Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms Governor Shapiro’s Nominees to Lead the Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Labor and Industry
June 21, 2023
Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Senate confirmed two of Governor Josh Shapiro’s cabinet nominations: Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Latika Davis-Jones and Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker. Secretary Davis-Jones and Secretary Walker have each led their agencies as they’ve made Commonwealth services more accessible for Pennsylvanians and supported those suffering from substance use disorder and Pennsylvania workers, respectively.
Read more about Secretary Davis-Jones and Secretary Walker below.
Dr. Davis-Jones joins DDAP with a 25-year career in behavioral health and substance use prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery expertise with previous experiences of serving as the Senior Director of Behavioral Health at Highmark Wholecare and SCA Administrator for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Under her leadership, Secretary Davis-Jones has awarded nearly $9 million in grant funding to four Single County Authorities (SCA) to establish or expand crisis stabilization services, awarded $4 million in grant funding for the establishment of regional recovery hubs to enhance resources for individuals in recovery and promote recovery within communities across Pennsylvania, awarded more than $6 million in grant funding for organizations to establish or expand SUD services, and expanded Just Five, DDAP’s free SUD prevention and education tool to include three new lessons, one of which being fentanyl: the leading substance in overdose deaths across the Commonwealth.
Secretary Walker previously served as the first Chief Deputy Attorney General of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Fair Labor Section and worked as a private-practice attorney focused on labor and employment law.
Under her leadership, Secretary Walker has led the department’s efforts to improve and build a resilient Unemployment Compensation (UC) system and address the pandemic-induced backlog of UC claims by hiring more than 200 additional UC interviews to staff service centers and answer calls, prioritize enforcement of Pennsylvania’s 13 labor laws, and strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy by empowering workers to pursue opportunities like apprenticeships that lead to family-sustaining jobs. Walker has also prioritized the Department’s responsibility to enforce Pennsylvania’s labor laws and remain vigilant against potential exploitation of the workforce, especially regarding child labor.
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