California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has tapped Berkeley health and safety consultant Ellen Widess as the new chief of Cal/OSHA as part of a shakeup at the Division of Industrial Relations (DIR), but Widess still requires Senate confirmation for the job. Christine Baker, of Berkeley, has been appointed chief deputy director of the DIR, and Art Carter, of San Francisco, has been appointed member and chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board. Widess, 63, has been self-employed as a consultant in the field of occupational safety and health and immigration policy since 2010, the governo
December 30, 2025