WASHINGTON D.C.—January 12, 2021 The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced today that David LaCerte will join the agency for a three-year term as Senior Advisor and Executive Counsel. LaCerte will assume the role of Acting Managing Director.
LaCerte brings years of private sector and federal and state government experience, most recently serving as a Deputy Associate Director at the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where he approved hiring and policy for all senior executive service, steered the nation’s shift to telework for 2.2 million federal employees during the pandemic of 2020 and led the teams that authored landmark publications such as The Senior Executive Service Desk Guide, The 2020 Presidential Transition Guide, and The 2020 Plum Book.
“David is a proven senior executive and is the perfect fit to bring institutional reform and modernization to the CSB,” said CSB Chairman Dr. Katherine Lemos. “We look forward to his leadership in identifying and implementing new short- and long-term strategic goals, attracting and retaining top talent, and ensuring the CSB is better positioned to target and accomplish our mission for decades to come.”
LaCerte was born and raised in South Louisiana. He holds a B.S. in Business from Nicholls State University, a J.D. and B.C.L. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University and studied international law at the Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon, France. After law school, he served as a state cabinet official and built a robust practice as a litigator and partner with a private law firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps infantry, and his decorations include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars.