Gov. Newsom Appoints New Director of Employment Development Department
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the appointment of Nancy Farias as Director of the Employment Development Department, filling the role held by outgoing Director Rita Saenz since 2020.
According to a press release issued by the governor's office, Farias had worked as Chief Deputy Director of External Affairs, Legislation and Policy Director at the EDD. Saenz will continue to serve the Newsom administration by resuming her role as a Commissioner on the California Commission on Aging.
"Director Saenz took the helm at EDD at a critical juncture of the pandemic, bringing her decades of experience in the public and private sectors to tackle the unprecedented challenges facing our state and nation," said Governor Newsom. "With her steadfast leadership and dedication to public service, Director Saenz spearheaded important reforms at the Department to better serve working Californians, prevent fraud and hold bad actors to account. On behalf of all Californians, I thank her for taking on this vital role and for continuing to serve the people of our state as part of the Administration."
The EDD has faced heavy criticism during the pandemic. California was overwhelmed by unemployment claims in March of 2020 after Newsom issued the nation's first statewide stay-at-home order that forced many businesses to close.
As of last July, more than 23 million claims have been filed since March 2020, with the state paying $158 billion in benefits. But earlier this year, state officials claim at least $11 billion of that money was fraudulent. The state labeled another $20 billion in benefits as "suspicious."
Farias will begin serving as Director of the Department effective February 1, 2022.
"Nancy Farias has played an invaluable role in the Department's ongoing efforts to strengthen the state's unemployment system and implement improvements to better support hardworking Californians when they need it most. I look forward to her partnership in this all-important work to help California's families, businesses and communities continue to recover and thrive," the Governor added.
Farias, a 49-year-old resident of Sacramento, has served as Chief Deputy Director of External Affairs, Legislation and Policy at the California Employment Development Department since last year. Farias was Director of Government Relations at SEIU Local 1000 from 2017 to 2020. She was Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Senator Henry Stern from 2016 to 2017 and District Director at the Office of Assemblymember Mike Gatto from 2015 to 2016.
Farias earned a Master of Science degree in Political Science from Suffolk University and a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School. The position requires Senate confirmation and has an annual salary of $204,613. Farias is a Democrat.
