~ 15 term House member and former Speaker will lead department beginning July 17 ~

Governor Pawlenty announced today the appointment of Rep. Steve Sviggum as the new commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), effective July 17, 2007.

“Minnesota’s workers and businesses rely on the Department of Labor and Industry as a trusted resource and regulator,” Governor Pawlenty said. “Steve is known for his ability to work with and listen to people on all sides of an issue. His philosophy has always revolved around balance and I know he’ll bring that to DLI.”

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry performs a variety of functions: overseeing the workers' compensation system for the state; preventing workplace accidents and illness through OSHA consultation and compliance efforts; certifying and monitoring the state registered apprenticeship program; monitoring compliance with labor laws; and regulating the state’s construction codes and licensing activities. The department employs approximately 500 workers throughout the state.

Sviggum was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1978 and is currently in his 15th term. He served four terms as Speaker of the House and three terms as House Minority Leader. In 1985-86, he chaired the Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation Division of the House Labor-Management Relations Committee. Sviggum has been honored by many business organizations, advocacy groups for the mentally disabled and taxpayer watchdog groups.

Sviggum has been a Sunday school teacher and board member of River View Manor, Goodhue County Historical Society, the Kenyon Sunset Home long-term care board and the Northern Chapter of the American Red Cross. Sviggum and his family are beef and grain farmers in the Kenyon area and he is also a senior fellow in the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. He and his wife, Debra, have three children.

“I’m looking forward to this next challenge in my public service career,” Sviggum said. “Enhancing jobs and furthering the health, safety and protection of Minnesota’s workers and employers is an important task and I’ll tackle it with energy and fairness.”