Mike Rothman has announced that he will be stepping down as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce effective November 17, 2017. Jessica Looman has been appointed as the new Commissioner.
Serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry at the time of this appointment, her role with the DLI has been to concentrate on fair treatment of Minnesotans and ensuring effective regulation of multiple industries, including oversight of workplace protections and building construction in Minnesota. She has been responsible for the strategic coordination of DLI’s five divisions to meet the agency’s objective of ensuring equitable, healthy and safe work and living environments for the state; directly overseeing the work of the agency’s Operations, Construction Codes and Licensing and Labor Standards and Apprenticeship Divisions. Commissioner Looman has been with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry for seven years. Before that she was General Counsel for the Laborers District Council of Minnesota & North Dakota for almost 9 ½ years. She is a graduate of George Washington University (B.A. in political science) and from the University of Minnesota Law School (J.D.).