Commissioner
Prior to being appointed commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights in December of 2022 by Gov. Doug Burgum, Svihovec served as an attorney with a Bismarck-based law firm representing and advising employers and employees in various protected categories before the Department of Labor and Human Rights, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, federal and state courts, and state administrative agencies. He also has represented employees in tribal employment matters.
Svihovec previously served as an assistant attorney general for the North Dakota Office of Attorney General from 2017 to 2020, representing and advising state agencies – including the Department of Labor and Human Rights – in employment law matters. He also worked as a law clerk for state district court judges and in human resources for private sector companies.
A native of Watford City, Svihovec earned an associate’s degree from Bismarck State College, bachelor’s degrees in human resource management and business administration from Dickinson State University and his law degree at the University of North Dakota School of Law in Grand Forks. He served in the North Dakota National Guard from 2008 to 2016, achieving the rank of sergeant and being named North Dakota Soldier of the Year in 2009.
Agency Phone: (701) 328-2660
Agency Email: labor@nd.gov