The Heller School for Social Policy and Management Dean and Professor David Weil (HELLER) was nominated for the position of Wage and Hour Administrator in the Department of Labor, according to a statement released by the White House on June 3.
Weil joined the Heller School faculty in 2017, according to the statement. Before working at Brandeis, Weil held the position as Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the United States Department of Labor under the Obama administration, the same role to which he was nominated by President Biden. Weil served in this position from 2014 to 2017, according to the statement.
In the statement from the White House, Weil is described as “an internationally recognized expert in employment and labor market policy along with regulation, transparency policy and the impacts of industry restructuring on employment, work and business performance.”
In his announcement to the Heller School community, Weil wrote that it is a “great honor” to be nominated for this position under the Biden administration and to work under the leadership of Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. According to Weil, it was a privilege to have held the same position under the Obama administration.
“I have said before that the only reason I would consider leaving Heller would be if I received a call from the White House, and despite the challenges of this year, that sentiment remains true,” wrote Weil in the email.
Weil wrote that he plans on continuing in his position as Dean of the Heller School until his nomination is confirmed by the Senate. He continued his work with the Heller school through the summer and likely will continue into the fall 2021 semester, according to his statement. The confirmation process can take many months. Because of this, Weil wrote that he will be discussing contingency plans with the university for the transition for the person who will succeed him.
In an email announcing Weil’s position, President Ron Liebowitz wrote that, “[Weil] has been an exemplary leader here at Brandeis, and the U.S. government would be fortunate to once again benefit from his leadership.”
Weil has experience advising government agencies; throughout his career he has worked at the state and federal level. Weil has also worked with international organizations regarding employment, labor and workplace policy, according to the White House statement.
Weil is the co-founder of the Transparency Policy Project—an initiative which, according to their page, seeks to improve the disclosure of factual information to the public—at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, according to the statement.
Throughout his career, Weil has written more than 125 articles as well as five books, including “The Fissured Workplace,” “Economic Growth: International Edition” and “Full Disclosure,” according to the statement.
Weil is the recipient of many awards including the Frances Perkins Intelligence and Courage Award—an award given to individuals who have exemplary work in social justice and economic security, according to the Frances Perkins Center’s page. Weil was the recipient of the award in 2019.
Weil was one of seven key nominations made by the White House in the June 3 statement.
