USM Community Applauds President Obama's Nomination of Thomas E. Perez as U.S. Secretary of Labor
March 19, 2013 (Adelphi, Md.) -- University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor William E. Kirwan and the USM community applaud President Barack Obama's nomination of Thomas E. Perez as U.S. Secretary of Labor.
During his tenure as Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Perez worked closely with the state's higher education community on several issues. He promoted partnerships between the private sector, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and education to support job training and youth work programs.
In addition, he successfully led the department's effort to bring Maryland's adult education programs into its portfolio. With pragmatism and consensus building, Perez guided the alignment of adult education with workforce development so that individuals who earned a GED would be better positioned to find jobs more suited to their skills.
Perez focused much of his distinguished career in Maryland on improving individuals' preparation for and access to career opportunities. For example, he worked diligently to expand courses in English as a second language for the state's growing immigrant population.
Prior to serving as Maryland's Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (2007-2009), Perez was on the School of Law (now the Francis King Carey School of Law) faculty at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, a USM institution.
"Thomas Perez has devoted his professional life to making a difference. He is always willing to hear and consider different points of view and is unfailingly fair and collaborative," said Chancellor Kirwan. "Clearly, his wealth of experience and commitment to building a strong workforce would be invaluable assets to our country's economic advancement. "
Contact: Anne Moultrie
Phone: 301.445.2722
Email: amoultrie@usmd.edu
