees from the University of Tennessee and George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
HR professional rounds out team
Dana M. Deason brings human resources experience as a policy advisor, holding professional certifications from the HR Certification Institute and Society for Human Resource Management. She worked for more than 20 years in senior management roles at Arkansas transportation companies, focusing on labor relations and compliance issues. Deason graduated from Westminster College.
The Wage and Hour Division investigates violations of federal labor standards and can recover back wages for workers. The division’s enforcement actions often result in significant financial recoveries for employees across industries including retail, hospitality, construction and healthcare.
