New Chief Records Officer Named

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Laurence Brewer as the new Chief Records Officer for the U.S. Government effective May 1, 2016. Laurence has been acting in this role since Paul Wester’s departure in October 2015.

Since joining NARA in 1999, Laurence has held a number of positions in our records management program working directly with Federal agencies to improve records management government-wide. He began his career as an appraisal archivist, then served as an electronic records policy analyst.

More recently, Laurence has held management positions in records management as the Director of the Records Management Operations Program. In this position, Laurence was responsible for overseeing the scheduling and appraisal of Federal records; developing records management regulations and guidance; supporting records management training for employees across the Federal Government; and evaluating the effectiveness of records management programs in agencies.

Prior to joining NARA in 1999, Laurence was a records management consultant responsible for managing records management programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Transportation. He has more than 25 years of experience in records and information management and earned his Certified Records Manager designation in 1998. In March, Laurence completed the Partnership for Public Service’s Excellence in Government Fellows Program, which focuses on developing leadership skills. He holds an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Georgia, and a B.A. in Government from the College of William and Mary.

In his new position as Chief Records Officer, Laurence will work with the Executive for Agency Services, the Office of the Chief Records Officer, and Federal agency officials to build upon our accomplishments in records management and promote the goals of the OMB/NARA Managing Government Records Directive (M-12-18).

Please join us in congratulating Laurence on his new appointment.