CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has nominated Jessica Looman, a former Biden administration Department of Labor administrator and Minnesota Department of Commerce Commissioner, to be Virginia’s Secretary of Labor, Spanberger announced Monday.

“I look forward to working with the Commonwealth’s workforce protection and development agencies to improve economic opportunity and security for Virginia’s workers,” Looman said in a statement. “I share Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision that both investing in the creation of good jobs and protecting workers are essential to sustaining the Commonwealth’s economic growth and shared prosperity.”

Looman was most recently working as a Senior Fellow with the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative.

“Virginia’s workforce is the most talented in America — and the foundation of what makes our economy great. Workers and their families deserve leaders who will continue to expand opportunity by investing in workforce training programs and creating good-paying jobs in every region of our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in a statement. “Ms. Looman has extensive experience supporting workers and fostering economic growth at the local, state, and federal levels. As a proud member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, she understands how important it is to uphold workforce protections and prepare our citizens for both the jobs of today and tomorrow. As Secretary of Labor, Ms. Looman will drive my administration’s mission to equip Virginians with the skills and education they need to build steady, rewarding careers — and power Virginia’s economy into the future.”