Director – Christopher J. Godfrey
Christopher J. Godfrey is the Director of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs at the United States Department of Labor. He was appointed by President Joseph Biden and sworn in on January 20, 2021. Godfrey previously served as Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner from 2006 – 2014 after being nominated to the position by then-Governor Thomas Vilsack and re-appointed by then-Governor Chet Culver. In 2014, Godfrey joined the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), U.S. Department of Labor under the administration of President Barack Obama. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez later appointed Godfrey Chief Judge and Chairman of the Board. Before his time in state and federal government, Godfrey represented Iowa employers and workers in both state and federal court. During his career, Godfrey has served in leadership roles in several workers’ compensation organizations and is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). Godfrey has also been recognized for his leadership in the Iowa LGBTQ community. Godfrey is from Sioux City, Iowa and received his undergraduate degree, and Juris Doctorate with honors, from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Deputy Director – Nancy Griswold
Nancy J. Griswold serves as Deputy Director of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). In this role, she provides day-to-day oversight to over 1,300 employees and 33 offices at the national office and across the country. Griswold brings over 20 years of leadership and management experience to OWCP. Prior to joining OWCP, she served for a decade as the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) at the Department of Health and Human Services. Griswold began her federal career in June of 1995, as an Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration, where she continued to serve in progressively responsible positions until her appointment as Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration in December 2006. Griswold earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and her Juris Doctorate from Baylor University Law School. She is a member of the Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado State Bar Associations.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Officer – Paige Brown
Paige Brown is the DEIA Officer of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs at the United States Department of Labor. In this role, she serves as the principal advisor to the Director, national and regional leadership on DEIA strategy, goals, initiatives, and tactics to ensure a diverse and inclusive national Federal workforce. She is passionate about and has demonstrated significant work in researching, developing, and leading DEIA programs in K-12, collegiate, and professional workplace settings, specifically in the engineering field. Prior to arriving at OWCP, Paige worked at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an engineer. At FDA, she also held a collateral role as a Program Manager of the Office of Product Evaluation and Quality’s DEIA program. Paige received her B.S. in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University.
Transformation Officer – Jean Mauss
Jean Mauss is the Transformation Officer of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs at the United States Department of Labor. She advises the Director and works with program leadership to innovate new ways to advance OWCP’s mission of protecting the interests of workers who are injured or become ill on the job, as well as their families and employers where applicable. In this role, Jean’s efforts have focused on development of OWCP’s first agency-wide customer experience team, coordinating the Director’s initiative to expand medical provider availability to OWCP claimants, and working with front-line staff to improve internal processes for staff and customer experience. Prior to arriving at OWCP, Jean owned and managed a law firm that specialized in the representation of workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability claimants. During her two decades representing injured workers and disabled individuals, Jean sought to expand recognition of the occupational barriers caused by pain, mental injuries, and mental impairments. Jean received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, and her Juris Doctorate with honors from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Ombudsperson – Shalonda Cawthon
Shalonda Cawthon is the Ombudsperson for the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA), Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (Longshore), and Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation (Black Lung) programs in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) at the United States Department of Labor. Ms. Cawthon has devoted her career to serving children, adults, and families for almost three decades at various levels in non-profit, state government and federal government sectors for child welfare, benefits programs and programs serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to serving as the Ombudsperson for OWCP, Ms. Cawthon served as Executive Director and Ombudsperson in the District where she was responsible for setting up practices and procedures which govern the office and its interactions both with the public and with other public entities. She has also been privileged to lead organizations through transformational change processes, strategic planning, performance improvement, and leadership development. Ms. Cawthon received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Murray State University and Master of Science degree in Criminology from Indiana State University.
Chief of Staff – Tyler Green
Tyler Green is Chief of Staff at the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs at the United States Department of Labor. Tyler joined the Biden-Harris administration as an appointee in May 2021. Before serving in the department, Tyler worked on Democratic political campaigns in Arizona, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tyler holds a B.A. in international relations and political science from Tufts University.