OSHRC Gains a Third Member
Cynthia L. Attwood is only the fourth woman to be appointed to the agency.
Cynthia L. Attwood was sworn in last week as a commissioner of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission by Chairman Thomasina V. Rogers. Attwood was nominated by President Obama on Nov. 10, 2009, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 11, 2010. She fills the seat previously held by former Commissioner W. Scott Railton. She is the fourth woman to be named as a member in the agency’s 38-year history.
Attwood joined current Chairman Rogers and Commissioner Horace A. “Topper” Thompson III on the panel. In a statement, Rogers said, "President Obama, in nominating Ms. Attwood, and the Senate, in confirming her, pay high tribute to the many men and women who have dedicated their professional lives to public service. Her record speaks volumes about excellence in government and working towards real solutions to societal problems. Ms. Attwood comes to the Review Commission as a seasoned attorney and a superb manager who will be an excellent partner, along with Commissioner Thompson, in reaching our strategic goals concerning case resolutions and leadership in the occupational safety arena."
Prior to joining OSHRC, Attwood served in several capacities at the Department of Labor. She served for three years as administrative appeals judge on DOL's Administrative Review Board, where she decided appellate cases brought under labor laws and regulations. For more than a decade she was associate solicitor for Occupational Safety and Health and associate solicitor for Mine Safety and Health.
Upon being sworn in as commissioner, Attwood said she is pleased to be returning to the field of occupational safety and health. She received her J.D. from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.