By: Bill Osterndorf
On January 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced that it has selected Ronald Sullivan as Regional Director for the agency’s Southwest and Rocky Mountain (SWARM) region. Mr. Sullivan was appointed to replace former SWARM Regional Director Melissa Speer. Ms. Speer retired from OFCCP in 2023 after more than 30 years with the agency.
In her announcement regarding Mr. Sullivan’s appointment, Acting OFCCP Director Michelle Hodge discussed Mr. Sullivan’s work. Acting Director Hodge noted that Mr. Sullivan has over 17 years of experience with the agency. He began his tenure with OFCCP as a Compliance Officer and held other roles within the SWARM region before becoming Deputy Regional Director in 2022. Acting Director Hodge stated that Mr. Sullivan has “a substantial background in investigating systemic discrimination” and that “he is equipped to effectively…lead the [SWARM] Region to successfully identify and resolve high-impact discrimination cases.”
The SWARM Region includes the OFCCP District Offices in Dallas, Denver, Houston, New Orleans, and San Antonio. It is responsible for the following states:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Louisiana
- Montana
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
With the appointment of Mr. Sullivan, OFCCP has filled all Regional Director positions for the agency’s six regions. Ms. Hodge continues in her role as Acting Director for OFCCP, a position she assumed in 2023 following the departure of former OFCCP Director Jenny Yang. The agency has several other vacancies in its national office.
