ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday Bárbara Rivera Holmes, the head of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, as the state’s next labor commissioner.
Rivera Holmes replaces Bruce Thompson, a Republican and former state senator who was elected labor commissioner in 2022. He died in November from pancreatic cancer at age 59, eight months after he announced his diagnosis.
Rivera Holmes, 45, is the seventh woman to hold statewide office in Georgia and the first woman of Hispanic descent. John King, the current insurance commissioner originally appointed by Kemp, was the first Hispanic man to hold statewide office. Although elected Republicans at the state level are still overwhelmingly white men, Kemp has made some diverse appointments, recognizing that the GOP needs to broaden its appeal in a state that is now only half white.
Kemp made the announcement in a ceremony at the state Capitol in Atlanta, where he lauded Rivera Holmes for her “unique skill set” in workforce development and education. Holmes was appointed as a member of the board of regents overseeing the University System of Georgia in 2018 by Gov. Nathan Deal.
“She brings an unmatched combination of knowledge and ability to this role that will benefit all those looking for work,” said Kemp, a Republican.
Georgia’s Labor Department administers unemployment insurance and helps people find jobs.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been committed to creating opportunities and building stronger communities by fostering partnerships and statewide alliances, driving job creation and securing capital investments,” Rivera Holmes said.
The department has been run since Thompson’s death by interim commissioner Louis DeBroux, who was Thompson’s chief of staff.
Rivera Holmes will serve the remainder of Thompson’s four-year term until early 2027, giving her a chance to make herself known as a statewide officeholder. She said she will run for a full term in the office as a Republican in 2026.
“Yes, she’ll run; yes, she’ll run as a Republican,” Kemp said.
Georgia is one of only four states that elects its labor commissioner, with the governor appointing the position in other states.
The Labor Department was battered during the pandemic by a huge wave of unemployment claims, raising questions about the management of the department. The department also struggled with a budget that was cut during the Great Recession more than a decade ago, leaving it with fewer employees and a 40-year-old computer system. Thompson announced a plan in 2023 to update that computer system. Rivera Holmes said she planned to evaluate how that changeover was going after she takes office.
Rivera Holmes has led the Albany Area Chamber since 2015. She announced her resignation Monday, saying it would take effect on March 28. Kemp said Rivera Holmes would be sworn into her new statewide post on April 4.
Kemp said he chose Rivera Holmes because he was looking for someone who works well as part of a team to aid economic development and job growth. He also said it was part of his commitment to aid economic opportunity in areas outside metro Atlanta, citing Rivera Holmes’ work in southwest Georgia, one of the state’s poorest regions.
“Being situated outside of metro Atlanta is certainly an advantage,” Rivera Holmes told reporters. “Life is different outside of the metro area. The challenges are different, and the opportunities are different.”