BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum today announced that Kathy Kulesa, longtime human rights director for the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights, will serve as interim state labor commissioner effective Oct. 1.
Current Labor Commissioner Erica Thunder recently resigned from the role, effective Sept. 30, to accept the newly created position of Director of Diversity and Cultural Competency at the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR). Thunder has led the Department of Labor and Human Rights since June 2019.
Kulesa has served as the department’s human rights director since June 2002. She previously served for 16 years with Legal Services of North Dakota.
The labor commissioner position is posted here, with an application deadline of Sept. 25.
The Department of Labor and Human Rights is responsible for enforcing North Dakota labor and human rights laws and for educating the public about the laws. The department also licenses employment agencies operating in the state and can verify the status of independent contractor relationships.