Gov. Wolf names new secretary of labor and industry

Pennsylvania State Education Association President Jerry Oleksiak was named as state secretary of labor and industry by Gov. Tom Wolf.

PSEA released a statement last week following the announcement, which said Oleksiak will leave office as PSEA president on Sept. 2 to assume his new duties, and will be replaced by current PSEA Vice President Dolores McCracken.

“I have known Jerry for nearly 20 years, and I can tell you that he is one of the most fair-minded, committed and dedicated leaders I’ve ever met,” McCracken said in a statement. “Everything Jerry has done in his life has been centered around helping kids, protecting working people and fighting to make sure that everyone — regardless of where they live, what they do, or what they look like — has a fair shake in life. That’s why Jerry is so well suited to serve as secretary of labor and industry.

According to the report, McCracken is a paraprofessional in the Council Rock School District in Newtown. She has served as PSEA vice president since September 2015 and previously served as PSEA treasurer and as a member of the PSEA board of directors.

PSEA — a state branch of the larger national association — represents about 180,000 current and former teachers and school employees, and health care workers in Pennsylvania.

This story was originally published July 25, 2017 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Gov. Wolf names new secretary of labor and industry."