Commissioner of Labor Josh Dobson had the most visible changing of the guard in state government last year. In elevators all across the state, photos of his predecessor, fellow Republican Cherie Berry, were replaced with his photo.
While Berry was known as the “Elevator Queen,” it’s unclear if Dobson will get a similar nickname. He won election to succeed Berry after four terms representing the McDowell County area in the N.C. House and several years as a county commissioner. He chaired a number of health care policy committees during his time in the legislature.
Age: 40
What are some of the past jobs you’ve held outside of state government? When I was in college, I worked at a hardware store and worked in landscaping. I also worked for Baxter Healthcare in Marion. Those jobs really allowed me to see the dedication and work ethic of our state’s workforce.
While this is technically part of state government, readers may be interested to know that I worked several years as a correctional officer at a maximum-security prison in North Carolina. As I worked my way through my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I held several roles with the Department of Corrections (now the Department of Public Safety), eventually working on the business and administration side of the prison.
What lessons from those roles have you applied to your current position? Even though it was many years ago, working at the hardware store taught me how to interact on a daily basis with diverse people who have diverse needs. All of these jobs taught me the importance of hard work and allowed me a glimpse into what life is like for people working in various industries. The challenges and hazards present at a landscaping job are very different from those in a manufacturing facility. Certainly, the challenges presented in a prison setting are quite unique and require a workforce that is attentive to ongoing hazards.
Working at the prison was really the first time I considered safety on the job. My fellow correctional officers and I made a pact at the beginning of each day to watch out for each other to make sure we all went home safely at the end of each day. That’s the biggest lesson that I’ve carried into this role at Labor. At the end of each day, I simply want every worker in North Carolina to go home safely to their family.
What’s the most common misconception about your agency? The main misconception about the Department of Labor is that we are entirely a regulatory body without tools to work in a collaborative way. We certainly have a compliance arm, whether you’re thinking about occupational safety and health, wage payment or employment discrimination. Our mission is to ensure workers are safe on the job and that employers follow state labor laws.
However, it’s impossible to achieve this mission without offering the collaborative side of NCDOL. We have entire bureaus that provide consultation, education and training to workers and employers. We also offer various types of safety awards to recognize the many businesses that desire to go above and beyond existing safety standards. While we sometimes must use our compliance tools to remedy safety issues in the workplace, we would much rather be proactive and collaborate with employers to fix problems on the front end. We also want people to know that we do more than inspect elevators (though that’s very important)! Labor also provides training on mine and quarry sites and inspects boilers, pressure vessels and ski lifts.
Who do you most admire, and why? I really admire President George H. W. Bush. The humbleness in the way he handled the fall of the Berlin Wall, his management of the first Gulf War in Iraq, and even the way he handled defeat to President Clinton. I think he had the right temperament and character and was a true statesman. He was the kind of man I want to be.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about how to get things done in state government? “Try to learn as much as you can about one or two policy areas. Don’t try to be a gatekeeper for every issue.” In my time at the General Assembly, I tried to learn as much as I could about health care policy and that approach helped me be successful there. At Labor I’ve tried not to lose sight of the big picture, but at the same time I’ve really tried to master the details of the department.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in western North Carolina living in both Avery and McDowell counties.
Where do you most enjoy taking an out-of-town visitor in your hometown? Grandfather Mountain or Lake James
What is your favorite hobby outside of work? I love country music and I love watching my daughter play volleyball.
