Texas Workforce Commission taps Steve Pier as exec director

Pier has held several senior state agency roles, most recently as deputy executive director of the Texas Department of Information Resources and the state’s deputy chief information officer. He will begin his new role Feb. 2.

“I deeply appreciate Gov. Greg Abbott and the TWC commissioners giving me the opportunity to lead an agency that is vital to our state’s economy and Texans’ livelihoods,” Pier said in an announcement. “I look forward to building on TWC’s strong foundation of serving Texas’ employers and job seekers.”

The three Texas Workforce Commissioners — Chairman Joe Esparza, representing employers, Alberto Treviño III, representing labor, and Brent Connett, representing the public — made the appointment this week. Abbott is responsible for appointing the commission’s three members.

The Texas Workforce Commission, created by the Legislature in 1995, works with employers, oversees workforce training and unemployment benefits, and helps implement Gov. Greg Abbott’s economic development plans.

Pier’s appointment comes amid broader leadership changes at the Department of Information Resources. Amanda Crawford, the agency’s executive director, recently announced her departure as she becomes the next insurance commissioner for the state. Pier joined the department in 2019, where he led media and government relations, agency risk and compliance, data governance, project management and customer experience operations.

He succeeds Ed Serna, who served as executive director from August 2019 until his retirement in October. 

Serna’s annual salary as the commission’s executive director was $220,544, according to October data. The median salary for the commission, which employs more than 4,600 people, is $55,140.

Before his time with the Department of Information Resources, Pier also led the government relations offices for the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Workforce Commission. He also served as a staffer in the Texas House of Representatives and worked on several political campaigns.

“We at TWC are excited to welcome Steve and utilize his experience of partnerships and strategic vision to further highlight the agency’s many effective workforce programs,” Esparza said in the announcement. “His broad knowledge of governance and Texas’ current AI and technology landscape will be an asset to the mission of the Texas Workforce Commission.”