The new Labor Secretary in Delaware has gotten high praise from a coalition of ministers and the NAACP after accusations have swirled around agency of racist atmosphere in the agency.
Patrice Gilliam-Johnson is African American and has known Governor Jack Markell for decades.
She is chairwoman of the Organizational Dynamics program at Wilmington University.
The appointment comes after 73 year-old John McMahon announced his retirement as his agency faced accusations of racism in a report by the coalition of ministers.
The group presented Markell with a report drawn on testimony from current and former state employees which noted that the Office of Anti-Discrimination failed to investigate complaints.
Markell emphasized that McMahon was not fired as he praised him for dealing with the effects of the Great Recession.
