California Labor Secretary Abruptly Leaves Post
California’s Labor Secretary Natalie Palugyai abruptly left her post earlier this month under uncertain circumstances.
Newsom appointed Palugyai, who was earning more than $227,000 a year, in July 2021 as the first Latina to hold the position. Her departure was unexpected, and the governor’s office has yet to publicly explain why she left.
Undersecretary Stewart Knox is serving as acting Labor Secretary, the governor’s communications director Erin Mellon told The Epoch Times Dec. 19.
“We thank Natalie Palugyai for her work in the administration and wish her well in her next chapter,” Mellon said in an email.
The state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency oversees seven departments, boards, and panels handling labor and industrial issues, unemployment, compensation, family leave, and disability claims and payments. The executive branch agency’s secretary is a member of the governor’s cabinet….