OSHR is pleased to announce that Interim Safety Health & Workers’ Compensation Division Director, Scarlette Gardner, Esq., has accepted the opportunity to serve as the permanent Division Director effective May 1, 2019.
Scarlette is a licensed attorney, graduate of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law, and graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor’s degree in finance and Masters of Business Administration. She is also a NC Superior Court Certified Mediator.
Scarlette brings a wealth of diverse professional experience totaling approximately fifteen (15) years related to workplace safety and workers’ compensation, including three years serving as legal counsel to the Chairman of the NC Industrial Commission and various roles working with or on behalf of employees, employers, providers and attorneys. She has most recently served as the OSHR Workers’ Compensation Manager and has represented OSHR as a member of various task forces and committees.
Throughout Scarlette’s tenure with OSHR which began in 2014, she has worked diligently with stakeholders to create training and resource materials for safety professionals and workers’ compensation administrators; to develop and implement methods to assist State agencies to better understand, monitor and close workers’ compensation claims; and to collaborate with contracted vendors to ensure adherence to contractual requirements, improve customer service, and enhance claim management and cost containment.
Scarlette is looking forward to engaging in strategic planning and implementation of new initiatives in partnership with the entire network of human resources, safety, and workers’ compensation professionals in all State agencies and universities, as well as many others, to promote a culture of safety for State employees and proper handling of workplace incidents/injuries in accordance with State law and policies.