Christopher J. Williamson is a native of the southern West Virginia coalfields and an alumnus of three TRIO programs—Upward Bound (Marshall University), Student Support Services (West Virginia University), and McNair Scholars Program (West Virginia University). On December 6, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden nominated Williamson to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Williamson currently serves as Senior Counsel to Chairman Lauren McFerran at the National Labor Relations Board. Previously, he served in the Obama Administration as a member of the senior leadership team at MSHA, as labor counsel to retired Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) in his capacity as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and as a legislative assistant to Senator Joe Manchin.
Over the years, Williamson has volunteered to speak at and help with numerous TRIO events in West Virginia and Washington, DC. To this day, he feels strongly about giving back to and supporting the programs that have helped him so much.
Williamson earned a Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law, a Master of Public Policy from American University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from West Virginia University. He resides in Maryland with his wife, daughter, and son.