Julie Hocker was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy on October 23, 2025. Appointed by President Donald J. Trump, she leads the Office of Disability Employment Policy with a clear mandate: expand opportunity, strengthen accountability, and deliver results for American workers with disabilities.
Julie brings a proven record of leadership in workforce development, disability policy, and public-private collaboration. From 2018 to 2021, she served as U.S. Commissioner on Disabilities at the Department of Health and Human Services, where she oversaw a $305 million agency and launched national initiatives to improve employment outcomes, including the National Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center and the first federal prize competition for innovation in job training. Her leadership transformed underperforming programs, strengthened compliance, and expanded access to community living for youth and adults with disabilities. In 2021, she testified before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the civil rights impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting disparities in employment and calling for bold action to protect workers with disabilities.
Prior to her appointment at the Department of Labor, Julie served as Director of Public Health at Guidehouse, where she led nationwide efforts to modernize vocational rehabilitation, Medicaid waivers, and developmental disability programs. She supported clients who advanced novel and breakthrough therapeutics for rare diseases and worked directly with Congress on legislation that expanded access to life-saving care, strengthened ABLE Accounts for Americans with disabilities, and created clearer pathways to economic self-sufficiency. She also facilitated national leadership training for state vocational rehabilitation and developmental disabilities directors, self-advocates, and families. Through that work, she equipped leaders with the tools to drive innovation, accountability, and results in their programs and communities.
Julie previously served on the Board of Directors of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, where she advanced research, programs, and care for patients and families. She also served as a Trustee of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Julie earned a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
