Montpelier, Vt. – The Vermont Department of Labor announced the retirement of Stephen “Steve” Monahan, who will step down as Director of the Workers Compensation and Safety Division at the end of the year.
Originally from Connecticut, Monahan began his career with the State of Vermont in March 1984 after receiving his B.A. degree from the University of Connecticut and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Vermont Law School, where he was also a member of the Vermont Law Review. Monahan served as General Counsel for the then Department of Labor and Industry from 1987 until 2005, and is a past president of the State OSHA Litigators Organization, an association of state occupational safety and health prosecutors. In addition to his main duties as General Counsel, Monahan was also appointed as Interim Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry by Howard Dean in 1997, returning to his General Counsel role thereafter. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Agency of Human Services, representing the departments of Mental Health and Social Welfare.
Monahan was named Director of Workers Compensation and Safety in June 2005. In this role, Monahan has overseen Vermont’s workers compensation and workplace safety programs, including the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) and Project WorkSAFE, as well as the safety of ski lifts across Vermont through the Passenger Tramway program.
Dirk Anderson, who has served as the Department’s General Counsel since 2005, will assume the role of Director of Workers Compensation and Safety. Anderson was previously a staff attorney with the Fire Prevention Division of the Department of Labor and Industry and with the Department of Public Safety. He obtained his law degree from Vermont Law School, and a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Originally from southern New Hampshire, he has lived in Vermont for 31 years and currently resides in Orange, Vt.
“I’ve had the pleasure of serving with Steve since I started with the Department in 2017 and want to personally thank him for all his years of service to the Department of Labor and the State of Vermont, and for his mentoring over the past four years,” said Commissioner Michael Harrington. “While we are all sad to see him go, we at the Department wish Steve well in his retirement and in what ever comes next for him. Additionally, I’m excited our long-time general counsel, Dirk Anderson, will be taking over the division. I can’t think of a more qualified individual to continue the great work that Steve will leave behind.”
To learn more about the Department’s Workers Compensation and Safety programs, including resources for workers and employers, visit Labor.Vermont.gov.