Elicia Watts Appointed as Director of the Office of Appeals

Today, National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer A. Abruzzo announced the appointment of Elicia Watts as Director of the Office of Appeals. In this position, Ms. Watts will oversee the Office which reviews appeals by employers, unions, and individuals who believe their unfair labor practice allegations have been wrongly dismissed by a Regional Office. The Office reviews about 2,000 cases per year.

A 26-year veteran of the NLRB, Ms. Watts began her NLRB career in the Regional Office of Region 5 in Baltimore, Maryland in 1997 where she served as a field attorney. She then moved to the Washington Resident Office of Region 5 in Washington D.C. in 2000 as a senior trial attorney/specialist and handled high-profile regional litigation. In 2005, Ms. Watts transferred to the Office of Appeals and was then promoted to a supervisory position in 2008. She was named Deputy Director of the Office of Appeals in 2017. Ms. Watts also served as Acting Deputy Chief Counsel for Board staff in 2019.

Ms. Watts received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Davis in 1992 and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1997.

“Elicia has proven throughout her career to be a talented and dedicated public servant with a strong commitment to the National Labor Relations Act and the Agency,” said General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. “For over 25 years, she has dedicated herself to advancing the Agency’s mission and I know she will continue to do so as she assumes her new role.”