Flachsbarth named KDOL Deputy Secretary

(special to westernkansasnews.com)

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) Acting Secretary, Delía Garcia, has selected KDOL Unemployment Insurance Director, Brett Flachsbarth, to serve as the Deputy Secretary for the agency. His appointment is effective immediately.

“From the moment I met Mr. Flachsbarth, he has demonstrated powerful leadership
skills, and he is very well respected at both the state and national level for his knowledge of the Unemployment Insurance program,” Garcia said. “Through the past three Governors’ administrations, he has worked to maintain and nurture professional relationships with his colleagues and has been a huge help during my transition. He did a fantastic job serving as Director of Unemployment and I trust he will continue to do the same as the new Deputy Secretary.”

Flachsbarth is a Lawrence native, a graduate of the University of Kansas and earned a law degree from Washburn University. He joined KDOL in 2005 as a member of the agency legal team, became the Chief of the Office of Unemployment Insurance Appeals in 2011 and was promoted to Director of the Unemployment Insurance Division in January 2013.

In 2015, Flachsbarth received the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Award from the National Foundation for Unemployment and Workers Compensation. In the words of one nominator, he was praised as a leader/mentor who constantly strives to protect and preserve the integrity of the unemployment insurance system.