President Donald Trump named Keith E. Sonderling the acting secretary of labor April 20, following former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s resignation.
As deputy secretary, Sonderling oversaw key operational functions such as strategic planning, budget formulation, financial management, information technology and human resource management.
Prior to becoming deputy secretary, he was previously confirmed by the Senate to serve as the commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from September 2020 until August 2024. He also served as the commission’s vice chair from 2020 to 2021.
Sonderling previously served at the Department of Labor as the acting and deputy administrator of the department’s Wage and Hour Division from 2017 to 2020.
Before his tenure in public service, Sonderling was a partner at one of Florida’s oldest and largest law firms, Gunster. At Gunster, he counseled employers and litigated labor and employment disputes. Sonderling also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School, teaching employment law.
Sonderling received a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University.
Industry Reaction
John Hollay, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, says Sonderling brings a wealth of agriculture knowledge to his new position after working with agricultural employers in a variety of roles.
“Having already managed the department’s day-to-day operations as deputy secretary, and bringing years of deep institutional knowledge from his time at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, he is exceptionally well-positioned to advance the department’s mission,” Hollay says. “NCAE is grateful to President Trump for elevating such a strong advocate for agricultural employers as the department works to finalize the historic AEWR [Adverse Effect Wage Rate] regulation that is already saving producers from skyrocketing costs.”
